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[Deus Ex Machina]

Photos Of Obama on his way to Nashville for the second presidential debate

Tue Oct 7, 12:33 PM ET
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) walks to his plane in Asheville, North Carolina, October 7, 2008. Obama is flying to Nashville for the second presidential debate against Republican presidential nominee John McCain. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008(USA)

Tue Oct 7, 12:35 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., climbs the steps of his campaign plane at the airport in Asheville, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008, en route to Nashville, Tenn., for the second of three presidential debates with Republican rival John McCain.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Tue Oct 7, 12:35 PM ET
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) walks to his plane in Asheville, North Carolina, October 7, 2008. Obama is flying to Nashville for the second presidential debate against Republican presidential nominee John McCain. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008(USA)

Tue Oct 7, 12:37 PM ET
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) steps aboard his plane in Asheville, North Carolina, October 7, 2008. Obama is flying to Nashville for the second presidential debate against Republican presidential nominee John McCain. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008(USA)

Tue Oct 7, 12:51 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., climbs the steps of his campaign plane at the airport in Asheville, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008, en route to Nashville, Tenn., for the second of three presidential debates with Republican rival John McCain.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Tue Oct 7, 12:51 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., climbs the steps of his campaign plane at the airport in Asheville, N.C., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008, en route to Nashville, Tenn., for the second of three presidential debates with Republican rival John McCain.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Tue Oct 7, 1:55 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., walks to the car on the tarmac after stepping off the plane at the airport in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Tue Oct 7, 1:59 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., greets some of the ground crew on the tarmac after steping off the plane at the airport in Nashville, Tenn.Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Tue Oct 7, 2:14 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. arrives for a walk through prior to tonight's presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008.(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Tue Oct 7, 2:15 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., waves as he arrives for a technical walk through before a scheduled townhall-style presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008.(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Tue Oct 7, 2:20 PM ET
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., smiles as he arrives for a technical walk through before a scheduled townhall-style presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008.(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

 

[ArtG]

So what time is this on tonight? 9pm et?

Yes.

 

[3rdman]

You are the man and gl to your wife.

Thanks! What really hurts is that I just put her on the helathcare coverage I get at work...ouch ($400.00/month)!

 

[WaltJay]

Here is the pollster trend for PA over the last few weeks:

[...]

OVAR.

And why was Palin in Philly? That puzzles me on two fronts.

1. As shown above, it doesn't look like PA is in play. I guess it's too important to give up on.

2. Why would Palin go to Philly, and not somewhere suburban/rural? In the primaries, Obama got a lot of support in Philly and Pittsburgh, with Hilary getting the in-between, rural/suburban areas. While Palin shouldn't go to Scranton, for obvious reasons, but wouldn't the McCain campaign be better served in focusing on areas where they stand a chance?

 

[kaching]

I suppose the Republican strategy at this point is to try to make as big a mess of things in order to ensure that no one will be happy with the job Obama does in the next 4 years because there's no way he clean up everything they've been doing that quickly. If they continue to stir the pot for the next few weeks amidst all the growing fear and panic about the economy, it may not help their chances to win the election but it sure as hell could help tear the country apart.

That's my bit of handwringing for the day. Seeing reports of Americans turning against press staff is wigging me out a bit.

 

[Hootie]

I just saw Wolf "I don't like to get involved/say anything that might be taken as unneutral" Blitzer utterly take it to the McCain campaign's representative. "When will Sarah Palin have a news conference?" "But Barack Obama has said that he would only raise taxes on people making over $250,000 a year..." "Earlier this year, McCain said he wanted to run a clean, positive campaign. What happened?"

I am in awe.

*fap fap fap*

About freaking time.

 

[cjdunn]

Wow, never realized Clinton got the MIMAL vote.

??? Oh, no he didn't. The minimum is 270. Clinton blew past it by 100 points.

 

[Evlar]

He looks tired.

 

[WickedAngel]

Just remember, McCain is now running a foaming-angry partisan campaign. Only problem is the number of registered Republicans has gone down the last four years, number of registered Democrats is up. McCain is literally running a mathematically losing strategy.

He is doing much more than that, really. This isn't even about dirty politics anymore; it's wholesale character assassination and literally inciting people to be violent and hateful. McCain and Palin aren't just playing dirty anymore; they're trash.

And on a more neutral note, CNN did a spot today that was completely inappropriate. They opened a Facebook forum and were showing/reading the responses that were within. Needless to say, they weren't acceptable comments.

