I'll happily watch and read with you

Anyone have predictions?

i have no idea what to expect at this point

You are dueling against Kevin Drum. Good luck, Hilzoy.

I predict McCain won't do well enough to recover from his campaign lag, that the right wing spin doctors will harp on something Obama says or does, and that the so-called "liberal media" will go "look! A shiny thing!" and make that the topic. The public goes "meh" and McCain fails to get a bounce.

Leher managed to make the ecomony a 'foreign policy' matter.

McCain doesn't feel too great... hmm

McCain said the House Republicans became part of the solution to the financial crisis? Only after they threw a wrench into the works...

"Not the beginning of the end, but rather the end of the beginning."

McCain is so proud of the Democrats and Republicans coming together to solve it.

Of course, for some reason he failed to mention it only took him to swoop in and dissolve it.

CNN has an interesting audience reaction graph on screen

Called for resignation does not equal I would fire.

The graph is sort of 'flatlined'. How do you suppose it's generated? Jeopardy-style clickers?

McCain complaining about corruption being rewarded? Sure, that's what Republicanism is all about. I guess the "maverick" is back.

He also didn't call for Cox's resignation, he called for his firing. Lie #1 of the night.

C-SPAN's feed is breaking up, too.

Leher managed to make the ecomony a 'foreign policy' matter.
Posted by: wishIwuz2

It is given that foreign countries buy our debt thru treasury bonds.

since the great society?

I like what Jim is trying to do - stop the soapboxing and get them to talk to each other.

McCain is trying to be a populist on this and Obama needs to call him on his bullshitting.

Earmarks are, what, 2% of the budget? McCain blaming earmarks for overspending is lie #2 for the night.

Veto every spending bill? Lotsa luck with that.

Who picked out McCain's tie? Those stripes look awful.

I can't believe McCain used the $3 mil "Montana bear DNA study" earmark story again, when Palin requested $3.2 mil for "Alaska sea lion DNA" studies.

Illinois gets less money back per tax dollar than almost all other states.

Did McCain just say Obama proposed 800 billion in new spending? What the hell is he smoking?

Is he counting the bailout?

"I wasn't Miss Congeniality" -- you got something against beauty contest winners?

Also, earmarks put people in jail because they can't help themselves. You understand.

He's citing his tax credit for health care -- sure, after taxing company health benefits.

Obama called him on it. Good.

Obama just took him to task on corporate taxes and McCain's bullshit health care credit. Nice.

**Leher managed to make the ecomony a 'foreign policy' matter. - Posted by: wishIwuz2 **

*It is given that foreign countries buy our debt thru treasury bonds. - Jet *

I agree. But Leher essentially reframed the basic theme of the debate for the general audience.

Obama is getting crushed.

As others have pointed out in other places tonight, Obama has his flag pin, McCain not. Sigh.

So far, I think this format is great! Good interaction, both holding their own so far.

Obama is getting crushed. -grinning cat

Nope.

McCain just repeated the lie about Obama increasing taxes on people making $40,000/yr.

I do not like Obama's wording of responses that starts by first saying "John is right" (on this and that) and then going on with what he disagrees..

Why the need to agree with him so emphatically? It plants the thought that he likes what McCain is saying...

Uh, oh--McCain just used the L word on Obama...

McCain's going to cut earmarks to cover the bailout?

Cool, it'll only take 39 years to cover it.

Obama is getting crushed.

Nah. Obama's ahead in the polls; McCain isn't doing anything to catch up.

Obama just talked about infrastructure spending. McCain just said we have to cut spending (and claimed Obama has the most liberal voting record, yawn). Obama needs to say, no, we need to increase spending on things America needs.

McCain's complaining about military contracts now....now that, I admit, is interesting.

Don't like the way this is going so far. McCain seems at ease and seems to have Obama on the defensive. Obama interrupting McCain is not going to play well in middle America either. Can here them saying "elitist" while McCain seems to be a "normal" guy. Except for the weird grins, laughing by himself at things he thinks are funny and the blinking!

McCain cannot read a canned speech with teleprompters and printed speech in front of him, how is he pulling this off?

Stop it with the John's right !!!!!

Attack him Obama !!!!

Third time now Obama has said "John is right..."

