Liveblogging The Biden vs. Palin Debate

5:54PM EDT
You can cut the vice presidential debate electricity with a knife — or whatever replaces a knife if the knife becomes incapacitated. I’ll be kicking into high gear around 6:30. Let’s do this thing!

6:01
Again, just post your comments like usual. I’m using this thingee so we’re not simultaneously bogging down the server.

6:04
Stretch just played that Palin clip in which she says, “I’ve been listening to his speeches since I was in, like,
second grade.” Sorry — vice presidential candidates should NOT be reading prepared remarks that have the word “like” deliberately inserted into the text.

6:11
Just posted a poll. I have no idea if I can delete it or replace it with another poll.

6:17
Regarding the poll, Josh:

The McCain camp tells Mike Allen that Palin will go after Joe Biden tonight, trying to catch him out on old foreign policy positions that didn’t pan out. Right. I don’t buy that because I don’t think they want to risk getting her into any detailed discussion of any foreign policy or defense issue.


6:19Oh, and I didn’t feel like making this its own post tonight, but… -348.6:23Somebody tell Stretch that Biden’s FDR thing is nowhere near the magnitude of Sarah Palin’s obvious hoopleheaded ineptitude. Stretch is more guilty of this fake notion of ‘balance’ than just about anyone on cable news.6:51 Hey look! Lieberman said something stupid and cynical:

“Whether she can answer every detailed question, I don’t think that ultimately matters to the American people so long as they think she passes those other personal thresholds.”

You mean that if she totally blanks on a question that Americans don’t care? Wow. They might as well cancel the debates.6:53McCain fidgets with his hands a lot. What’s wrong with his ring fingernail that makes him always pick at it?6:55Shocker! FOX News is talking about Gwen Ifill. Bill Kristol thinks that Gwen wants Senator Obama to win. And you know, maybe she does. Privately. But when in her career has she projected her bias? Like Brit Hume does all the damn time.6:59McCain said today that he’s “not a rich man.” In a related story, Senator Obama said that he’s not black.7:06Sorry for the delay. Monkeying with the width of the window — so as to fit YouTube videos.7:07Scarborough crowing about Palin’s approval rating in Alaska. He clearly doesn’t want to admit that Palin’s approval rating in Alaska has dropped precipitously since she agreed to be on this hyper-spaz ticket.7:11I made a YouTube clip today for use during the debate. It’s cathartic.7:16McCain’s fingers look like little white traffic cones.7:23The CIL website appears to be down or something. This was an awesome idea. Reliable!7:28 Actually, I think it’s Comcast that’s taking a crap. Must destroy!7:29Okay folks, stand by with me as I bail out of the CIL thing. Too unstable. I’ll just try to keep up with opening new threads.Stand by…7:36PMNew thread! Join me here.

This entry was posted in Liveblogging and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
  • dontpanic23

    New toy but don’t play with it?

  • Bob_Cesca

    Yeah, it’s just a trial run to see if the site runs more smoothly.

  • dontpanic23

    Ok. Do we even click on it? Or just ignore it and type down here as usual?

  • J M Ashby

    Should be much more streamlined using this.

  • Bob_Cesca

    >>Ok. Do we even click on it? Or just ignore it and type down here as usual?I might try to post a poll or something, so you can click on that. Meanwhile, just post comments like usual.

  • J M Ashby

    You’re assuming that was part of the speech Bob. See I think her whole problem is she takes the material and spins it her own way. During the Couric interviews you can see she has something at her lap to look down and read from yet she still screws it up.

  • J M Ashby

    The obvious answer is Hairplugs since she probably doesn’t even know the others haha.

  • Groobiecat

    Bob, Bob, Bob, that’s fine–as long as there are no hanging Chads, we’ll figure it out. Now, don’t hate me because I’m redundant, but c’mon, what’s not to like about Palin Bingo? Fun for my whole family which, on average, is three inches taller than yours!http://palinbingo.comPrint out all three, or make your own. It’s all good with Palin Bingo! :D (Now if only we could combine this with a drinking/toking/snorting/whippet/spin around in place game… *^D )

  • MatthewN

    This is either going to be cattle-stunningly boring, or actively painful to watch.

