The Elitist

It’s time for The Elitist’s Liveblog of tonight’s Democratic debate.

8:51:  Well, that was it.  Thanks for reading.  This post was brought to you by Maker’s Mark and an inflated sense of self-importance.  Oh, and HILLARY CLINTON DOT COM

8:49: I just got an email to phonebank from the Obama campaign.  They know I’m watching!  Is my iSight on?

8:40: Givin’ props to the H-Dub.

8:36 PM: Well, that was 5 minutes of my life that I won’t get back.  That entire question and answer exchange was stupid.

Oh, goody, gas prices.

8:32 PM: George: “ATTENTION: BLACK CANDIDATE COMIN’ THROUGH”

8:31 PM: Dick Cheney: the Fourth Estate.  Might as well be, the media’s not doing anything with it anymore.  Nice comment there from Clinton.

8:28 PM: Part of me really wishes here that Obama would just go into full-on Con Law professor mode.

8:25 PM: BORN AND RAISED, ON A PLAYGROUND IS WHERE I SPENT MOST OF MY DAYS

8:24 PM: Oh, God, those glasses are so close.  And I bet Obama brings up NIU.

8:22 PM: Jamie Lee Curtis starring in The Keith Olbermann Story.  Tonight at 10, only on MSNBC.

8:19 PM: Anybody want to start a poll on when those glasses are going to fall of ol’ Charlie’s face?  I’m calling it at 8:27.

8:16 PM: Weird little jab at Clinton there.

8:13 PM: If I was president a year ago, every single American taxpayer would have gotten a free lollipop.  And a unicorn.

8:10 PM: Nice mention of Chinese debt.  Dear China: thanks for funding American military adventures.  Thanks, the Iraqis.

8:09 PM: Patrick, your hedge fund post was a bit timely, huh?

8:08 PM: I hate when politicians talk about not raising taxes.  Maybe I’m weird, I’m certainly not rich, but I’m totally fine with paying more out-of-pocket to ensure our police and transit are well-funded.  And I got stuck on the Blue Line yesterday.

8:05 PM Gotcha 3: George Herbert Walker Bush edition. “If nominated, will your VP be able to spell potato?”

Oh, and HILLARY CLINTON DOT COM

8:03 PM: This idea would have actually been really good a few years ago, but it’s completely undoable with our current military’s overstretched state.

8:01 PM: This section of the debate brought to you by AIPAC.

7:57 PM: What if General Petraeus calls at 3 A.M.?

Is there really any difference between the two on this, and does it really matter, since geopolitics have a way of completely destroying the best-laid plans of mice and men?

7:53 PM: She was for the war before she was against it.

7:51 PM: Do they expand the Constitution Center every time a new amendment is ratified?

7:46 PM:  This happens every time:  Obama starts out slow, stammers a bit, looks unsure, then it’s like a switch flips and he’s on.  To me, slower Obama just looks like he’s being thoughtful and trying to actually speak as opposed to doing a lookup table in his head (Question 27B/6? BEEP BOOP BEEP Respond: Talking Point THX-1138), but I can see how it turns off people.

7:45 PM: Great line by Clinton there regarding Bush-Cheney, and well delivered.

7:43 PM: Boy, if the terrorists had hit Arkansas on 9/11 as well, Clinton could have pulled a trifecta here.

7:41 PM: Now the SDS.  They’re pulling out all the stops.   Next up: Zombie Abbie Hoffman endorses Obama, brains.

7:40 PM: FLAG PIN FLAG PIN FLAG PIN

7:36 PM:  Another inside pitch, but this time it’s Obama who’s smart enough not to swing.

7:33 PM: I lliiii… liiiieeee… lllliiiiieeeeeeee… aw, fuck, I can’t say it.  I misspoke.  I was tired.

…and I called it.  ”I’ll try to get more sleep.”

7:32 PM: And now, Gotcha 2: Bosnia Boogaloo.

7:30 PM: Strange that the debate questions are going back to such an old story.  It’s like they’re fishing for a “gotcha” moment as hard as they can.

7:26 PM: I was from Pennsylvania a few minutes ago, but let me tell you about my city of New York…

7:22 PM: And we’re back to Wright as well.  Obama looks slightly confused.

Saying you’re the candidate trying to bring people together when running against Obama is a little like running as the conservative candidate against Goldwater.

7:20 PM: He basically just called her a Rovite while standing right next to her.  Interesting.

7:19 PM: I can’t be one of those gun owners in your home state, Senator, because I live in Chicago.

Still, that’s outweighed by everything else about here, so I can’t complain.

7:17 PM: George with a pointed-seeming softball.  Clinton’s not that stupid to swing at it.

Barack just might be coming out swinging here…

7:16 PM:  I’ll admit I’m biased here, but damn if I have absolutely no idea what Clinton just said.

7:12 PM: aaaaaaaand here we go with the “bitter” question.  

Nice explanation of his earlier comments, but is anyone listening?

I think Hillary’s going pull a shot of Jack and a Yuengling out here in a second.

7:11 PM: Hillary in nice-mode again.  It would be a lot easier to believe it if I had been in a coma for the last few weeks.

7:08 PM: OK, who wants to go first?

This is such a stupid question.  Didn’t we already go through this months ago?

7:05 PM: “None of us were included in those original documents.”  Implied: “Unlike our Republican opponent.” Also, HILLARY CLINTON DOT COM

7:04 PM:  Obama already coming out with the “frustrated” thing.  Nice way to back up his comments last week and frame the debate from the get-go.

7:01 PM: Before getting into anything important, I just want to point out that this debate, unlike Wheel of Fortune, is not in HD.

7:00 PM: Did he just say the Kimmel Theater? What is Obama’s stance on fucking Ben Affleck, anyway?

6:47 PM: I just flipped on the TV and Wheel of Fortune is ending.  Wheel of Fortune apparently is now in HD.  My mind is blown.