6:42PM EDT
Lieberman was just on with Stretch saying that the McCain we've seen for the last couple of days is the McCain he's known for years. It was meant as a compliment.
6:43PM
Here's my first prediction: McCain will be forced to play defense most of the night. And he'll fail doing it. Then again, I predicted the Dow would close down 500 points today, so it's not my best day for predictions.
6:45PM
Almost forgot -- as always, feel free to liveblog along with me in the comments. Go!
7PM
Brent Scowcroft says to Stretch that of the two candidates, McCain is more likely to continue the Bush foreign policy. Thanks for that, Brent. Insightful!
7:02PM
Oh boy! Guess who's showing up at the debate?
The Mississippi White Knights will have officers and Klansmen on hand for the presidential debate on September 26, 2008. Our people will be in Oxford and on the campus ‘invisible.’ That means our people won’t be in regalia or demonstrating. So, I guess you’ll just have to guess which of the people present are Klansmen.
They'll be invisible. How brave of them. So courageous with their hatred.
7:20PM
Why didn't Andrea, Pat and Chris talk about what McCain has to do in the debate tonight?
7:31PM
Hotline/Diageo:
Who would do best job handling the economy?
Obama 48
McCain 34
More after the jump...
7:34PMCNN text: "LATER: The Best Political Minds in the Country." When I saw that, I imagined a panel of nothing but brains in little dishes lined up on one of those futuristic cable news countertops.7:37PMNorah O'Donnell is inside the Xbox game "Prince of Persia"! Look out for those zombies, Norah!
7:49PMThis is late, but Buchanan said something about Obama assuring Americans that he's not a "radical." Don't you think it's weird whenever Pat Buchanan accuses other people of being radical?8PMJust in... The fleet of tractor-trailers containing McCain's $5,000 make-up just pulled up to the venue.8:04PMDon't turn on FOX News. Newt Gingrich is on with O'Reilly and within two seconds of watching, Newt lied and said that Franklin Raines is "Obama's advisor on housing." I've seen a lot of Newt on television lately. What? No dying wives to divorce in their hospitals rooms?8:25PMAnother prediction: McCain will bring up Rezko. In response, Obama will bring up the Keating Five. McCain will walk off the stage in a snit.8:30PMLetterman last night: Keith Olbermann has an enormous head.8:34PMShe can't even do spin? My God.
After Barack Obama and John McCain stop talking on the debate stage Friday night, their surrogates will start spinning. But one high-profile supporter of Mr. McCain will be missing: his running mate Sarah Palin.
8:36PMPalin told Couric that she learned about the world throught "education and through books." Next week, PLEASE Gwen, ask her what books she's read about foreign countries. PLEASE OH PLEASE!8:41PMThey just showed the debate stage. It's the exact same one they used four years ago. I wonder if one of the podiums smells like Bush's flop sweat.8:48PMWhy is anyone expecting Senator Obama to become suddenly zany? Senator Obama is a cool character. He's not going to suddenly run up to McCain and start yelling about Dingell-Norwood.8:54PMCNN has a room full of Republicans who will be evaluating the debate. From the looks of the room, I think we've found our "invisible" KKK operatives.8:59PMHere we go.9:01PMRequirement for sitting behind Lehrer: Weird beard.