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Tonight Air America brings you on-air team coverage with Rachel Maddow, David Bender, Ron Reagan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Mike Papantino, Thom Hartmann, Lionel, Ron Kuby, Jon Elliott, and Mark Green. We'll also have live post-debate coverage with Sam Seder and Marc Maron at Maron v. Seder!

How many times will John McCain say "my friend?" How about "the point is..." A few, I'm sure. If I had a teevee show there'd be a ticker for sure racking up the endless old-codgerisms. We'd also have a condescension meter and a hate-O-meter. Seems like McCain's only shot here is to fear monger.

Can you lie about a guy when you're sitting a few feet from him? If you're Obama, are you ready for the McCain-Renzi lunge? Do you just sit there and let the old koot self-destruct?

We shall see...

Hit reload for the latest live blogging. Comment and we'll reply, feature your comments (if you're not a wingnut), make fun of you.... Post pictures tonight, and you might find they disappear. Have fun!

Domestic policy divided into nine-minute segments, the candidates will be encouraged to ask follow-up questions, but if they don't Bob will.

Beyond the talking points, let's talk about plans to fix what ails the US economy. McCain is up first. 

Americans are hurting and they're angry. We're a minute into the response and McCain has said the word "angry" at least five thousand times. McCodger knows angry! As for Nancy, why is it that we've known she was not faring so well a week ago? (Ehem. Word is she's doing fine. God bless her. 100% snark-free.) Regarding McCain's blahbittyblah: Puhleeze. Just send me a check. 

Obama goes over his plan for recovery, which is a rescue plan for the middle class. The focus: jobs, help families right away with a tax cut for those making less than $250K, invest in the education system. 

Tim Einenkel says: I will take a bet: Soundbite tomorrow, Obama saying the fundalmentals of the economy were weak. McCain camp will jump on that and say he is attacking the American worker.

McCain is pointing out an encounter between Obama and a plumber who thinks Obama is a bad taxing human being and McCain is sweet manna. We say: nothing. Not interesting. Not true. Joe the plumber learned from Obama that he got screwed five years ago, when the war screwed things up. But who is this Joe the Plumber? Will he be a recurring character? Interesting move, McCain. I'm intrigued. 

COMMENTS: Danieladamsmith: My god...who did John McCain's make-up? Stan Winston?

EDITORS: Crickets.

McCain: Obama said to Joe the plumber: We need to spread the wealth around. I want Joe the plumber to spread the wealth around. Obama wants class warfare. Listen to that folks! That's dog-whistle racism. Joe the plumber is already grating on my nerves. McCain thinks Obama is a socialist, because he is old. Joe the plumber thinks whatever McCain says, because he is a fictional character. Beware Joe the Plumber. 

Henchmen! Make the T-Shirts!!!

McCain just said no one likes taxes, but he's wrong. My aunt likes em, fine. I used to like em. Still do some days....Like today, for instance.

Will Obama's programs need trimming? Maybe, quoth Obama, but we need to figure out what's working and what's not working. Get rid of the fat, and focus on what's working. Simple. I agree. He's talking about running the country the way he's run his campaign. Smartly, and with a sense of mission. McCain does not want to talk about cutting programs. He wants to stand in the lawn with his slippers on and yell crotchety stuff at the neighborhood kids. "Hey, you, Barry, I gotcher baaaall!" (Rahm Emmanuel used this image tonight on Olbermann.)

Lauren Kirchner says: Oh my goodness, the blinking. If McCain's eyelids were wings he would have taken off into the sky 5 minutes ago. Also, his body language suggests that he's about to lean over and challenge Schieffer to an arm-wrestle!

COMMENTS: Deanrdd: Look, my friend I love John McCain, he says, "We don't want to spread the wealth". Senator Obama wants to "spread the wealth".
You go McCain. You have a hundred and fifty million dollar fortune to protect. Why can't Obama see that? 

EDITORS: Because he's a wee bit more reality-based?

I'm not George Bush. Ha. Liar!!! McCain just told Obama that he missed his opportunity to run against Bush. I can't believe my ears! McCain is not Bush? Lie! He is. You pull on that strange part of his face and the mask comes off real easy-like, and who do you suppose is underneath that codger-mask? It's Bush, dammit. 

Tim Einenkel says: Grandpa is mad at Obama...