Heh...Obama said he got his liberal reputation by opposing Bush's wrongheaded policies. Nice.

Has McCain looked at Obama once yet during this?

Ah, let's save money by ending the war in Iraq. Nice one, Obama.

I agree with Hilzoy--Obama is squeezing too much info in at once rather than develop the emotional side of a thought that shows how deeply he cares about how folks are hurting..

McCain just proposed a spending freeze on everything but defense, veterans benefits and entitlements....what is he, going to stop interest payments on the debt? Because throw that in and that's what, 90% of the budget?

"Don't like the way this is going so far. McCain seems at ease and seems to have Obama on the defensive. "

Yeah, gotta agree. McCain's picked one point (cut spending) and Obama's much less focused. Let's hope that changes, or that McCain tells a whopper that Obama can catch him on.

IMHO, McCain is right about nuclear power. Maybe not 45 plants, but it must be a part of new energy policy.

McCain is repeating the same facts over and over. Blah..I hope Obama breaks a leg.

Anybody else noticing McCain's blink rate? He doesn't believe a single word he's saying! He also won't directly engage Obama, despit Lehrer's and Obama's attempt to do so.

Obama needs to defend his Healthcare policy

Tell it like it is.... call him on his shit

Zing. Nailed him with the 'You've voted for all [Bush's] budgets."

They're following their styles.

John talks folksy: "Hi, buddy."
Barack makes declarations: "Hi". "Buddy".

I'm stoned and paranoid right now.

TALK ME DOWN!

Who wants to join me for an ... umm ... "spending orgy?"

Anyway, Obama's tying Johnny to Bush, and he looks pissed.

Ask McCain why he hasn't made cuts in his 26 plus years, will you!

Also, how can you let McCain talk about vets and not hitting him for constantly voting AGAINST veteran bills. He was against the new GI Bill, until it was going to obviously pass. He's was against health care for returning vets, and on and on and on! That was the hole in the armor to attack him with!

nice touch
getting his
name wrong
twice

Obama didn't WANT another Vietnam

Obama should have mentioned withdrawl

I agree. But Leher essentially reframed the basic theme of the debate for the general audience.
Posted by: wishIwuz2

I dont watch tv. What Leher said, or reframed is moot to me. That he 'reframed' is no surprise.

You said we knew where the WMD were?

You were wrong.

You were wrong! Nice.

McCain's strange strained smile when Obama is attacking him creeps me out.

McCain is harping on winning in Iraq. I don't think anyone but die-hard republicans believe that any more.

"It's well known I've not been voted Miss Congeniality and I'm a Maverick of the senate"
says McCain..

Obama is so brilliant, but he is lecturing too much and speaking too quickly and too long winded--now he says "We did not use our military wisely in Iraq"--Finally--it took him way too long to get there.

"I'm afraid Senator Obama doesn't realize the difference between a tactic and a strategy"

McCain's is really lashing in now...

Obama hammered McCain on his voting-against-funding-the-troops bullshit. Seems more in stride talking about nat'l security -- probably a matter of prep.

The audience reaction graph needs to go.

Barack's setting him up for the tantrum.

McCain's finally stopped with that shit-eating grin so expect it soon.

The difference between "strategy" and "tactic"...well, there is none. They're synonyms!

btw, why is McCain such a prick?

Obama has to call him a liar

"explextion" Nice one Blinky!

Heh...Obama hit the word "strategic" in saying that the lack of troops for Afghanistan is a strategic mistake.

Posted by: on September 26, 2008 at 9:45 PM

What is the difference between a tactic and a strategy?

I honestly think people focus too often on whoever is speaking. In every split screen, Obama looks like he's paying attention. McCain grins like a condescending jackass. This will matter.

Obama still can't refrain from making speeches. He needs to treat this like a playground fight.

Obama needs to keep directly addressing McCain because it's making McCain uncomfortable. And McCain's inability to look Obama in the face is making McCain look childish and rude.

If you have to do things you have to do things???

Hey? Are both candidates left-handed? I've been drinking copious amounts of red wine in preparation for this event, so I could be mistaken.

McCain just said Kadari was the new leader of Pakistan.

That's Zardari, dill weed.

How is a strategy designed to pacify Baghdad going to help us in Afghanistan?

