Live Blogging the Debate

10:37 - Obama. Hands down. Anyone who watched knows it. On points, style, substance, connection. Every superlative you want to name. I though the first debate was a draw, but this is a clear win for Obama. Only the polls will show, but if they even agree with me slightly, the McCain candidacy is over.

10:32 - Obama makes very personal connections to the growth of an individual through the American dream.

10:30 - I almost found myself tuning out all that fear mongering. That was fantastically designed to provide some sound bites for the punditry. On both sides.

10:24 - Wow, maybe I was wrong. McCain echoes on the follow up Obama's thrust regarding energy being a key to checking Russian power.

10:22 - Not a strong answer from Obama on Russia. He's going to need some help from Biden on this issue. I do like his constant reinforcement of the judgement quality though.

10:18 - This is the first time in a long time that the Democratic candidate for President doesn't sound like a policy wonk. He's in command of the facts, of the issues, but he's not bogging down in random points like McCain is.

10:11 - McCain, you think it's wrong to announce you're going to attack a country. Like..."bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran"?

10:06 - Dude, John, you are not my friend. If you are, think I could get a loan? And now he says we need a cool hand. Yes, yes we do. That hand is on the stage. Only it's not you.

10:00 - Fantastic job of Obama linking Iraq to our national debt and current governmental financial crunch. We DO need that money.

9:56 - Obama brings up a personal connection to the right to healthcare. Fantastic.

9:53 - This whole fining of parents without health insurance was handled and debunked in the primaries. Then again so was Ayers.

9:49 - I'm officially tired of the drilling talk. It takes YEARS to build oil rigs, offshore and land based. It's not a quick solution.

9:44 - Anyone else get the feeling McCain is trying to choke down saying something like "new fangeled" when taking about emerging energy technologies?

9:36 - And McCain takes the gloves off. The rules didn't allow Barack to respond to that nonsense. That's exactly what it is. Nonsense. Obama takes the initiative to outline his tax plan on the next answer. McCain tried a snide "well I'll answer the question line". That might have worked, except your VP candidate ignored format and questions during her debate.

9:34 - The CNN dials are flat lining when the candidates throw digs at each other. It's going to be necessary to do so, but it is reinforcing the notion that this is an issue...ISSUE...based election.

9:32 - Obama challenging Americans to service and sacrifice for the greater public good. He's really going for a JFK style evening.

9:30 - So let me get this McCain line straight, we can attack everything at once, but we need a spending freeze in the process?

9:26 - Obama knew the local price of gas. That's a "gallon of milk" moment out of the Clinton playbook. Linking the challenge of energy independence to JFK's challenge to go to the moon. That's a line I've been using while personally stumping for Obama to friends and colleagues...this is a country that can do anything. Let's challenge ourselves...if not now, when?

9:21 - Did McCain just address McCain-Feingold when he's currently in breach of some of its provisions? Naturally. Then says "you have to look at our plans for our proposals for our economy". I think the point of the last few weeks John is that you don't have one.

9:15 - "You're not interested in hearing politicans point fingers..." Exactly.

9:08 - McCain coming out solution based, have to say, not a bad answer. What is with Republicans mentioning making money on eBay?

9:05 - First question on economic solutions. Obama talks about executive compensation, and the CNN opinion dials hit the roof. This is a country that hates predatory capitalists right now.

9:02 - Brokaw is on, we're about to begin