Debate Liveblogging

Okay, I'll liveblog.

OVERALL: A tie with a slight edge to Barack because of the latter half. (Definitely his best debate so far, by a mile.) [UPDATE: Ambinder agrees. So does TNR.] Obama definitely held his own, especially on Iraq, but neither one of them opened the door to the sort of fireworks we saw in the last one. Everyone was playing it safe. Time to check the network spin...

9:53: Then she plugs her "nationwide town-hall meeting." This was sort of lame.

9:50: Last question. Will you run together? The audience claps, the candidates laugh. This is the last question, really? Barack jumps out in front of it and I think he does a good job—"it's important to give the American people a sense that the government's on their side, that it's carrying their voices into the White House, and that hasn't been happening over the last 7 years." Hillary opens with "I have to agree with everything Barack just said"—sort of her theme of the night—and then talks about a unified Democratic party.

9:47: The Bill Clinton question. "If you can't control the former president now, what will it be like when you're the president?" Clinton laughs and says it's her campaign.

9:46 Stupid question about sex and violence on the teevee. Barack points to parental responsibility, which these Hollywood elites seem to like. He also panders a bit about trailers for slasher movies during American Idol.

9:40: Barack zeroes in: "You have to be right on day one," and gets more big applause. That exchange was a big win for Barack in a night that hasn't had many.

9:37: That was a *terrible* answer for Clinton on Iraq. Rambling, formless, and uninformative, with no one applauding for minutes on end. Wolf zings her—"Are you saying you were naive in trusting President Bush?" Then she tries again. Jaimee says she's just prolonging the agony; Jaimee's right.

9:33: Big applause on the judgment issue for Barack. Clinton is asked why she can't admit it was a mistake; she responds with another bad answer. This is one place where the two-person format really serves Barack—the distinction couldn't be clearer.

9:32: Barack on the surge: "We've set the bar so low for success that it's buried in the sand."

9:28: Judgment, Hillary Clinton, do you have it? Why did she support the war in the first place? If there's a clear winner so far tonight, and I don't think there is, it's Obama-by-decision—Clinton has been much more on the defensive on issues like this and the B-C-B-C dynasty, although Obama is being defensive and has failed to go for the kill. In any event, this was her worst answer yet.

9:20: Clinton goes first again for an Iraq question. That's four or five in a row for her, I think. (Was this format intentional? It's pretty repetitive.) Obama gets more excitement from the crowd by throwing another elbow at John "Let's stay in Iraq for 100 years" McCain, and draws a good contrast with Clinton over the fuzziness of her withdrawal strategy and possible mission creep. He talks about drawing a clear contrast with the Republicans because he never supported the war in the first place. The audience loves it, and so does Bono.

9:15: Obama doesn't get to answer that one? Bullshit!

9:14: Whoa, the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton question! How can you be an agent of change when we've had the same two families in the White House for 30 years? Hillary claims she's being judged on her own merits. Pierce Brosnan isn't buying. She does get some applause for her "takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush line."

9:10: My whining gets results! Clinton goes first again, this one on a "Why didn't Ted & Caroline endorse you?" This is a question she doesn't seem especially interested in answering. Obama is given the inverse of the question: "What's so bad about the 1990s?" He dodges this question and goes to inspiration: Who can inspire the American people to get re-engaged in their government again?

9:05: Clinton goes fist on the Romney question: why shouldn't only businessmen be elected President? This is of course a great question, but its stupidity does allow Clinton to get in a nice Bush-bash, followed by an Obama Romney-bash: "He hasn't gotten a very good return on his investment in this campaign."

9:02: Wolf asks Clinton what experience as first lady actually qualifies her to be president, the first time I think this question has ever been asked, and someone in the audience audibly "woo"s.

9:00: Experience question directed at Obama. I think he's gone first every question so far. Did he lose the coin flip?

8:54: Obama gets in a flip-flopping charge over the drivers license issue before namechecking Bill Richardson. Clinton denies that she ever flip-flopped and then says that Obama couldn't answer the question when he was asked. Off-screen, Wolf salivates; is the fight about to start?

8:48: Wolf keeps trying to pick a fight, but Obama ain't buying.

8:40: Here comes immigration. The question is oddly phrased—How would you address unemployment, low wages for African-Americans related to immigrant labor—but Obama gets a good round of applause by rightly rejecting the terms as scapegoating. Clinton responds that some amount of scapegoating is appropriate before going to once again repeat the points Barack had just made. (Is it just me or is he going first every time?)

8:33: Raising taxes! Tax and spend liberal Democrats! Oh noes! Obama gets in some really good lines against the current administration on this. (George Costanza, ladies and gentlemen!) He namechecks McCain, too, which is good. Clinton's answer didn't seem to catch fire in quite the same way, though she sure tried to get the audience riled up... Obama takes this point having lost the first round through lack of clarity.

8:26: Email from a longtime reader: He better not fall for the nice Hillary routine or he's dead. Yep.

8:25: More health care. Obama, back to mandates. I have to say that Obama is objectively right on this point. If you want everybody covered, go for single payer—that's what I'd like to see—but if you won't go for single payer, it makes no sense to try and jury-rig universal coverage through punishment mechanisms and fines. What is Clinton's mechanism for enforcement, by the way? Has this ever been explained?

8:14: What policy differences actually exist between you? Clinton goes to universal health care, the mortgage crisis, and the willingness to talk to Evil Dictators, though she begins and ends with a jab at Republicans. (Ed Helms in the audience, ladies and gentlemen!) Obama takes up health care and justifies his mandateless plan, then hits mortgages; Obama believes we should reduce the influence of special interests and lobbyists. One thing is already clear: John Edwards was right about everything.

8:12: Hillary feints towards loving everyone before going right to "Ready on Day 1." Hasn't she heard about Kennedy's "Right on Day 1"? By the way, the flaw in my ability to liveblog this debate quickly becomes evident—I have no respect for anything Clinton says.

8:09: Barack makes his opening statement. He loves John Edwards, the other failed candidates, and Hillary Clinton. Barack loves everyone; he is pure love.

8:04: It's starting now; so far my primary reaction is disquiet at the way this event is being played as a strange proxy for the strike-canceled Oscars. Christina Applegate is in attendance! Who will Brandy endorse? Can we wait to find out?