DEBATE: Live-Blog of Debate

This is the posting that will have my live response to tonight’s Democrat debate here at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. The most recent entry will be at the top of the page.

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8:47pm: OK…I’m signing off from the Press Room to head over to the Spin Room and hopefully catch some of the post-debate action. Thanks for hanging with me!
8:42pm: “What is the definition of rich?” This person wants to know the income level. Obama thinks it’s those making over $250k/year, but is qualifying his answer. He wants to institute merits in the tax system to help people save more. I’m not sure what that means. Now he says he’d like to roll back the tax cuts for the rich but make some people’s tax rates even lower. That sounds like the late 1970′s all over again.
8:39pm: Joe Biden–STOP YELLING!
8:35pm: My word…when does Bill Richardson think it’s appropriate to use military force? Would he ever be able to make that decision as President??
8:32pm: It took this long for a substantive question about Darfur. Richardson wanted to answer first but Biden got the call. It’s amazing to me that none of these people think that troops are the answer in Iraq, but they are the answer in Darfur. I’m not sure I understand that logic. Wolf opened it up to everyone and all of the candidates started talking. Yeah…that’s great television.
8:28pm: Uh-oh. A question to Kucinich on Osama that involves the prospect of civilian casualties. He doesn’t think that any President should use assassination as a tool. So, Kucinich would not order an airstrike on Osama…I just want to be clear about this. Remember I said he’d never be President? Well, he’ll never be President. Ever. Now the question is going to all of the Dems and and while most would do it, they’re qualifying their answers. Hillary is invoking Bill’s name.
8:24pm: Edwards wants to offer Iran “carrots.” That’s utterly absurd.
8:20pm: On to Iran with a “what would you do?” question which Hillary is taking first. She’s saying we need to talk to them and that, all during the Cold War, we talked to the Russians—and they had missiles pointed at us! She is saying that Iran having a nuclear weapon is unacceptable and we have to prevent that at all costs. Mrs. Clinton did NOT say that “all costs” meant using force.
8:18pm: We’re over an hour and fifteen minutes into this debate and there is no stand-out moment yet.
8:15pm: The next question is one I’ve advocated for a long time: why can’t Veterans seek their medical care at the hospital of their choice. Obama supports having the VA hospitals. Clearly, he’s never been in one.
8:15pm: Chris Dodd sure is passionate, but I don’t think he’s resonating with anyone here in New Hampshire.
8:10pm: Hey…it’s back to Iraq. Big shock there! It’s a little tough to hear where I am in the Press Room, so I didn’t quite get the first question. Kucinich is giving an answer and now being redirected by Wolf. I think it’s about rebuilding the military.
8:09pm: We’re about to get started again. Wolf is waiting for his camera que. Now begins the Town Hall portion of the debate.
8:03pm: Intermission!
8:02pm: If Chris Dodd has a solution about gas prices NOW, then why isn’t the Senate doing anything to repeal the subsidies?? I wonder why that is…
8:01pm: WMUR’s Real Time Response is here. It’s pretty interesting.
7:58pm: Now he wants 50mpg standards, but still hasn’t mentioned gas PRICES which is what Spradling asked him about. Redirect from Wolf. He’s still not saying a thing about it. This is why Dodd isn’t gonna be elected, folks. Gravel says there’s nothing he would do as President to lower gas prices and that we, as Americans, need to grow up and do what needs to be done to get off of oil.
7:57pm: Gas prices to Chris Dodd. He hasn’t said anything about what he’d do about prices but is giving a nice discourse on global warming.
7:56pm: Hillary was just now asked how she’d use her husband. She says he’d be a roving ambassador to make it clear to the rest of the world that we’re reaching out and trying to make friends and allies again.
7:54pm: Now they’re asking the Democrats what they’d do with Bill Clinton in their administration. Richardson would want him to be Sec-Gen of the UN, but thinks he’s needed in the Middle East. Obama is being more general and saying he’d have him build alliances and relationships around the world–and is going right back to the Bash Bush rhetoric.
7:52pm: Ooh…the “gay marriage” question. I’ve been waiting for this. John Edwards has it first and he’s doing an apt job of dodging that particular question.
7:48pm: Hillary is saying that “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell” was an interim policy?? That’s news to me! That’s news to a LOT of people. It’s weird to hear her talk about the UCMJ.