Tali-pawn??

btw, why is McCain such a prick?
Posted by: Katie

Pilot ego. I worked with many of these pricks umm egotistical folk. They defy being wrong. Its scary how hard headed they are.

those were weird looks by McCain !!!!

Bombing Iran

stop saying John is right !!!

What the hell is he straining to look at?? LMAO

He's looking like he's ready to blow.

I've been drinking copious amounts of red wine...

Guinness for me, but I'm right there with ya.

Obama JUST NAILED McCain for Bomb bomb bomb Iran.

Game. Set. Match.

Does Obama's agreeing with McCain make him look more diplomatic and bipartisan, or does it make McCain look like a stronger leader?

mccain is such a smug douche.

McCain just said there was a failed state in Pakistan when Musharraf took power...did he just justify a dictatorship?

Yeah, jackoff, 300 marines died, and your hero Reagan cut and ran.

jagrmeister & gatorade. Cupboards are low.

McCain is speaking like an authority, he is very like he absolutely knows what will happen, what we have to do, walking through details of what he anticipates like he is in command already and it's happening now...

Obama is a bit too stilted and lecturing and argh! ..he just said John, you are absolutely right" two more times...

McCain just said again "I don't think Senator Obama understands..."

Ben I think it makes him look like he's willing to hear all proposals, even if he thinks you're wrong.

Whoa where's he going from the bomb Iran business?

NOWHERE!

Rambling Grampa

McCain did not support our efforts in Bosnia.

trading sob stories. Yuck

if anything mccain is winning, barely...but you have to think of this as if you're some slackjawed yokel from mississippi...then he's winning.

wait what

Obama's getting killed. Thank god for Palin and McCain wanting to crash his airplane.

I've got a bracelet too - yes! Go, Barack!

I can see I'm going to have to read the experts tomorrow. I'm happy with Obama, but he stumbles sometimes, and he can't be angry black guy.
McCain is a douche, but he's just trying to get the votes of the least informed populace

It's very close

It's coming, Kids. He's grinding his teeth.

If you know what we need in Afghanistan, John, why arent you seeing we get it?

I'm afraid this will convince people that McC is 'presidential' -- the rule of debates always is that the person willing to say the most simple nonsense with most conviction wins.

Obama needs crisper rejoinders and needs to be goading McC more.

mccain almost lost it while delivering subcommittee line.

grinning cat,

Justify you assertion. We don't agree, and I've been commenting about the positive gains Obama's been making.

This is the second time you've baselessly asserted McCain was winning.

I think you're full of shit. McCain's been nothing but a rambling liar.

McCain is nasty. I am happy that Obama is not dropping to his level of disrespect and meanness.

Thanks for your effort, hilzoy.
Every liveblog comes out similar in the end. Well, except ThinkProgress, but they're fact checking their supercomputer database of flip floppables

Hilzoy hit in on the head--McCain sounds earnest and sober and that is what folks hear....

He said 'Senator Obama doesn't understand' for the third time..

Now McCain brought up the Holocaust word--I give up.

McCain wants a league of nations full of idiotic Palin wannabes.

We have the UN you fucking idiot.

Obama is a bit too stilted and lecturing and argh! ..he just said John, you are absolutely right" two more times...McCain just said again "I don't think Senator Obama understands..."

Actually, Obama agreed with Johns misunderstanding.

Why is McCain looking off to his right rather than straight ahead? Weird. The moderator is centered between them, is he looking at himself on a monitor? He does not know what to do when Barack talks. Smirk, look stern, puff cheeks, or just drool a little.

Speaking of that, kudos to his make up artist, many of the wrinkles you could see when he gave his "suspended" campaign press conference are well hidden. He looked like he was 90 the other day, tonight he looks a younger.

If McCain's so-called "league of democracies" imposes sanctions on Iran, and Russia and China aren't involved, what good are they? Especially China -- they'll happily buy up Iranian oil.

We did not lose the war. We destroyed their military, captured their leader, held the war crimes trials, convicted and executed the criminals. Where did we lose the war? We won the war! The Bush administration had no plan for the peace and have let their cronies lead the orgy of graft and coruption that cost us $10 billion a month.

McCain's been nothing but a rambling liar.

Drink!

doubtful: are you considering who is winning based on what you think or what the american people will think?