COMMENTS: Ed the Plumber: What's the "great society?" What's the "great society" mean my friend... I'm lost, still trying to figure out the "great society" Does anyone know about this? I missed something again.... Why do people pick on plumbers?

EDITORS: Crickets

Obama: McCain has shown independence on important issues like torture. Nice!!! This is the perfect seque for Bob, who starts talking about how nasty they've been to each other. What do they have to say about that?

McCain: This has been a tough campaign. But if Senator Obama had agreed to my urgent request to have town hall meetings, we could have avoided this, but he didn't do it my way so I decided to fuck his shit up. And that's what I've been doing. I had nothing to do with George Wallace. I am not a terrorist. I am a human being! (Don't cry for me Argentina....) A truthful campaign, Senator McCain? Are you mad? Oh wait....Dementia is a form of madness, isn't it?

Lauren Kirchner says: I love how McCain always brags about how much he breaks with his party to cross the aisle and vote with the Democrats, and then criticizes Obama for always voting with the Democrats, too. But doesn't that just prove that voting with the Democrats is always kinda the way to go? If pointing out McCain's lies is "running a negative campaign," then frankly I don't know what the alternative is. McCain: "You said you would sit down and negotiate with John McCain." Why is he talking about himself in the 3rd person like he is the dictator of a rogue nation?

Good question. Obama does not mind being attacked for the next four weeks. America deserves some answers about the economic crisis. McCain can't talk about the economy, because it doesn't poll well for him. McCain is unable to get around the whole politics-as-usual thing. McCain talks baseball. Obama is bemused. I am thinking about donuts. It's all good. 

Tim Einenkel says: Check out McCain on negativity: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/10/mccain_100percen... 100 percent negative ads

Obama: When people suggest I pal around with terrorists.... Ugh. Why should anyone have to say those words in that order. McCain: The people who come to my rallies are good people, and I'm glad they want to kill you. Er, okay he didn't say that. But man O man this McCain character is crackers, non? Oui. C'est coup-coup. Or is that self-coup?

Lauren Kirchner says: What I want Schieffer to ask next: "Senator McCain, would you care to respond to the allegations that you are an angry cartoon Jack-o-Lantern?"

McCain wants to know the facts. We need to know, says he. Speak for yourself, Mr. Cartoon Jack-o-lantern Man. All of these things have been explored. Which things? ACORN and that old "washed up terrorist" Bill Ayers. Obama is going to tell the story about Ayers. Quick-like. It's ancient history. Kinda like your childhood, Senator McCain.

COMMENTS: Gapple: McCain is looking like Captain Queeg. Soon he is going to take out metal balls and talk about strawberries.

EDITORS: Indeed. 

Lauren Kirchner implores:  Obama, I know it's hard, but pleeeease try to keep your bemused grins in check, you're gonna look cocky....

Beau (that's me) I agree, but McCain is grinning too. And let me add, Senator Obama, don't say "folks" when defending the stickier stuff (you do it too much, and you're not really good at the folksy thing--that's Sarah) and also, stop reminding us that Warren Buffett is a pal. You said it. Folks know it. Basta.

As for you, you old coot: Stop lying. Seriously. And Obama: Listen to Lauren. The laugh: no good.  

Tim Einenkel says: I don't believe Obama was saying veterans and old ladies were making those horrible comments about Obama at campaign rallies.

COMMENTS: Danieladamsmith: I can overstate I seem really petty but John really does look like a mummy...The powder is over the top...

EDITORS: This is becoming an idee fixe.

Lauren Kirchner says: Wow, people will NOT stop shitting on Scranton! (Can I say shitting?)

On the running mates: I think this can be boiled down to the basic idea that Palin has brought in new voters. In my world, my friends somewhat less spiritually inclined than, say, myself, are prone to calling these new voters derogatory names like, say, fucktard dittoheads or "goompas." A dangerous lot is what I say. Biden is perhaps, I don't know, more qualified than Palin. Yes. I will say that. I think it's swell. BTW Biden's idea (crazy) about dividing Iraq in three pieces: That's what it was like before the British empire switched things around. 

Tim Einenkel says: McCain and Palin not only hate government but actually hates their own party since they tout how much they fight against them.

I love McCain's worldview: Middle East and Venezuela: bad. Canada: good. Rabbits: neutral.

Ten years is a good goal for no longer needing foreign oil. That's Obama. 

