Update: Michelle Malkin notes O-bomba had to READ the name on his bracelet! (Near the end of the clip):

Dumb move Obama. When you plan a political stunt like this, make sure you rehearse it enought to ensure it comes off genuine.

Update: Obama’s Kissinger fiction was when McCain turned Obama into a floor mop:

Obama” “we’ll look into it”. Yeah, Obama looked really Presidential! H/T Gateway Pundit.

Update: Damn, the McCain campaign is setting speed records on adervtising. 60 minutes after the debate here we go:

BTW – Loved the format. It’s a keeper.

Biden Gaffe Update: Biden loses his history again when he claims Reagan asked “if you liked the last 8 years, ….” – Joe, you’re having a blonde moment. Carter was only in office 4 years. – end Biden gaffe update.

Summary: Obama was terrible. He got incoherent and defensive. His summary was idiotic (my dad wrote a leter, scroll to the end).  I have highlighted in bold-italics on key points.  My guess – McCain gets 7 point boost in the polls. Tag line of the night: “I have a bracelet too!” – end summary

Will McCain’s superior knowledge of foreign policy take the day? Will Obama’s efforts to surrender Iraq to al-Qaeda at any cost come back to bite him? Will McCain be perceived as a seasoned leader? Will Obama come out as the partisan pitbull (well, poodle in a pitbull mask)? Will McCain’s ability to debate overshadow the telemprompter kid? Will Obama finally realize America doesn’t have 58 states (‘been to 57, have one more to go”). Will Joe Biden get some history on the Great Depression, Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt, and when the TV become a product for the public? 

Holly hot air folks, what will our heroes face tonight!  Stay tuned for what should be the most watched presidential debate in history!

9:01 PM Eastern: Obama goes first, advantage McCain (rebuttal is always the stronger play)

9:07 PM Eastern: First Question: Eisenhower said we must have financial solvency as well as national security.  Where do the candidates stand?

Obama: Worst finacial crisis since Depression. How does this affect main street America? $700 Billion is POTENTIALLY a lot of money (you think?). Obama is stumbling without his telemprompter. Ugh!

McCain: McCain recognizes Sen Kennedy’s illness, sends wishes. McCain is talking to America directly, Obama recited talking points. Talks about the lack of House GOP support.

5 minute cross debate: How does each support the plan?

Obama: Haven’t seen the plan.  Optimistic on getting a plan. Plain out lying about his calls to raise alarm bells. Wants to know how it came to be? (should ask his pals from Fannie Mae).

McCain: I also warned about the train wreck – many did. Let’s talk about Eisenhower and his time right before D-Day.  Two letters, Conrgatulations for success and resignation if it failed. We have lost accountability.  Greed is rewarded, excess rewarded, lack of over sight rewarded.

Obama: Ideology has been what is good for Wall Street (Obama pals) and not mainstreet.

McCain: We have to fix the system, Main Street paying the price. I have a belief we can make it throught this.

9:14 PM Eastern: Second question:  What are the fundamental differences between the two:

McCain: Must reign in spending, GOP did not stop spending. Earmarking as a drug. Congressmen in jail due to the addiction. Will veto every earmarked Bills.  Obama wants to spend billions of dollars.

Obama: McCain right, I suspended my earmarks (a recovering addict?). McCain is proposing $300B in tax cuts, earmarks only $16B.  Grow the economy from bottom up.  Runs with the same lie about tax cut for 95% Americans (when less than 50% pay income taxes).

5 minute open debate:

McCain: Obama suspended his earmarks AFTER his bid for election. Only $18B? It has tripled and is corrupting Congress.  I have opposed.  Obama wants $800B in new spending.  McCain wants to cut taxes AND spending.

Obama: Health care for everyone is important (and he pays for it – with our money!). Tax policies targeted for well to do (and small companies like me).

McCain: Obama finds the business tax objectionable. America is 2nd highest at 35%. Ireland 11%.  That is why business move offshore. A CR is coming up this week with 2,000 earmarks! Obama has his pork in his pocket from past earmarks. Every familly gets a tax credit to buy insurance (woohoo from me!).

Obama: Average America, you will not see a tax increase (except when we tax the companies who will pass them on to us consumers).

McCain: Christmas tree energy bill this year, I voted against it, Obama for it (that left a mark).  McCain is rattling Obama.

9:23 PM Eastern: 3rd Question: As President, the resulting rescue plan will cause you to give up something, what will it be?

Obama: Range of things will be delayed. No doubt, we cannot do everything. Must haves: Energy Independence (usual laundry list), Health care system (that’s going to be expen$ive), make sure we are “competing” – whatever that means.  Infrastructure, roads, internet, etc, etc. 