 

[Tamanon]

when does Countdown film? colbert films at like 530 or 6, and airs at 11. countdown airs at 8, so does it film 'live'? if so, then our charts wont nearly be as delayed (they did an update at 1pm anyways, so maybe thats it for today?)

Countdown is always live.

 

[DrEvil]

Just remember, McCain is now running a foaming-angry partisan campaign. Only problem is the number of registered Republicans has gone down the last four years, number of registered Democrats is up. McCain is literally running a mathematically losing strategy.

I'm half expecting mccain to go off like a rocket on the whole situation

>"What are your views on the current state of your campaigns?"

"well you see, IF THIS TERRIST OVER TO MY RIGHT WOULDN'T FUCKING PUT ADS EVERYWHERE THEN I COULD GODAMN BE A MAVERICK AND PUT SHIT OUT ON THE INTERTUBES AND TELEVERSIONS AND PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO LISTEN TO GOVERNOR PALIN TALK ABOUT DRILLING.. EH ? EH ? EH? I MEAN WHAT THE FUCK MAN. I'M A MAVERICK. DO I NEED TO SPELL IT OUT? MAVERICK. M A V E R I C K." *heart attack*

I hope he loses his temper, like.. It wont be like that, but I sincerely hope there's some VERY apparent discontent tonight coming from McCain -- see how weak he's really become.

 

[Justin Bailey]

??? Oh, no he didn't. The minimum is 270. Clinton blew past it by 100 points.

bwuh? MIMAL is an acronym for a line of states. You see it? He's wearing a hat.

 

[Acid08]

Whats the general feeling going into this debate? I can't help but feel really worried about Obama in it. If he's going to continue being passive I can't help but feel McCain is going to tear him apart. To make it worse I won't be able to watch.

 

[Fragamemnon]

Half a million dollars of McCain money flushed into the toilet in New Mexico and Iowa. Thank the gods for those dumb mofos running that campaign.

Those NC, VA, MO and FL differentials are absurd. It's clear which campaign is run by smart people and which one is run by garbage hacks.

 

[bob_arctor]

Its people like her that fan the flames of hatred, intolerance and bigotry

Making her more like a terrorist than Obama ever will be. They complain of Obama's associations and conveniently leave out their own frothing base. How many closet McVeigh's are voting McCain this November I wonder.

I hope he loses his temper, like.. It wont be like that, but I sincerely hope there's some VERY apparent discontent tonight coming from McCain -- see how weak he's really become.

Are you kidding? McCain's gonna be so hopped up drugs he'll make the Tyson of Tyson/Givens interview fame seem like a ball of fiery energy.

 

[X26]

Whats the general feeling going into this debate? I can't help but feel really worried about Obama in it. If he's going to continue being passive I can't help but feel McCain is going to tear him apart. To make it worse I won't be able to watch.

Well I doubt you'll ever hear him say "I agree with John" or anything along those lines this itme around

 

[Fragamemnon]

He looks tired.

You can't spend a weekend in Asheville and not come away refreshed. Physically impossible, he's fine.

 

[Tamanon]

Whats the general feeling going into this debate? I can't help but feel really worried about Obama in it. If he's going to continue being passive I can't help but feel McCain is going to tear him apart. To make it worse I won't be able to watch.

McCain really can't go too negative or attacking in a town hall. Especially since the candidates are forbidden from asking each other questions.

 

[ViperVisor]

It Got Super Heated on The View Today!!!!!

LOL just caught his tagging

Elizabitch Hasselbeck

Haha

 

[Evlar]

He won Arkansas for obvious reasons. Minnesota and Iowa are rust-belt and farm states from way back and have traditionally leaned Democratic (the idea they are Red states is quite recent). Missouri and Louisiana... I guess we can say are evidence of how weak Bush and Dole were as candidates, and how strong Clinton was.

 

[ArtG]

Whats the general feeling going into this debate? I can't help but feel really worried about Obama in it. If he's going to continue being passive I can't help but feel McCain is going to tear him apart. To make it worse I won't be able to watch.

I'm pretty calm about it. I don't think anything will happen that will be a game-changer for the election.

Given Obama's lead, that's a good thing.

 

[scorcho]

Well I doubt you'll ever hear him say "I agree with John" or anything along those lines this itme around

If that happens I'm throwing my slippers at my television. McCain gets nothing from tearing irrationally into Obama, but I wasn't comfortable with how much Obama stressed how much he agreed with McCain on point X in the last debate.

 

[The Lamonster]

I just saw Wolf "I don't like to get involved/say anything that might be taken as unneutral" Blitzer utterly take it to the McCain campaign's representative. "When will Sarah Palin have a news conference?" "But Barack Obama has said that he would only raise taxes on people making over $250,000 a year..." "Earlier this year, McCain said he wanted to run a clean, positive campaign. What happened?"

