The Last Debate - Live Blogging

7:58pm - Okay, looks like things are about under way. The cable news countdown clocks are at 1:11. I don't know if I'll have as much to say during this debate as I did for the only VP debate because Palin isn't on the stage, but stay tuned.

8:00pm - Their countdown clock seems to be a little off. It is almost 8:01.

8:01pm - A sit down debate...this will be even more boring. No wandering from McCain. Dang it. Alright, here are the candidates. "Let's get to it," Bob Schieffer. Now, how long before Ayers rears his head?

8:05pm - That was a close one, Obama barely getting "Hofstra" out. That would have been a bad start, mispronouncing the host university's name.

8:08pm - "He's been watching some ads of Senator McCain's." - Obama gets the first laugh from the crowd for this one, but McCain's story about Joe "Plumber" was good I thought. Whether you like his proposal or not, I thought he was a little more convincing than in previous debates.

8:12pm - Obama talking about the core of the economy, the middle class, is where he is going to win over the people that, according to the polls, he doesn't necessarily need to win over. Sullivan says Obama is boring and McCain looks cranky. Agreed.

8:17pm - "Across the board spending freeze." McCain needs to elaborate more on this. He threw this out there in the last debate and it just sounds bad. Get rid of it and explain. A lot of "I know"s from McCain in this bit. "I know" how, why, etc. Oh, and that overhead projector is a high tech projector for Chicago's planetarium. This isn't some $3 million dollar projector from Office Max. Let's clear that up.

8:20pm - Damn. McCain getting a little cranky. "I am not President Bush." Right, you're only 95% of him.

8:22pm - McCain's eyes when Obama says "Fox News". Those were hilarious. We are going to see a freeze frame of that later on.

8:24pm - Oh boy. Here come the campaign tactics questions. Snap, good question, Bob. McCain "town hall meetings", blah, blah, blah. Let's go McCain, accuse Obama of palling around with terrorists. I am waiting....I think everyone is. Oh, it's Obama's supporters that are hurting McCain's feelings. "Very unfair and truly inappropriate," McCain says....you have to be kidding, man? "You didn't tell the American people the truth because you didn't." Nice one, McCain. Well, he didn't bring Ayers up. If Ayers was going to come up, I thought it would have been then.

Obama's response to the tactics question is very good. People don't want to hear about hurt feelings, they want the issues. Obama will put up with it, but is it healthy for the American public to see the next three weeks devoted to nasty attacks? No.

8:30pm - An attack ad on a health care plan is completely different than an attack ad on someone's supposedly "dangerous" and mysterious background.

8:34pm - McCain really wants to keep going on about unruly crowds and whatnot. Put it to rest, gramps. He just seems so irritated. I don't understand why. Up...there it is, Ayers. We need to know the full extent of Obama's relationship with him and ACORN. WOW! He really did bring it up.

8:36pm - Obama's response...so far, so good. He gave it to us straight. Now, clear up this ACORN business. Oh, well, that took about 20 seconds. That was easy.

8:38pm - Again, ACORN, why is this such a bad organization? McCain, trying valiantly to tell us what his campaign is really about.

8:43pm - Did McCain almost say "breast of fresh air" when speaking about Palin coming to Washington? That would have been the best slip ever.

8:46pm - McCain correcting Bob, "Climate change." Just sort of funny. I am wondering, how many gray hairs on Obama's head wouldn't be there if he hadn't been campaigning for 20 months? A lot, probably.

8:54pm - A pretty boring debate so far. Obama wins a boring debate, but there is still 36 minutes left. If The Daily Show was coming on at 9 around here I would probably change the channel, but I'll stick with this.

From Sullivan, a great point:

9.53 pm. "Maybe you ought to travel down there." C'mon, McCain, this is weeeaaak. And petty. And incoherent. McCain's veep only got a passport last year and McCain is attacking Obama for not visiting Colombia. He needs to look like a big man to become an independent president. Instead this campaign has made him look very, very small. Even against a freshman senator.

8:59pm - Joe the Plumber returns. Where is Joe Sixpack? I bet he feels left out. "You would love England." No, McCain, I do. I would move there tomorrow.

9:05 - Okay, McCain. 10 minutes...time is up. Brokaw would have blown a gasket there. Bob just gently mumbles.

9:13pm - Finishing the debate with ... zzz. Geez. So boring from both. That is McCain's heavy breathing you are hearing.

9:15pm - Last question. Yeah! I think Bob has done a very good job so far. McCain and Obama have actually been able to go back and forth during the last 80 minutes. Just let them fight.

9:18pm - "Put away the video games." I never liked this line from Obama. I love video games. Obviously, there can be unhealthy obsessions, but my obsession during my formative childhood years and even into college somewhat was completely beneficial to my health.

9:24pm - Palin is qualified for the VP slot and potentially the presidency because she knows about autism. Is this McCain's answer for the last question? What is with McCain constantly interrupting Obama? I know it's a debate, but seriously. Some of his interjections are off. And that last punch line didn't work. I love when McCain laughs at his own jokes.

9:28pm - Closing statements ... McCain, a couple stumbles, but for the most part fine. Not much to say there. Obama's last few lines were studly, I must say. Reminding voters that he has been out there for 20 months was good. Anyone who has been paying attention knows who Obama is.

And the debate ends with a very firm handshake and what sounded like ten "Good job"s from McCain.