Obama pointed out that Iran's expanding power is because the US attacked Iraq. Point there.

I agree with the comments that Obama needs to hit McCain as he is being hit by McCain. Also, enough with the "John is right"

"grinning cat,

Justify you assertion. We don't agree, and I've been commenting about the positive gains Obama's been making.

This is the second time you've baselessly asserted McCain was winning.

I think you're full of shit. McCain's been nothing but a rambling liar."

I too had too much wine and the events since the Republican convention have me shaking of the thought of McCain/Palin. I'm just nervous that McCain is getting up off the mat and people will be dumb enough to believe this shit.

Here it comes McCain is bugging out!!!

Obama has an opportunity now to point out that McCain's "without precondition" yawp is nonsense.

Speaking of that, kudos to his make up artist...

Well, she IS the American Idol makeup artist. Who's the celebrity now, John?

Haha, coot can't pronounce Ahmadinejad.

And WTF is a precondidtion and how is it different than a condition? Damn, McCain is effing stupid.

So has Powel, Albright and Kissinger agreed to sit down across the table from them

Obama is losing because he keeps saying "John's right"
If John is "right" then why vote for Obama

If anyone watching now thinks that Obama is an empty suit who can only give a good speech, or will roll over against the terrorists, or doesn't understand foreign policy, they are not listening.

Obama's hitting his stride and McCain is stuttering.

Uppercut!

Yeah, Hilzoy, I think you are doing a marvelous job at live-blogging ...

Posted by: Flee on September 26, 2008 at 10:05 PM

It never was a war. It was a UN/US police action. Remember that Bush/Condi declared Iraq sovereign and the Iraqi people held an election.

I too had too much wine... -grinning cat

Haha, I've had too much beer. Sorry for the 'full of shit' thing.

My bad.

Obama is hitting hard now. Keep it up.

obama much better now--it's like he woke up with this pre-condition talk.

Go Obama!!

Heh...Obama just said McCain wont meet with the leader of Spain.

"doubtful: are you considering who is winning based on what you think or what the american people will think?"

No I think McCain is winning. Obama's staying close though.

God I hate McPain. He can't win just because I won't be able to look at his smirk for 4 years without wanting to smash the screen of my TV.

On this last response to the question of meetings with Iran, etc., Obama's response has been very strong, direct, forceful, and smart.

And there is McCain again (who has not looked at Obama once) saying, with a smirk, "What Obama does not understand..." Not an honorable man, that Mr. McCain.

If McCain doesn't stop being condescending (Senator Obama doesn't understand) I might throw something at my TV. But I can't afford a new one (the tv is about 8 years old) so if I do it will be a wadded up pieces of paper.

Yeah, you tell them at the table, 'No you're not going to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth."

What's so hard for McNuggets to understand about that?

What a disingenuous bastard.

McCain's breaking down.

Obama is losing because he keeps saying "John's right" If John is "right" then why vote for Obama
Posted by: coral

Hes agreeing that John is wrong.

Lets say you said, "I can jump my motorcycle across this canyon"

I would say. "Your right."

And then you fail.

I agreed that your statement is false. =)

McCain is rude and Leher is allowing it as is Obama. McCain is sneering and interupting. But I fear sum will see this as "strong" and decisive. Obama needs to call McCain what he is - a warmonger who sees the solution of every problem as military force.

Obama's answers are better, but longwinded. McCain has been better coached for the American audience.

oohhhh, grandpa is getting a little grumpy!!! I LOVE how Barrack is just letting McCain look like a douche and not stooping to his level. Obama has been backing up everything he says as well as countering everything McCain has said, I'm really proud of Mr. Obama.

doubtful: are you considering who is winning based on what you think or what the american people will think?

Doesn't matter. According to polls directly afterwards, Al Gore won all of his debates with George W. Bush in 2000. But the media talked so hard about Gore's "sighs" and "eyerolls" that it changed peoples' minds in retrospect.

What matters is who the media says won and how often they say it over the next few days. Period.

Anyone want to guess what these two men's blood pressure readings are right now?

My guess: McCain 205/140, Obama 130/100

I am waiting for Obama to make McCain blow. Just waiting...

Matt,

I'm basing it on the number of lies versus the number of hits.