I am in awe.

Sometimes the man really pulls through.

 

[Fragamemnon]

Whats the general feeling going into this debate? I can't help but feel really worried about Obama in it. If he's going to continue being passive I can't help but feel McCain is going to tear him apart. To make it worse I won't be able to watch.

This is a town hall meeting-you can't really rip your opponent apart in front of a bunch of nice, undecided, real American voters. Doesn't play well to people watching, and McCain already has an anger/mean old man narrative already dogging him.

I think this debate will be hamstrung by format and have a lot of meaningless answers. The first debate's format was far better in terms of really getting an insight into the candidates.

 

[electricpirate]

I just saw Wolf "I don't like to get involved/say anything that might be taken as unneutral" Blitzer utterly take it to the McCain campaign's representative. "When will Sarah Palin have a news conference?" "But Barack Obama has said that he would only raise taxes on people making over $250,000 a year..." "Earlier this year, McCain said he wanted to run a clean, positive campaign. What happened?"

I am in awe.

It's actually Obama's fault. By not submitting to Jon McCain's will regarding town halls, he unleashed McCain's inner maverick. Once it's been unleashed, it can't be un-unleashed.

 

[X26]

It Got Super Heated on The View Today!!!!!

LOL just caught his tagging

Elizabitch Hasselbeck

Haha

it's only a matter of fact before she leaves the view and gets her own FOX news show

 

[kaching]

Well I doubt you'll ever hear him say "I agree with John" or anything along those lines this itme around

Actually, even better to do it now, now that McCain's campaign has veered into the terrorist by association territory. A terrorist sympathizer agreeing with John McCain? LET'S GO THERE.

 

[Stoney Mason]

If that happens I'm throwing my slippers at my television. McCain gets nothing from tearing irrationally into Obama, but I wasn't comfortable with how much Obama stressed how much he agreed with McCain on point X in the last debate.

I think part of that is Obama's nature. He seeks common ground so he'll start off on the part he agrees with and then continue on to the part he disagrees with. Honestly I find it refreshing but I know the political types don't really like it.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

I just saw Wolf "I don't like to get involved/say anything that might be taken as unneutral" Blitzer utterly take it to the McCain campaign's representative. "When will Sarah Palin have a news conference?" "But Barack Obama has said that he would only raise taxes on people making over $250,000 a year..." "Earlier this year, McCain said he wanted to run a clean, positive campaign. What happened?"

I am in awe.

Wow. If you get Wolf wolfed, you are in trouble.

 

[The Librarian]

You can't spend a weekend in Asheville and not come away refreshed. Physically impossible, he's fine.

Don't you mean Nasheville?

 

[kkaabboomm]

Yes.
Edit:


Refresh my memory: what happened on september 15th?

that was a monday. the weekend before lehman bro's collapsed and people realized the market was dying. it dropped 550 that day and people thought it was bad. ha. 2 weeks later they learned how wrong they were.

but yeah, that entire week was piss poor. lehman, aig, merril lynch being bought, yeah...

 

[Tamanon]

I think part of that is Obama's nature. He seeks common ground so he'll start off on the part he agrees with and then continue on to the part he disagrees with. Honestly I find it refreshing but I know the political types don't really like it.

Yeah, it is a bit different, I remember how he couched his abortion and birth-control answers at that religious forum that Hillary and he were at. He basically made the argument that both sides hate abortions, but that doesn't mean it should be illegal.

Dax: No, he did his debate prep this weekend in Asheville, NC. Beautiful town.

 

[Barrett2]

If that happens I'm throwing my slippers at my television. McCain gets nothing from tearing irrationally into Obama, but I wasn't comfortable with how much Obama stressed how much he agreed with McCain on point X in the last debate.

I think Obama's agreeable-ness in the last debate was a tactical decision. He wanted to show he and McCain were in the same league in terms of foreign policy. Tonight will be different; I expect Obama to be more aggressive.

Remember, after Bush's poor showing in the first 2004 debate, he came out angry and swinging in the town hall debate, and got positive reviews. The key tonight is forceful, but steady.

 

[Fragamemnon]

I think part of that is Obama's nature. He seeks common ground so he'll start off on the part he agrees with and then continue on to the part he disagrees with. Honestly I find it refreshing but I know the political types don't really like it.

It's a good sign that he'll actually be able to get his legislative agenda passed-recognizing that your opponent can have some good ideas that are worth listening to is pretty important.

Also, as an aside, I hope to god none of you keep watching the view after the elections.

