Liveblogging: Debate #1

10:37: It's blessedly over. Game. Set. Match. The big story will be McCain's inability to look at Obama and his constant chuckles. This sucker is over.
10:34: Wait, wait. McCain is stumbling over himself, trying to compare Obama to Bush? Nice.
10:32: He's closing so strong with knocking Bush. "Hey, did you all forget that Bin Laden is still out there?"
10:30: What a fantastic closing shot by Obama about world faith in the US. And McCain won't touch it. Wow.
10:27: I like that McCain came out against torture. Thank God for that, at least. (Though he did vote for it in the Senate).
10:26: Great last question about 9/11.
10:24: Is it as obvious to anyone else as it is to me that McCain doesn't take Obama seriously? I mean, it's been obvious all along, but he's treating Obama like a little kid.
10:19: I don't think this patronizing tone is so good. Oh, and by the way, the KGB hasn't existed for quite some time.
10:16: Mac got a good blow in with that "Oh, please!" line.
10:08: Oh, John. You didn't screw up a name. Please, say you didn't do it.
10:07: "Russia and China, which I think Senator McCain might agree, aren't democracies." That was pretty good.
10:04: Ok, I'm done with the censorship for a moment. I'm fucking tired of McCain and Palin bringing up "the second Holocaust." Sick and fucking tired of it. It couldn't be more insulting.
9:59: This discussion of his record is the best thing McCain has said yet.
9:56: Ok, this is mostly boring. But that actually helps Obama. McCain needs a game-changer.
9:48: This sounds horrible, but I'm kind of getting emotional over this. Obama is so concise and so forceful that I'm kind of overcome with joy. This is going better than I could have ever dreamed.
9:45: John, just f***ing look at him! Stop smirking! This is the equivalent of Al Gore's sighs in 2000.
9:38: All along, McCain won't look Obama in the eye. Even when Obama is addressing him directly, McCain looks at Lehrer like Obama is a joke and smirks. This will be a huge thing, I guarantee.
9:35: Jim Lehrer just said that the President "rules" the country. I can't think of a funnier joke than just pointing that out.
9:31: Of course, I'm watching on MSNBC. On Fox News, McCain is probably winning.
9:30: On the liveblog at fivethirtyeight.com, they're talking about how hard it is to judge debates objectively. It's true, I'm going to make fun of McCain no matter what, basically. Can't imagine he's doing so well objectively, though.
9:28: McCain to himself: "Broad band? What's that? Is he talking about The Supremes?"
9:26: McCain to himself: "Don't smile. No creepy smile. Can't help it... No, stop! Don't!"
9:24: Jesus, why don't we get off the earmarks already? 'Cause I just got off yours. Or something like that.
9:19: This site is interesting. It's tracking partisan response during the debate.
9:15: Was McCain just unbelievably stupid enough to knock animal DNA-testing in Montana??? After that seal crap in Alaska? Wow, that was dumb.
9:14: Ok, let's stop this Main Street/Wall Street crap. I'm tired of it. If the Yankees can go away, so can this.
9:13: That line about regular people having their own financial crisis at the end of every month is going to be a big sound bite for Obama.
9:09: I just noticed that Obama is wearing the flag pin. That was one of the big (quiet) caves of the campaign.
9:07: People will lose their "credits"! Will my degree be taken away? Will the quarter I put into Ms. Pac-Man not count?
9:06: Hey, J-Mac -- Sen. Kennedy actually was already released from the hospital. But whatever, that's nitpicking.
9:04: Wow. right off the bat with the bailout... This could set a bad tone for Hail Mary McCain.
9:03: Wait, one of them is black???
9:01: The Comissar of Cute keeps barking. I think he's as excited as I am. Either that, or he's pissed that I trapped him in the basement. Which, coincidentally, the McCain campaign is doing to Sarah Palin until November 4.
8:53: Ok, here's what they need to do.
Obama: show up and stand on the stage with McCain (see: Reagan, 1980).
McCain: Um, apologize to the American people for his mess of a campaign? Tell everybody that Sarah Palin was a big joke and introduce Mike Huckabee? Hmm... I'll think about it and get back to ya.
8:52: Getting ready... I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this, but since I'm watching it anyway, might as well. Why waste my good jokes on forgetfulness?