Yeah, I hate it when Obama says McCain is right, but that's his post partisan attitude.

He's gotten in many fact based zings.

McCain's zings have been nothing but lies. The Enough Club will hear them out.

No I think McCain is winning. -Grinning Cat

Your right.

Heh

First throw at McCain's face has been completed.

McCain's being very belligerent toward Russia, including calling Obama's call for restraint naive. Obama should point out how reckless and irresponsible McCain's response was....

The thing that bothered me about Obama was the first five minutes. He should have been all over McCain with charges against Rick Davis, lobbyists, etc. etc.

Name dropping McCain

And McCain just did a fleeting "Heil Hitler" sign. Let that one spread over the internets.

Well, if Russia was waiting for the opportunity to invade Georgia, it's telling that they thought that opportunity on George W. Bush's watch!

McCain IS coming off as a warmonger. Jesus he's even bringing up the KGB. And no he is not winning, he's not even making sense. No one wants another war. No one!

McCain is using the 'there he goes again strategy', and it is working, arghh. McCain is the all war all the time candidate. He thinks he can conquer or at least intimidate the whole world; War is the only acceptable activity for the federal government.

It would be super cool to see a timeline of google searches and debate quotes. I wonder what factchecking people are doing real time?

No, McCain's not making a lot of sense. But he's presenting himself as needed to the audience he's after.

Come on Barack - get in there

Anyone else watching on CNN? The conservatives (Bennett, Castellanos) are rating this as a tie.
For those thinking Obama is losing, you are wrong.

I like how earlier Obama clarified earlier that "Liberal" is simply differing from Bush.

Jim Leher says nothing and does nothing really but keep time and throw out the questions

McCain looks like a child not letting Obama speak. What an immature asshole.

McCain voted against alternative energy 26 times. Bam!

McCain has a LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG record. ooooooohhhh.

Goddamit, Jim brought up 9-11 and the likelihood of another one.

Waiting for Rove 2.0 here.

No I think McCain is winning. -Grinning Cat

And if this was a game of table tennis, we could give them medals and stuff. That would be really fun.

The conservatives (Bennett, Castellanos) are rating this as a tie.

Yep, if they say it's a tie, they're losing.

If they say it's not time to point fingers, they're to blame.

Before we all jump off a bridge because McCain looks good (ok, better then expected) tonight, remember this was the debate that was expected to be his strongest because of foreign policy. As people thought, including on this site, McCain's suspension of his campaign could have been panic over this becoming a economic debate instead.

I have to say though, with all the problems over the last two weeks I expected more questions on the economy then the three or so that were asked.

No, McCain's not making a lot of sense. But he's presenting himself as needed to the audience he's after. Posted by: wishIwuz2

The people he is after hate him and pray for his demise.

i think that all of mccain's name-dropping and story-telling is annoying. wonder if indies will agree? also, does sarah palin look bad in comparison, when she doesn't know anybody's name?

McCain is calmly talking Obama down. Not sure how Obama can stop it without appearing like the 'angry' one. McCain must be on some goods drugs tonite. Doing better than he has for a long time.

another thought. . .obama needs to put out a "that's just not true, john" document or ad TOMORROW morning. he has said that a lot.

As I said earlier, Obama is proving his foreign policy chops BIG TIME. If conservatives are rating this a tie, then it's a win for Barack.

NOOOOO, Obama didn't say that McCain reversed himself on torture. NOOOOOOO!!!

McCain just said we are safer today than we were on 9/11.

No shit. No one flew planes into any of our buildings today, Sherlock.

McCain was for torture before he was against it....

Rumor is the McCain camp agreed to send John tonight only if the moderator went back to the "all foreign policy" theme. Hence my first comments at the top.

We are less secure now than we ever were--why isn't Obama saying this--this is critical!!

Why would I be watching CNN when I have FOX

Yeah, but don't give McCain on torture without pointing out he wound up voting for it.

This debate won't change minds already set. The VP one will.

Put everything through the lens of Palin and McCain is done. He'll have to dump her. The internet and humorshpere is going to kill McCain. Thank god McCain pulled that stuid shit fit.

Independents are out drinking by now or asleep. It's only partisans watching this bullshit.

oh, okay..he's hitting on it now...Finally!! Go Obama!!