McCain: No matter what we have to cut spending.  Obama is most liberal senator (hard to reach across the aisle from that far from the left). Plenty of spending cuts, fixed price contracts (bring ’em on!). We have a large government. I have fought wasteful programs and contracts. Scrub every element of government.

5 minute debate:

Obama: Things have to be delayed (Lehrer: “Like what?”).  Energy independence can be delayed! (thanks Barack, extend that $4 a gallon a few more years). Obama is babbling again.  Google for Government???? Obidiot stole Palin’s plan for putting the budget on the internet.  Google for Government??

McCain: How about a spending freeze for everthing but national defense, veterans, and entitlements.

Obama: I want to increase spending here, there and everywhere.

McCain: We are sending $700B overseas for energy.  There is more saving in energy independence (nuclear power especially) and the ability to create jobs than any ‘surgical’ on energy than spending on day care. 

9:36 PM Eastern: Question: Lessons of Iraq:

McCain: Cannot have a failed strategy which brings failure.  In 2003 I said we need to fix the strategy and fought for it.  Petraeus and The Surge was the result. We will come home with victory and success. Now that we will succeed and our troops will come home without defeat. Defeat would have widened the war, empowered Iran and cost us more.

Obama: We disagree, we shouldn’t be in the war at all (yea, would of, could of, should of). Moves to Afganistan.

McCain: Next president doesn’t decide getting into Iraq, but how to get out. Goes over Obama gaffes on surrendering at all costs. Obama’s committee on Afghanistan has never met.

Obama: I am proud of Biden (where did that come from). He seems lost

McCain: Obama doesn’t understand the difference between tactics and strategy. Troops: Let us win! Obama, wanted to cut funds to the troops.

My notes: Obama is slowly falling apart. He keeps running off topic.  Folks, Hate to say this but I want to watch the meltdown!  Suspending this for a bit.

9:56 PM Eastern: Obama’s infamous ‘zingers’ are falling flat. McCain is raking him over Iraq and Afghanistan and Pakistan, Taliban and al-Qaeda. Loved the ‘grab defeat from the jaws of victory” line!

10:00 PM Eastern: Obama: I have a bracelet too! al-Qaeda is still sending out videos! What is this man talking about????

10:08 PM Eastern: McCain noted Obama voted against calling Iranian terrorists “terrorists”. Obama stumbled badly on the issue.  He wants to talk, as if you can trust anything Iranians say. McCain brings up Obama’s plans to sit down with the world’s thugs without prep-conditions, legitimizing the thugs.

10:11 PM Eastern: Obama: I can talk to whomever I want, and Ahmedinejad is not possibly the most powerful person in Iran (just the President). Ugh – bring us Palin!

10:14 PM Eastern: Obama may have let out a national secret when he said North Korea passed nuclear technology to Syrai. We know the man is getting intel briefs – he shouldn’t have even hinted at that one.

10:17 PM Eastern: Obama has lost it! McCain has rattled Obama badly. Obama even said Bush has been silent on our enemies (ever hear of the “axis of evil”). The plan was Obama would rattle McCain.  Clearly, Obama is becoming incoherent (6 party, 6 point, er….).

10:22 PM Eastern: On Russia: Obama lists countries, McCain drops names of leaders of countries. McCain;s best point was Obama’s equivocation on Russia;’s invasion (both attacker and victim need to show ‘restraint’). Again, McCain just wiping the floor with Obama.

10:24 PM Eastern: Obama pulled a Palin. He went from Russia to oil independence.  But that was the one part of his plan he said would have to be sacrificed in light of the financial crisis bailout.

10:31 PM Eastern: Final Question – what is the chance of another terrorist attack.

McCain: we have more work to do.  We are safer, but we are not safe yet.

Obama: Safer in some ways. Need to protect ports, transportation, chemical plants. We need to protect against nukes.  We are spending too much on missile defense (but I support). The man is jumping around again. McCain has him totally rattled.

10:32 PM Eastern: Obama gaffe: we have been obsessed on Iraq for 8 years (sorry dude, only been at war there for 5). Remember McCain’s statement that Petraeus and and Bin Laden agree on one thing: Iraq was the central battlefield in the war on terror.

10:40 PM Eastern: McCain: Experience counts. I love our veterans, I will take care of them. Obama is showing stubborness like Bush did with his inability to move off his failed Iraq views.

Obama: My dad’s From Kenya. He wrote a letter. I have a bracelet too.

McCain: When I came home from prison I worked on issues to bring our veterans home.

O-Bomba!  The man flamed.

Tags: 2008 Election, First Presidential Debate, McCain, Obama