  • dontpanic23

    JM are you seeing something I’m missing? I could swear you are responding to something. I just walked away for a minute…Dumbass,DP23

  • dontpanic23

    Holy Shit. I thought I wasn’t supposed to click on the above big thing. Wow was I confused. That is where the actual blog is, dumbass, okay. Sorry guys, carry on.

  • dontpanic23

    -348 is that the Dow or the electoral projection in blue or both?

  • Groobiecat

    -348 = Dow.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    It’s also how much a couple of those Biggest Loser fat asses lost in 30 minutes at The NBC Fat Ranch.

  • Pecos Bill

    Truth be told,Ifill should have recused herself from being moderator, cuz now, the repunks can spin this, no matter if Biden mops the floor with her, or if she implodes…

  • dontpanic23

    348 Was kidding. Kind of…

  • dontpanic23

    Bill that’s the only reason they brought this up. They knew all along, but it will be bad if they spin it as unfair to the ones who don’t follow closely–”you know, morons.” (said the sheriff)

  • J M Ashby

    It doesn’t matter what Biden does or does not do… the BBQ grills have already been set up and the smell is drifting toward the anchor desks.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    If we’re not allowed to play in the CIL sandbox, how is that going to make things smoother for the site? It’s not YOU that makes things suck ass eventually, it’s us. CIL isn’t going to reduce the number of comments from us clogging up the Series Of Tubes.I WANT TO PLAY IN THE SANDBOX!! Why don’t you just grant me special access? AHAHAHAHAHA! I’m special.

  • J M Ashby

    Yes Elvis, special.

  • MatthewN

    Meh… all Palin has to do is avoid drooling on herself tonight, and the media will give it to her.

  • dontpanic23

    ED, care to jump on the special bus? I’m already there for stupidity in figuring out the system up there.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Hey, bitch, I drive the Short Bus.

  • dontpanic23

    You’d best take the wheel. I thought JM was talking to himself.

  • Groobiecat

    “Hey bitch, I drive the short bus”–heh, *so* reminescent of the Thanksgiving discourse at my house. Ahh, good times…

  • J M Ashby

    I went to a Streetrod Convention a couple months ago and there was an old 50′s shortbus fixed up with “Scool Bus” on the hood. And this guy walked up and said “hell yeah I road the shortbus to school”

  • jane

    So I think it was on TPM that JMM said FDR was actually on television, the first pres to be.

  • dontpanic23

    When my kids were young I got after them for making fun of the “short bus”. Then it became a part of the lexicon. Dammit I still have stabs of guilt using the term. But that’s funny, JM.

  • http://www.broadwaycarl.blogspot.com Broadway Carl

    …all Palin has to do is avoid drooling on herself tonight, and the media will give it to her.

    I thought so too at first, but they’ve been playing the moose-in-the-headlights SCOTUS brainfart every 15 minutes on MSNBC and I don’t know if she’ll recover from that evil, liberal whorebag, Couric interview.

  • jane

    Re: Cover it. I’m on the Firefox bus tonite, not anticipating the need to watch videos on such a cloggy night. But every time I refresh I have to reopen the CIL window too. Fucking tubes.

  • http://www.broadwaycarl.blogspot.com Broadway Carl

    What the fuck, Jane? You still on dial up?

  • jane

    No, the evil TWC cable tubes. What am I doing wrong? I’m hopelessly analog.

  • http://www.broadwaycarl.blogspot.com Broadway Carl

    See you bitches around 8pm EST. I gotta get good ‘n liquored up for the trainwreck tonight. It’s hideous, yet I can’t turn away…

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Wow, the CIL window is fascinating. I especially like the part where you say nothing at all for half an hour.

  • jane

    Was Terri Schiavo a Supreme Court case?

  • dontpanic23

    Jane bring up another tab in Firefox. Use one to let the window refresh and the other to manually refresh the commentary down here. Unless someone has a better idea. I’m the village idiot at the moment.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Hey Jane Honey!

