I watched the Debates yesterday twice
Bob Schiefer - wow. Bob Schiefer - you know what, lets give him a hand!
In an election year topped with historical nuggets, the moderators have not always been up to the mark - Gwen with her tiptoing around because she has a book about (omg) black leaders & because she herself maybe (gasp) black, the worked on sonorousity and nothing else Tom Brokaw, who seemed more concerned with reading the prompter (for NBC sake, you are a veteran reporter, on air personality, & moderator to book - make do if you can't see the prompter & moderate!) and Jim Lehrer (who I simply can not say anything against because of his excellent show & v.excellent intern programs, but who was dismally soft)
So for Bob Schiefer to call the candidates on their answers, on their negative campaigning, on their policies & promises was comparatively excellent. In another election year, he would have been good but in this momentous year where euphemisms have been used instead of actual words, he was pretty darn good, gosh darn it!

And of course, the actual exchange itself - what can I say that hasn't been said already?

The boy says watching the debates with me maybe like trying to watching it with the Obama family - i pounce on everything despicable uttered by Mccain & wince at everything that should have been uttered but not by Obama. Everytime Obama takes longer than a second to spit out his well thought out thoughts, I scan the husband boy's face to see if he is losing interest.
I am just too much on edge.
i agree.
But inspite of all tht, i really thought Obama did a good job.
Even when Mccain came out with his 'I am no George Bush', which was a good point, Obama v.logically & politely put it aside.

"So the fact of the matter is that if I occasionally have mistaken your policies for George Bush's policies, it's because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people, on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities, you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush."

Oh, Barack - you are the prof with 'overfilled to capacity & beyond' classes with loong waiting lists, even if there are other professors teaching the very same subject with the v. same syllabus. Somehow your thoughtful eloquence makes it feel we are all listening to something exquisitely exclusive for the v.first time.

It was a good debate, as this years debates go.
And at times it felt Obama took the high road too often - esp. when it came to bashing Mccain - Palin on their negative speeches & Palin's obvious incapability to handle anything remotely Presidential.
& McCain, sadly, just looked angry & condescending & smug - which is generally how most republicans look to me - whether on Tv or not.

And oh, finally, Joe the Plumber IS real - I guess I wasn't the only one who was curious to see what he looked like & what he felt at being such a pivotal talking point.
& oh, this is now my new fav go to website for facts & checks - check it out & go 'vote now, it'l...