7:46pm: Oh, good. Obama and Edwards are talking over each other. Now that seems normal. Kucnich chimes in and on the WMUR Real Time Response women LOVE him. Men, not so much.
7:44pm: This is sounding like the Obama/Edwards mutual admiration society. It’s kind of weird with Hillary in the middle.
7:41pm: Hillary won’t commit to the tax question. She has learned something from her husband.
7:40pm: Obama thinks we should have mandatory insurance and not necessarily universal health care. Isn’t that the same thing, pretty much??
7:38pm: Scott Spradling is asking John Edwards about health care and raising taxes. Edwards believes you cannot cover everyone in America and it will still cost 90-120 billion a year.
7:37pm: I can’t believe they’re wasting time on this question. Official…national…it’s a waste of time.
7:35pm: Gravel is the ONLY CANDIDATE who thinks that English should be the official language of the United States. Wow. Obama is objecting to the question.
7:34pm: Obama is talking about a fence on the Canadian border and relating it to the tuberculosis patient from this week. He thinks we can solve this problem constructively. Well, Senator Obama, 12 million illegals didn’t come across the Canadian border, now, did they??
7:33pm: Biden’s yelling again. He’s talking about how the immigration bill is reasonable.
7:29pm: “Why is this not an amnesty program?” Oh, this should be good. Bill Richardson takes the question. He’s talking about how he deals with this every day. He says he won’t support legislation that builds a wall between two countries. He wants to increase the border patrol and have an “earned legalization” program. He also wants to penalize the employers. Wolf is directing him back to the question. He should have hit this out of the park. Richardson is saying it sets standards and isn’t amnesty. Amazing. He’s in total denial.
7:28pm: Gravel seems like he doesn’t know what’s going on. He is totally out of place.
7:25pm: WOW. Edwards just said he was wrong about the war and wrong to vote for it.
7:24pm: WOW. Hillary is defending her vote and her support of the National Intelligence Estimate, but faulting Bush on not letting Inspectors do their job.
7:23pm: the WMUR Real-Time Response has me scratching my head. Biden is doing well with the sample audience and I just don’t get it.
7:22pm: Wow…Biden is back on “the Republicans didn’t tell us the truth about the war.” He’s killing me. Slowly. He’s yelling and he’s Bush bashing.
7:20pm: Audio troubles on the set of the debate. They’re now taking questions from the readers of the NH Union Leader.
7:17pm: Wow…Wolf has to come in and give Richardson an opportunity to say something. Richardson wants to de-authorize the war, not fund it.
7:15pm: Edwards/Hillary/Obama are practically filibustering. This is bad. Gravel and Richardson are unable to even say anything.
7:11pm: OK…we’ve got some all-on Iraq War Monday Morning Quarterbacking and Bush Bashing going on. Hillary, and then Barack. Poor Bill Richardson looks like he wants to jump in and either hasn’t or can’t.
7:10pm: Biden won’t admit he was right and Hillary/Obama/Dodd were right. He’s getting WAY too defensive.
7:09pm: Joe Biden is now talking about how why he was the only Democrat to vote for the recent Iraq War funding. I’d like to say that I’m surprised by this, but it’s Joe Biden. I’m not.
7:07pm: My sister texted me to tell me that Edwards blinks his eyes too much and called him a liar. LOL
7:04pm: Obama says that the Bush Administration hasn’t done a good enough job in preventing terror attacks. This comes the day after a plot to blow up Kennedy Airport in NYC was thwarted.
7:03pm: Kucinich just called Cleveland the “City of Champions.” Does he know where he is?!??
7:02: I’m amazed that these candidates can give any short answer to anything. LOL
7:00pm: And we’re underway here in Manchester…
6:56pm: The candidates have taken the stage, greeted by NH Governor John Lynch.
6:51pm: Less than 10 minutes to go! I wish I’d started a pool on which Democrat would mention George Bush first.
6:33pm: Less than half an hour to go now and the Press Room is starting to fill up. There are a lot more people in here now.
6:05pm: I’m here in the Press Room at St. A’s waiting for things to kick off. I’ve met a few members of the media and caught up with Fergus Cullen, NH State GOP Chair. (We both went to the same high school.) Things will kick off here very shortly so stay tuned!