  • jane

    I like the CIL window when I refresh, before I open it- there’s some Latin liveblogging going on in there.

  • jane

    Hey Elvis Dingley!

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Like Hot Latin, Javier Bardem sorta Latin, or pretentious Ave Maria nonsense Latin?

  • jane

    Hey DP! I was reading the post re: NC earlier today. What are the odds so many Goddamn Cescans are from Nawth Cackalacky??

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Hey Jane Honey! Leave a comment over at my place with your e-mail address stuck in it, wanna send you something. I still have those pictures of you from Cozumel, when you ate the tequila worm and did all those ‘shrooms and thought I was Winston Churchill, remember that? (Seriously though, leave me a comment.)

  • jane

    Could be an instruction manual with timecodes, for all I know Elvis. I’ll see if I can transpose some if you’re into that sort of thing…

  • dontpanic23

    Jane you can have my seat on the bus. You just got in on crazy.And I wondered the same about NC. There was one a few days ago that brought out several more. Weird math that one.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    @ Mr. The Bob Cesca – I can’t look at McCain’s hands. He has claws. Seriously, his fingers look like that asshole’s from RoboCop after he took a toxic waste bath. There’s something pointy and unhealthy-looking about McCain’s fingers. I can’t look at them.

  • jane

    Elvis, I’m feeling all warm and squishy. Why would you imagine I could remember that Cozumel trip (except the three weeks I spent in the hospital afterward)?

  • dontpanic23

    I’m glad Bob does the FOCKS watching for us. I wouldn’t live through it.

  • dontpanic23

    Eeeeeewwww ED thank you for that mental image. Emphasis on mental.Now I’m thinking of lizard tongue. Eeeeewwww.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Yeah, that’s what I figured. Ergo the pictures. Thought they’d jog your memory.Remember that Mexican tapeworm they pulled out of you in Week 2? Indiana Jones could have swung across something on that thing.

  • J M Ashby

    The sky is also not blue Bob.

  • jane

    sample background from CIL window, before opening:3:39 Sed quis dui.3:39 Phasellus ver lacus.3:41 (comment from reader 2) blah blah etc.

  • MatthewN

    If Matthews doesn’t say something about “connecting with voters, because Obama has problems doing so” I’ll eat my shorts. Hell, I’ll eat Matthew’s shorts.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Phasellus ver lacus is Latin porno. Don’t go there.

  • dontpanic23

    WTF? Tevye was singing as McCain denied in a YouTube box. Then it was there in the CIL window.I should just shut up and ride it out like an acid trip.

  • jane

    Elvis, I still have it in a jar on the kitchen windowsill. It’s still growing! I’ll need a bigger jar soon. (How will I smuggle it back to Mezzco for next year’s party?)

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    We’ll smuggle her back in the way we bring Mexican heroin to the states: Crammed inside the colon of a 7 year-old Mexican boy with a 2-week work visa, huzzah!

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Seriously: E-mail address, goddamnit.

  • J M Ashby

    Guh.. I wish they would keep Morning Jackass confined to the morning hours when im not watching.

  • kansasdem

    I sure as hell wish Lou Dobbs would take a heapin’ helpin’ of STFU!Idiot. Stick.Pretends to be indy but is so GD conservative it bleeds out his eyes!

  • dontpanic23

    Bob was it the brown acid? (ah HA, you WERE messing with it).

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    I can’t wait for the day some lucky YouTuber finally catches Joe and Hannity backdooring each other while draped in American flags and listening to Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyries turned up to 11 on the stereo. God I’m going to love that special, special day.

  • kansasdem

    BTW, I changed the channel to syndication of Two and a Half Men!I can get the news here!

  • MatthewN

    “Sara Palin doesn’t do all that badly when she’s asked a direct question.”Wow… “All that badly”? That’s where the bar is set now?Jeez

  • dontpanic23

    Dobbs is a paranoid, hate-filled lunatic.

  • jane

    oh, you mean now?

  • J M Ashby

    I wouldn’t refer to Lou Dobbs as conservative. I think racist nationalist is more fitting.

