During Obama's replies, McCain has been staring into space with the sort of glassy-eyed fixed grimace you'd see on a Furby that's two seconds away from going for your throat.

Oh, Jesus, Jon, we've got a house party here in the rec room and I just Googled the phrase "change, obama porn." Does that give you any clue? (There's some interesting returns to that search, btw.)

John McCain has promised to buy my home, cool. But he keeps interrupting Obama and the moderator, kind of like an old main with dementia praecox would do.

The best part about the debate: the candidates and the moderator are all seated at the same table, however, which means McCain, albeit apparently medicated, is within reach of them. Just one lunge across the table and he's in head-butt range. Could happen any second. And for some reason, the new drinking game is how many times they say "Joe the Plumber." Joe the Plumber. WTF??

Now they're getting into Ayers and ACORN, and McCain is attempting to tie Ayers and ACORN together. Card-carrying communists and gay pedophile sex are surely next. You have made the right choice, Mr. Schwartz, and for that I commend you. And now, I am going to pour myself a drink. Vodka mixed with beer.

I'm not watching. The only reason I would is to hope against hope that I'd get to witness McCain losing it, because that would be hilarious. But I figure even on the off chance that that happened, it'll be on youtube soon enough.

Verb tense, shmerb shmense.

I'd like to say it was excruciating, but honestly it was the least worst of the three. Assuming Obama wins, it will be such a pleasure (and a relief) to listen to an articulate, intelligent, thoughtful person preside over the continued degradation of this country and the destruction of the planet for the next four years.

The only mild surprise: Obama saying he opposes the Colombia Free Trade Agreement in part because of the murders of trade unionists there. Other than that it was talking points all the way.

My personal favorite part: Bob Schieffer asking about the pressing global emergency of "climate control." Yes—what will we as a nation do to reach agreement on the optimum temperature setting for the air conditioner?

Another interesting moment: Bob Scheiffer mentioning that we used to import only around 30% of our foreign oil when Nixon took office, and now we are importing around 60% of our foreign oil.

I won't point out the obvious.

everybody talked about the federal expenditures increasing enormously in the bush years. nobody mentioned what the extra money was for. but mccain actually implied that the extra money was indeed for discretionary social spending and obama let that stand, like he let stand mccain's overton-windowing of "single-payer healthcare" as a synonym for "socialized medicine."

for those of you on some right-wing revival watch, mccain basically said that complaining about his supporters going verbally postal was the same as questioning their patriotism. that was actually scary.

I was really impressed by Obama's willingness to talk about the horrible government of Colombia, which is a major recipient of US aid.

When was the last time a major Presidential candidate criticized the human rights policies of a close US ally? Or spoke out in favor of labor rights?

I think Obama just won my vote. On the Working Families Party line, of course (I'm in New York).

Obama is against murdering Colombian civilians? WTF? So he is saying that he cut the funding of the CIA? YEAH!! O KAY!!!

My favorite part of the debate was the part where everything got dark and I started to feel very warm and happy. Then I was riding a blue horse in heaven and John McCain was trying to lasso me with a stick of butter. Obama then flew in on a Oakland Raiders jersey and told me I was really special, but his words were made of birthday cake.
I'm sorry you missed it.
It was the best debate ever.

"When was the last time a major Presidential candidate criticized the human rights policies of a close US ally? Or spoke out in favor of labor rights?"

Jimmy Carter in 1976. Then he was elected and began arming and backing numerous human rights violators, from El Salvador to East Timor and back again. But I'm sure that Obama will be different. He just has to be, right?

Joe the Plumber can kiss my ass!

Sorry. I play the piano, and I'm very upset that Paul the Pianist wasn't central in this debate.

And how about Jonathan the Blogger, huh? They at least could have mentioned him.

they're both dorks. I tried to watch the 1st debate a little, but I lost patience after the 1st 15 minutes or so. Change, hope, tax cuts, those no-good aliens and foreign bankers, blah blah blah blah blah.

I seriously doubt you missed much.

It looks like John McCain was able to destroy the vigilante plumbing career of some guy in Toledo, but other than that you didn't miss much.