 

[kkaabboomm]

it's only a matter of fact before she leaves the view and gets her own FOX news show

funny you should mention it...
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2008/10/06/sbt.hasselbeck.view.cnn

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

I knew I wasn't going crazy with all my I'm seeing a ton of Obama commericals in FL.




http://xs232.xs.to/xs232/08412/SPEND.jpg
http://xs232.xs.to/xs232/08412/SPENDSPENDSPEND.jpg

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/10/obamas_spending_edge.html

Proof of the spend happy left.

 

[Fragamemnon]

Don't you mean Nasheville?

No, Asheville, NC. You should find a way to get out there for a weekend sometime-I proposed to my wife in the mountains there and I can honestly say that there is really no prettier part of the country east of the Mississippi than the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall .

 

[Fragamemnon]

Proof of the spend happy left.

Oh noes the left is using teh monies from everyday people! There's nothing wrong with spending a disgusting amount of money in politics as long as it comes in small amounts from people who aren't expecting anything directly in return.

 

[maximum360]

I thought that too, but Brokaw is saying that he never agreed to the follow-up question terms in the debate agreement so he'd be doing follow-ups if he wanted. It's weird.

Brokaw: "Senator McCain, how awesome are you?"

McCain: "Very awesome."

Brokaw: "Senator McCain, can you give us an example of your awesomeness."

McCain: "I was a POW for some for 5 1/2 years and I've been POWsome every since."

 

[Stoney Mason]

Proof of the spend happy left.

Mccain must be insane with rage at being outspent. He basically lost to Bush for the same reason. (Along with Bush being the annointed one at that time for Republicans)

 

[Imm0rt4l]

Building a nice little cult of personality for herself. Scary.

nah the klan's been around for ages.

 

[EMBee99]

Open question to the forum, just so I don't feel like a complete hopium addict:

Despite all this shitty news and general fear of our economy going full reverse, is anyone just plain optimistic up in this mother? I feel like this is some darkness before the dawn kind of times.

 

[mckmas8808]

Survey USA, Wisconson 10/5-10/6

Obama-52
McCain-42

The blue midwest has completely collapsed for McCain.

McCain doesn't have a tree to piss on. What is his strategy now?

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

Oh noes the left is using teh monies from everyday people!

Imagine what he'll do with the everybodies monies, and not just the dems!

 

[scorcho]

I think part of that is Obama's nature. He seeks common ground so he'll start off on the part he agrees with and then continue on to the part he disagrees with. Honestly I find it refreshing but I know the political types don't really like it.

I get it as a rhetorical device, and I have no doubt that Obama will be more inclined to massage votes and work across party lines than any prez since Johnson (maybe), but I just found the appearance of accommodation juxtaposed against McCain's attacks somewhat out of place. I'm sensitive to the appearance of Democratic/liberal spinelessness.

 

[Tamanon]

Open question to the forum, just so I don't feel like a complete hopium addict:

Despite all this shitty news and general fear of our economy going full reverse, is anyone just plain optimistic up in this mother? I feel like this is some darkness before the dawn kind of times.

As far as the economy goes? Incredibly pessimistic here, it's going to get rougher by far.

As far as the direction of the country as both a National power and an International player? Very optimistic.

 

[Stoney Mason]

Open question to the forum, just so I don't feel like a complete hopium addict:

Despite all this shitty news and general fear of our economy going full reverse, is anyone just plain optimistic up in this mother? I feel like this is some darkness before the dawn kind of times.

After 8 years of Bush and this country picking the wrong direction everytime it mattered, the last thing I am is optimistic. I'll remain a dogged realist until Obama is elected.

 

[MassiveAttack]

As far as the economy goes? Incredibly pessimistic here, it's going to get rougher by far.

As far as the direction of the country as both a National power and an International player? Very optimistic.

Sorry Tamanon, I like you. But those two statements are not mutually exclusive.

 

[3rdman]

when does Countdown film? colbert films at like 530 or 6, and airs at 11. countdown airs at 8, so does it film 'live'? if so, then our charts wont nearly be as delayed (they did an update at 1pm anyways, so maybe thats it for today?)

Forgive me but it's a minor pet peeve to hear people using the work "film" when they are using a video camera...But I digress. In any case, I believe Countdown is live but they use pre-taped segments so that Olberman only needs to "bump" in and out of the segments.

 

[Barrett2]

McCain doesn't have a tree to piss on. What is his strategy now?

Kindly point out to voters that his opponent is a terrist' who wants to burn the Bible and rape the corpse of Stalin.

It's a pathetic strategy with limited appeal.