  • J M Ashby

    “Joe and Hannity backdooring each other while draped in American flags and listening to Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyries turned up to 11 on the stereo”Christ on a bike

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Yeah, Dobbs is in his own fucking world, I have no yardstick by which to measure his paranoid delusionary douchebaggery. He makes me want to vomit a small Mexican child and then beat him with it. And then charge him for the kid’s medical expenses when I’m done.

  • kansasdem

    “We’ll smuggle her back in the way we bring Mexican heroin to the states: Crammed inside the colon of a 7 year-old Mexican boy with a 2-week work visa, huzzah!”Elvis,Your ass fetish is making my butt scared!

  • Groobiecat

    “I’m glad Bob does the FOCKS watching for us.”Seriously worthy of hazard pay. Unless, of course, you watch it through the lens of, say, alien cartoon characters. And me? I’m guessing, Mr. Bob has those glasses…

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Hey, that’s how I roll, Mr. The JM Ashby: Hannity and Morning Joe making with the anal while racist German composers blast in the background. That’s the goods, sir.

  • MatthewN

    Matthews: ” She’ll do okay if knowledge or brains aren’t an issue” (perhaps misquoted, except the brains part)I cackled like a maniac.

  • dontpanic23

    Bob you should interject that video every time she says something to which it applies. And make it start automatically. And everybody takes a shot.

  • J M Ashby

    Palin should pull a Little Miss Sunshine and just start stripping.

  • http://billbarol.tumblr.com Bill Barol

    Thanks for the vid, Bob. Trouble is, I want to play it now, watching the cablers. And I only have so much spleen to vent tonight. ( …right?)

  • dontpanic23

    @Groobieso I should hit that Paypal button, eh?

  • kansasdem

    Just keep rollin’ Elvis!I’m only scared, not disgusted ……….. yet!

  • jane

    Srsly, Bob? Video?? WANT!!I still don’t know why but I can only get audio with IE these days except after I reboot and refresh and douche and stand on one leg and all kinda shit. Too late for tonite. Although that wheel of fish doesn’t NEED audio.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    The end of that movie always makes me smile, JMA. That’s just a great film. I’ve got my own Little Miss Sunshine, so I usually start to cry about 20 minutes in.

  • J M Ashby

    The Liveblog window just took a dump

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    It’s 7:13 AM in Taiwan. I’m starting to think about pancakes.The debate is less than two hours away.WHARGARBL, Jemimah and mmmm bacon for breakfast. Will have to stop drinking for a bit – rum is never good with breakfast.I can’t help but wonder…d’ya think Sarah Palin is lookin’ for a green room quickie with The First Dude? Ya gotta think the tension of the moment has Miss Congeniality a little worked up, eh?Was that sexist?Who knows? Maybe Biden’s gettin’ some, too.Ha. Sorry for that.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    Hey Avi, what happens when The Mainland decides to call our bluff and invade your little piece of shit island? You going to repatriate quick fast and in a hurry?

  • jane

    Waaaahhh Life isn’t fair I can’t open IE and open the CIL window now either!!! I give up.

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    There’ll never be a shootin war. the economic ties are already so tight neither side wants to fuck with it.benefits no ones wallet to shoot missiles, and one thing about the chinese – commie, capitalist…they don;t much care so long as they’re making money

  • hugh.c.mcbride

    Repub strategist (last name Harris — didn’t get his name) just told Chris Matthews that S. Palin needs to (and I quote) “literally reach through the screen and connect” with viewers.Gotta tells ya — if she can pull that off, even *I* might be tempted to vote for her.

  • kansasdem

    “The Liveblog window just took a dump”Can’t watch it and comment at the same time anyway!Unless you have dual monitors and a really big brain!Bob’s just trying to keep things Goddamn Awesome!And doing well at it!

  • dontpanic23

    CUZ, you’re in tomorrow? Man, as the guy said, don’t do the brown acid.JM that sound is great. My dogs barked the first few times.

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    “trade ya Cuba for Taiwan” would have been possible, til Dubya pissed off Putin and let them feel tough enough to sail around the Caribbean again.