COMMENTS: Andiechicago: I live 40 blocks away from Mr Ayers Judge me, if you will. Guilt by geography

EDITORS: You are a bad person. We hate you.

Not a fantastic showing for Obama on the whoe free trade thing. I think he answered well regarding Colombia. McCain was trying to boomerang the Palin-didn't-have-a-passport-till-yesterday thing. It didn't work. McCain is going to keep saying reductionist stuff like Obama wants to meet with bad guys. Herbert Hoover is mentioned by the old man, and I wonder: Were they friends? Obama: remember the plan. You don't need to win. You need to sit through it more or less.  

Lauren Kirchner says: Say "protectionism," McCain. Say it.

Tim Einenkel says: McCain rolled his eyes! "Labor leaders getting killed...As long as they weren't CEOs." Sheesh. When Mccain talks to Joe the Plumber is he really saying "White America?"

COMMENTS: Celene: Was it my imagination or did [McCain] just call Sarah Palin "a breast of fresh air"? A little slurred, but it sure sounded that way. Freudian slip?

EDITORS: Missed it.

McCain is now outsmirking Obama as the younger man talks about health insurance. I think Obama is here acquitting himself nicely regarding the "spreading the wealth" notion  McCain has been trying to plant. To say "Hey Joe, you're rich," suggests, Senator McCain, that Joe the Plumber was written into your talking points as a recurring motif and developing narrative regarding the dangers of big government. This is precisely what's happening here. The GOP is good on this sort of thing. It's the Lakoff/Nunberg divide: Lakoff is framing and Nunberg is story-telling. If you base the merits of each on electoral results, storytelling wins. This is why we're hearing about Joe the plumber. Here's the deal: I got news for you Joe. John McCain couldn't care less about you. You're a character in the permanent downfall of America were you to succeed in giving McCain a wheelchair ride to the Oval Office.

COMMENTS: Danieladamsmith: who'd have thought.... damn..... Joe the Plumber is the Protagonist of this debate.... and I am sorry I keep bringing it up but John is nervous and scary looking.

EDITORS: Yep. And the lipstick is upsetting us. 

Lauren Kirchner says: McCain could power a small electric vehicle with a turbine hooked up to his eyebrows. Ooh, and Palin taught him how to wink! 

McCain is not going to overturn Roe v. Wade. Sarah Palin will. John McCain is old. So.... All right. I just looked up to see what McCain looks like and now my head hurts because I whacked it against the wall because McCain is just very strange-looking. That make-up is like a bad Renoir-imitation. 

COMMENTS: f U Bush2: McCAin said he's a Federalist. Is this the end of the 18th century? McCain likes talking "states rights." Wink wink all you racists out there!

EDITORS: f U Bush2 is there a f U Bush 2? Just curious.

Tim Einenkel says: Two deep breaths by McCain. Grandpa is getting even madder....

Yep. And he realized that he messed up on the first go-round regarding abortion, which is why he tilted hard on the second go around. Obama is eloquent? Why yes he is, Senator. How does that make you feel? Did you just say a woman's body doesn't matter?

COMMENTS: Celene: I love how McCain just dismissed abortion for the health of the mother. Hey, women don't matter, it's just the "rights of the unborn". John thinks that babies are sacred till they exit the cervix, then they're someone else's problem. Well, till they're old enough to use an M-16 A2, then they're sacred again. Quite a gap there, Mr. McCain.

EDITORS: Yep. 

COMMENTS: Roadgoddess: Oh yes... The women's 'bullshit' meter is on! It looks like More women do their research. Gracias a dio que hay mas de nosotros que hombres!
PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES!! YES...I'M PISSED OFF...AREN'T YOU??

EDITORS: Yep.

On education? Obama thinks our future depends on it. We are not going to lead the world in real terms or in idealogy unless we stay ahead of the curve. We are not there right now. McCain thinks it's the civil rights issue of this century. Not a bad line. Now sit back and listen to Bush II. Sorta like Rambo II, but differnt.

Lauren Kirchner elucidates: "That was vouchers!" McCain growls, as his fangs drip with blood.

COMMENTS: Ed the Plumber: at least they are sitting at least they are sitting down tonight, its no telling where McCain would be wandering off to at this point

EDITORS: LOL

McCain does the ceremonial after-debate cha-cha-cha. 

The End