Radio Free JoJo

8:57 PM - This is my first attempt at live blogging, and what better event to begin with is this first Presidential debate. I’m watching Fox News Channel, as PBS was still in their NOW program, and there is no way that I’m watching Olbermann and Matthews at MSNBC (what happened to David Gregory, who’s supposed to work the big show for them?).

9:00 PM - The pundits keep saying that the debate is Obama’s to lose. They are wondering if McCain will lose his temper. Jim Lehrer from the NewsHour on PBS is the moderator and began his introduction at 9:01.

9:03 PM - The candidates are introduced and step on stage…applauce is polite but not robust, the candidates shake hands, each wearing a slightly different shade of blue suit. Lehrer’s first question is where do the candidates stand on the financial situation.

9:06 PM - Obama gave his bullet points, throwing all of the blame for the crisis at President Bush’s feet. McCain sounds more conciliatory in touch with the felt pain in the audience. Obama in the response came forth with that “shreded regulations” accusation. McCain brings up a history lesson from World War II about accountability.

9:13 PM - McCain talks about his fundamental belief in the strength of the American worker, which is what he meant a couple of weeks ago when he said that the fundamentals of the American economy were strong.

9:24 PM - The candidates are going back and forth on earmarks. McCain calls them a “gateway drug.” Obama talks about cutting taxes for 95% of Americans and poo-poos the $18 billion in earmarks. McCain makes a strong case for lowering the high business taxes, and wants to double the dependent tax credit to $7000.

9:32 PM - They are talking about what priority changes for their administrations because of the bailout costs. Obama wants more money for alternative energy, education, infrastructure (roads, bridges, and rural broadband?!). McCain talks about Obama’s liberal voting record, which made Obama chuckle. McCain wants to go after subsidies and overspending in the defense budget.

9:33 PM - First mention of Iraq, by Senator Obama, complaining about $10 billion a month being spent, while Iraq sits on an oil surplus.

9:36 PM - A half-hour into the debate, there is no clear winning candidate. Obama sounds like he’s yelling, while McCain is soft and intense.

9:44 PM - Lessons from Iraq, McCain reminds us that he was first to push for more troops to win the war, not defeat. Obama reminds that he opposed the war six years ago. Makes a statement about the war costing $600 billion, “soon to be a trillion.” A trillion? Only if the war blows up in our face. McCain points out that Obama was invested in defeat, and never met with the General until recently.

9:50 PM - With the discussion over the Iraq war, Obama is starting to lose composure and over speak, which is what the pundits warned against. It’s not McCain losing his cool, but Obama.

9:53 PM - I must say, even with the distractions of the week in Washington, both these candidates have a strong grasp of the issues surrounding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

9:56 PM - I don’t know if Obama’s regionally accurate pronunciation of Pakistan is going to fly with the “bitter clingers” in the middle of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. It feeds into that Obama is a Muslim myth.

10:05 PM - An hour into this debate, and I got to think that there is a slight advantage to McCain. McCain talks strongly from his experience, with a comprehensive understanding of the issues. This foreign policy talk is right in his wheel house. All Obama can do is complain and disagree, without any positive sounding foreign policy agenda points.

10:11 PM - This talks about whether or not we will talk to rogue countries is kind of boring.

10:22 PM - Talking about Russia and the recent agression against Georgia. Both candidates scoring points. Obama is wary of the nukes, McCain properly explains that the use of power was about the oil pipeline running through Georgia.

10:25 PM - Obama is off the reservation when it comes to his enviromentalist supporters. He just articulated support for off-shore drilling, and nuclear…the greens can’t be happy.

10:26 PM - Last question: the likelyhood of another 9/11 attack on the US.

10:29 PM - McCain reminding that he reached across the aisle to enact the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. Doing a great job now, still a long way to go. Obama concerned about nuclear proliferation, and Al-quida, wants to restore America’s standing in the world.

10:32 PM - McCain reiterates that Obama was wrong on Iraq. Obama points out that the focus on Iraq has kept us from working on problems in other parts of the world.

10:37 PM - Lehrer calls the end to the debate. The candidates said “good job” to each other and to Jim Lehrer, and then went to their wives.

---

10:39 PM - Recap anchors: Brit Hume on Fox News Channel, Anderson Cooper on CNN, David Gregory on MSNBC.

10:43 PM - Anchors are harping on the fact that Obama kept saying “I agree with Senator McCain, I agree with Senator McCain.”

10:49 PM - Networks go to commercials, and I’m signing off. All in all, a great spirited debate. I’ll give the nod narrowly to McCain, although I’m not sure he pulled a ton of people in his camp.  Obama meanwhile didn’t implode. Thanks for reading, good night!