Colin's Cleveland Debate Liveblog

I guess I'll get my take on this puppy started with my expectations on tonight's MSNBC debate, which is set to start at 8 central. First, I really wish Chris Matthews was one of the moderators, because I think he'd try to get the sparks flying moreso than Russert and Brian Williams. As far as what I expect out of Obama, I doubt he's going to say anything controversial, because his campaign is smart enough to not screw up the momentum. He'll speak in generalities, and probably focus on the mortgage issues going on right now, because they've hit Ohio especially hard.

What's going to be interesting is what strategy Hillary Clinton decides to take. Is she going to be the passive, lukewarm wash she was in the Austin debate? I doubt it. I think she's going to come out firing, because she's on her last legs. It wouldn't surprise me if she focuses a lot on the differences between her and Obama, particularly in foreign policy. Hopefully this will be entertaining, and not full of too many below-the-belt attacks on Bush, in efforts to gain applause from the leftist audience.

Oh yeah, I'm also going to be drinking beer while the debate goes on to help me cope with the constant "the government can solve allllll your problems!" rhetoric, so the quality of this commentary is going to be getting progressively worse as the debate goes on.

Putting up with Olberman's garbage for about 20 minutes is about all I can handle. Keith Olberman is an anomaly. He's well-spoken, witty, innovative, but also a complete moron and a pompous jackass. Oh well. Debate time.

Drinking-game count:

Clinton: "shame" "let's get real" and her laugh
Obama: "we agree..." "change" "hope"
Either one: "the current administration"

::::Debate::::

Hillary is sporting some nice faux leopard-skin pant suit. Me likee. Obama's dresses relatively conservatively. The roundtable format is a lot more welcoming than the podium-style we've seen before.

I fucking love the "shame on you.....meet me in Ohio" quote they use to introduce Hillary. Jesus, did she seriously start with healthcare? She needs to open some new ground.

"My plan will cover everyone..." Hillary needs new talking points.

I laughed out loud when Williams referenced Obama's Halloween-costume African garb. This is such a non-story. Who honestly cares if he wore traditional African dress, seeing as how his father is from Africa?

"95% of our healthcare plan is similar"-Obama. He needs to stay as similar to Hillary as possible, because not looking at their differences has gotten him pretty far.

I'm surprised how Obama seems to be more on the offensive than Hillary in the early going. He doesn't need to do this. She needs to. This healthcare garbage is so played out. I'm going to give the liveblogging a rest until someone says something interesting, not dealing with who's version of socialized medicine is better.

Let me just go on a tangent here. Making government welfare programs voluntary is a perfect embodiment of the American ideal. We've established our society on choice. Both Clinton and Obama's plans for healthcare eliminate choice.

Clinton: "Let's have a debate on facts." You're about 6 months too late, sister.

NAFTA time. Let's see how Hillary strays from her husband on this one. I'm going to play the "too-uninformed to comment" card on this one. I wish more politicians would too. Hillary did seem a bit bitchy in her "I always get the first question" schpiel. It's good to know she watches SNL though.

Oh God, another "wall street, main street" analogy by Obama. Nice buzzword, but you need to get more into specifics in the general election, Barry.

Barack just referenced building windmills in Ohio to create jobs there. My question is, why are we so obsessed with sustaining dead local economies? I mean, it sucks that these places are going downhill, but if you don't like it, move the fuck out. We have great growing economies in places like Houston, Los Angeles, and others, and Detroit and Cleveland are shitholes, because of outsourcing and technological growth. People who live in those cities need to find a new industry.

Well, the liveblog died when Ross and I had an argument over my last point of dead urban economies. Oh well. I'll comment on the debate later.