  • dontpanic23

    If Palin reaches through my screen she’s going to leave a hand in a dog’s mouth. So Please God don’t ever let McCain pull that off. *eeeewwwwww*

  • J M Ashby

    Actually I do have 2 monitors. The CIL thing was just dead for a minute but appears to be back now.

  • kansasdem

    “Waaaahhh Life isn’t fair I can’t open IE and open the CIL window now either!!! I give up.”Don’t give up Jane, just get Firefox! Or better yet – get Ubuntu!

  • dontpanic23

    Uh oh, our fearless leader is about to get violent.

  • kansasdem

    Watching Kucinich on C-Span. Awesome!

  • J M Ashby

    Oh im on Comcast so I guess that makes sense.

  • dontpanic23

    Ugh, here we go………again……..help.

  • hugh.c.mcbride

    I tells ya — that ol’ “reaching through the screen” thing sounds awfully witchcraft-ery. Anyone know where I can get prayed over to protect me from that kinda thing?

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    updates on degree of personal connectivity is TMFI and a waste of valuable electrons!Cut that shit out. Sort out your viewing shenanigans on your own goddamn time. This ain’t some fuckin’ cooking show!

  • J M Ashby

    Palin’s mission for tonight: Don’t look like a complete bafoon.

  • MatthewN

    ‘Bout 1/2 hour and I switch over to watch last night’s Daily Show. Need a break before the insanity.

  • jane

    KDem, I was on FF but I haven’t been able to get audio for quite a while now. (I’ve heard others w/the same problem.) But my ‘pooter didn’t like running both FF and IE (and CIL) at the same time. I guess it’s a monogamous kinda machine.I accidentally kicked myself off, so I’m dealin’ with the IE tonight cause the Bobster posted VIDEO! W00t!

  • Bob_Cesca

    Okay, starting a new thread. Current thread is converted back to tradition human bean format.

  • http://www.clusterdouche.com Elvis Dingeldein

    I’m sorry, but I’m just now seeing the Couric interview tape for the first time where Palin tries to name a fucking past Vice President. OH MY FUCKING GOD. Did you see the wheels turning in that head? SHE WAS SCRAMBLING FOR A VICE PRESIDENT. SHE WAS FUCKING SCRAMBLING FOR A VICE PRESIDENT!Pulls Bush Sr out of her asshole, and notes how he got him some on-the-job training as Veep. Yeah, Sarah, honey. Forget that he was a professional politician, a two-term congressman, chairman of the RNC, chief liaison to China, and the fucking DIRECTOR OF THE CIA, then one-termed it as a failed president because of The Economy, Stupid. Yeah, forget all that shit, you stupid, stupid, stupid bitch.OH MY GOD SHE HAD TO SCRAMBLE FOR A VICE PRESIDENT!

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    bafoon?I knew a girl once who played baffoon. A bafoonist.Chicks with good embrochure. Mmmm.

  • jane

    Cousin: Suck my dick.

  • J M Ashby

    Joe Biden is an elitist? What a shithead.

  • dontpanic23

    Oh shit, Elvis, where did you find this? I still haven’t caught up with the church and state clip. Must find VP dumb answer *drool*.Bafoonist–word of the day?

  • idreamofskiba

    Doug Holtz-Eaton, or what ever his name is, is a stupid dumbass.”Arugula class” – oh shut the hell up.

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    Thanks, Jane. I always I wanted a Demi Moore in a wet jarhead t-shirt moment…and you’re even appropriately named.Pardon my gregarious nipples.

  • http://cousinavi.wordpress.com cousinavi

    Fark headline: In an attempt to lessen the blow of Palin’s inevitable epic fail tonight, McCain releases new ad: “Hey, Obama’s running mate is stupid too”http://hotair.com/archives/2008/10/02/new-mccain-ad-just-a-reminder-that-bidens-an-idiot/

  • http://www.broadwaycarl.blogspot.com Broadway Carl

    What a ridiculous ad. Not only is it setting up for a Palin fall even greater, but it’s a waste of money because after today, it’s useless.