DURING DEBATE #2

9:42pm
ROUND UP TIME
READ MY LIPS: HOOVER WAS NOT THE LAST PRESIDENT TO RAISE TAXES IN TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES: (FROM cbsnews.com)
"McCain: Wrong on Hoover
McCain: "My friends the last president to raise taxes during tough economic times was Herbert Hoover..."
Not true. The National Bureau of Economic Research says the recession in the 1990's began during the administration of the first President Bush and lasted from July 1990 to March 1991. U.S. Treasury says President Bush raised taxes in October, 1990."

LOOK WHAT ANDREW SULLIVAN JUST POSTED. I'M SPEECHLESS.
"10.33 pm. This was, I think, a mauling: a devastating and possibly electorally fatal debate for McCain. Even on Russia, he sounded a little out of it. I've watched a lot of debates and participated in many. I love debate and was trained as a boy in the British system to be a debater. I debated dozens of times at Oxofrd. All I can say is that, simply on terms of substance, clarity, empathy, style and authority, this has not just been an Obama victory. It has been a wipe-out.It has been about as big a wipe-out as I can remember in a presidential debate. It reminds me of the 1992 Clinton-Perot-Bush debate. I don't really see how the McCain campaign survives this."
9:29pm
What don't you know? Obama: Great humor about Michelle. Women didn't react as well, though. Food stamps: unbelievable with women, steadily rising with men. At the very top, flat lining at the top, actually with women. WOW WOW WOW
McCain: "what I don't know is what the unexpected will be". Isn't that the definition of "unexpected"? Audience isn't buying his poor me story. But the women like his great country schtick. Another with the "steady hand at the tiller". Wha?

9:25pm
RE: Israel: Good personal moment with McCain with the military audience member. But EVERY TIME he criticizes Obama the CNN approval #'s go DOWN. Again w/"my friend". And copying the Holocaust! Again, my friend!
Obama: A quick dip, now he's up; almost to the top. he talks directly to the person asking the question. Not wandering. This is good. Goes down when he starts to get technical.
THE MEN ESPECIALLY RESPOND WELL TO THE MEETING W/O PRECONDITIONS. The McCain slam on this is not working, especially with women.

9:16pm
Obama going steadily up on his Afghanistan response. Let's watch McCain: a ski slope downslide when McCain takes over the Afghanistan question. And goes down more, especially with MEN, when he starts on the "Obama was wrong on Iraq" (my friends). And he just said "workin'". He's been around Palin too long.

9:13pm
Obama played the "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran". Good strong response. McCain just asked permission, which 538 chided Obama for.

9:05pm
What a mistake; McCain. He's said "my friends" in 15 seconds. He doesn't answer the question he talks about Iraq again. Cool hand? Uh, that would be Obama. Talking about humiliation is not a good doctrine. Talking about Marines dying at the hands of poor government; blood? This is doing ok with the response meter but it was going down hill for a while. he copies Obama's Holocaust and Rwanda.

9:03pm
Obama Doctrine: GOOD move bringing up the Holocaust and Rwanda. He's making the point that he is NOT against military action. Even the most ardent peace-seekers can't argue with that one. The world cruelty, good. Can't be everywhere, good. Darfur. He's hitting it out of the park. he's at the top of the response meter; the women love Obama.

8:54pm
No one laughed at McCain's gold plated Cadillac hair plug joke.

8:27pm
Women's score just went way up as Obama was talking. As Andrew Sullivan said, Obama looks old. It's not his fault; but he's sort of meandering around the stage and seems a little disjointed.

8:13pm
John McCain: Says Barack Obama was 2nd highest recipient of money from Fannie/Freddie. That was from friends & family of employees. When you factor in money from Fannie/Freddie DIRECTORS and LOBBYISTS, McCain received over $190K, Obama: about $139K.