Oh, bad move for Obama to talk about China. No one in America outside the policy and defense sphere knows anything about China except what they saw on NBC during the Olympics.

Now he's rambling. Goddamit.

Obama is not ripping McCain enough. He's had openings and he has walked past them. I am listening and not watching. McCain's comments are emotional and button pushing. Obama comes across as bland and following.

I am sorry to say this, but I do not think Obama is doing as well as I hoped. McCain is being McCain.

"This debate won't change minds already set. The VP one will."

totally.

McCain: We need more flexibility in a President.

Obama should say: Well, John, you've had more than one position on lots of issues...

McCain calls out Obama as stubborn and inflexible?!? This has officially passed into an alternative universe.

McCain: "We are at war in Iraq. We have always been at war with Iraq. Where I have been. We must have victory, victory, victory, or all national existance is futile."

(Jesus, he looks old.)

Okay, granddad. Okay, granddad. We'll see you next week. Next week. Good bye. Good bye. Next week.

Sigh.

Anybody think McCain would be pushing Hillary around like this?

McCain's getting the last word. What a surprise.

Obama - FAIL

McCain played the POW card. If you're drinking, finish the bottle.

No!!!!! I was a POW so I know how to deal with our adversaries....

Okay, now we'll find out what to think! :)

"Jim, when I came home from prison," I promised that I would do all I could for vets, as long as it didn't require actually voting for any funding for them.

McCain is such a fraud.

Again Obama is missing the "I am for vets" comments by McCain! ARGH! Hit him on being against GI Bill and other veteran affairs bills!!

Oh my god, he did it, he got in a reference to being a prisoner. I thought he was going to forget! He said prisoner though, not POW, how many people are going to hear that and think he was in Jail?

what was Obama's last comments about? Bad ending

Obama told McCain - good job

Obama let McCain have the upper hand

Lehrer had to give McCain the last word...

McCain repeated a lot of his talking points, but they didnt work against Obama in the primary and I don't think they'll move a lot of opinion. McCain needed a breakthru and didn't get it.

Wow, it took John until the end of the debate to mention POW.

I wish Obama had mentioned McCain's POOR record on veterans issues:
Obama/Biden 75-80% to McCain's 20%
Obama/Biden B+ to McCain's D

(one is the Disabled veterans, one is the Iraq-Afghanistan veterans)

MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!! MCCAIN HAD NO FLAG PIN!!!

McCain's getting the last word. What a surprise.

Obama spoke first. I bet they were within a minute or two of each other in total time.

Pundit Prediction:
McCain is back, Baby! Johnny Mac is back, and we can again be his base!

Ok, talk me down.

This is not the McCain of the past months. He is crisp (for McCain), he's answering the questions as much as Obama, he answers are coharent, and he is stretching the truth, but he is not lying like we are accustomed to.

Did John McCain suspend the campaign to get some rest ? Obama looks a little beat, and at first not on target. But he has warmed up and is really putting some well put together points. McCain is coming across as a man who cares and even though we know he cares, Obama is distant

This debate is meaningful. Kudos to Leher. A debate in which we, as the public, are getting something meaningful and some meat to chew on. Maybe the god damn press will for get about haircuts and Reagan Democrats and look at what was discussed.

Thanks tons, Hilzoy...

doubtful,

My reference was to McCain bullying himself effectively into getting the last work on EVERY question.

This was not a good night for Obama.

Did McCain really refer to himself as 'The Maverick', ya he did. I guess the press needed reminding.

Yes, thanks, Hilzoy -- as always.

"annoying and dismissive" sums mccain up.

and petulant, childish and rude.

Uncle Fester vs. Tuvok

Obama missed a lot of opportunities in this debate.

McCain needed to hit it out of the park. He didn't. Obama needed to turn in a credible performance and he almost did.

This was not a good night for Obama.

Maybe.

But I've already heard Obama described as a nice guy and McCain as mean, and that was from Pat Buchanan.

I think one of Obama's goal was meant to connect with people and seem like a nice, likable guy.

So even if people think McCain won, his bellicose, belligerent manner won't make him likable.

I know I'm looking at this through partisan, beer addled eyes, but I don't think McCain got the major hit he needed tonight.

He may have succeeded only in changing the subject from his previous changing the subject.