The best assessment so far...

Kieron

I had to share this because it is just a great dissection of the debate in Mississippi. It is less hatchet job and more neurosurgery.

As Obama would say, they used a scalpel in taking apart the bland lump of uninspiring flesh that was Tuesday's corpse of an event.

And they really get to the meat and bones of the whole affair; the debate failed the American people (and those of us who stayed up until idiot o'clock across the pond.)

Anyway, enough laboured metaphor. Well done Politico

Lut us know what you thought about the debate, or the recent negativity that has taken hold of the campaign.

Leave us your comments just below; it's easy to do and there's no sign-up so no emails about penis extensions.

David and Goliath

Luke

Yeah.... um, sorry about that, I've been busy the last few days but Kieron has been waving the flag for both us, and a sterling job he has done!

At a time when the economy is dominating the headlines, I thought I’d take a look at other massive issues in American politics that don’t seem to be getting coverage over here.

It’s hard to address many of the social issues facing America today without being labelled a ‘Lefty’ but sod it, life’s too short.

There’s been a lot of focus on Wall Street recently but financial problems have persisted in the US for years… and they exist well away from the glamour of the stock exchange.

Social inequality persists, learn about it here. (By the way, the New York Times is the future of online journalism)

These brain boxes did a study on how wealthy families are and how their income affects the likelihood of them casting a vote on election day.

DISCLAIMER: Below is the most insulting and ignorant simplification of the findings of an Academic study EVER written, but as over simplistic as it maybe, this is basically what it took them 29 PAGES to say...

Take it with a pinch of salt of course, it’s long and complex. Basically, using loads of graphs and shit, they decided that the poorer you were, the less likely you were to vote.

It’s one of those ways that academics justify their own existence by taking everyday life and explaining it in terms that no one can understand. But they’ve got a point.

So, if the findings of the study really do reflect reality, wouldn’t it be fair to assume that the Democrats should, in theory, have the capacity to annihilate the Republicans in each election that takes place? The presidential elections are close enough as it is.

It seems there is a sleeping giant in America.

5 reasons for sleep.

Kieron

Well, like thousands of other idiots across the UK, I stayed up until 4am to watch another debate...and immediately regretted not catching the highlights like most normal people.

Overall, it was unsurprising; which means Obama won. McCain needed something big to kick-start a campaign that's been losing ground all week. He just didn't offer anything new.

According to this CBS poll, Obama won anyway. And the BBC gave it to Obama too. Others have said it was a draw, which all equals a victory for Barry.

5 things I wished I'd slept through...

1. John McCain wanting to be everybody's friend:
Well tough. Just because you say it, A LOT, doesn't mean I want to be your friend.



21 times! Ditch the phrase my friend.

2. Barrack Obama talking to voters like their University lecturer:
He might be cool as ice but he's as rigid as a post as a result and it makes him look awkward and patronising at times.

3. A moderator actually moderating. But doing it like a Gestapo officer:
OK, they've got a minute to answer, but stop worrying about the time and make sure they answer the BLOODY QUESTION. Who cares if they take an extra 30 seconds to do it?

4. A complete lack of debate:
Call me old fashioned but just repeating the same campaign slogans over and over again isn't really debating. It's just pointing out your campaign strategy isn't it?

McCain: 'Blah Blah Stats and inaccurate figures about Obama. I'm bi-partisan, experienced and my record speaks for itself.'

Moderator: 'Mr Obama, the same question to you...'

Obama: 'Blah blah stats and misleading figures about McCain. I'm all about change, McCain is out of touch and is Bush in disguise.'

5. People Power being neutralised:
The Town Hall format is great. It allows real people to raise awkward topics that are worrying them. Albeit in a horribly sterilised and controlled way, but it is a glimpse into the country's psyche nonetheless. But if they can't follow their questions up, or the candidates go off topic, the system is a bit pointless.

In Conclusion:
We're very lucky to have Question Time over here. And it's not on at 3am.



Now that's some angry debate. Mmmm. Enjoy.

Two negatives don't make a positive...they make a campaign!

Kieron

This website might look like a dog's dinner but we want to be judged on content rather than decor.

And, with this video offering, Politico seem to agree.

The talking head/interview style might be awkward but they do a brilliant job of discussing the new wave of negative campaigning ahead of tonight's debate.

I particularly like how Obama is mentioned for his less than positive portrayal of McCain; something that is usually ignored.

Anyway, enjoy the intelligent and insightful analysis and have a chuckle at the production value, which resembles a Media Studies A-Level project.

Oh, and enjoy the debate. I have a feeling it's going to be a good 'un.

McCain about to get nasty...

Kieron


It's been raining all weekend, the skies are grey and dull, and after an uninspiring VP debate last Thursday, I was worried the excitement of last week was getting washed away in the rain.

It's hard to top the sheer insanity of it all really; to have $700bn spent on a failing economy is unprecedented really. So, what to look forward to this week?

Ah ha! We do have another debate on Tuesday... only this one might actually be good.

The Palin/Biden affair...(sorry, the idea of those two having an affair has made me feel queasy)...was tame. Neither won it, Palin averted a crisis by not showing herself as an inexperienced gaffe-machine, and Biden avoided crisis by not showing himself as an experienced gaffe-machine.

Most polls handed a win to Biden but I think that's as much to do with the fact that every poll shows the Democrats in charge of the election at the moment. So much so, that they might have a huge majority in the Senate and a President if they're not careful. (Don't worry, there's still time for them to lose it.)

McCain pulled out of Michigan on Friday, and NBC pundit Chuck Todd, (what a great name,) thinks Obama is one state away from winning the title.

So, what's a McCain to do?

Set his Pitbull loose of course! Palin has suggested that Obama is friends with terrorists. William Ayers to be exact; an anti-Vietnam activist who carried out attacks on the Pentagon amongst other iconic buildings in the 60s. Basically, Obama has met the man and has sat on some charity boards with the guy. Ayers hasn't engaged in 'terrorist' activity since Obama was 8 years old.

CNN has set it's fact-checker team out and found it false.

In response, Obama says McCain is running scared and won't talk about the real issue - the economy.

Well, duh! Of course he's running scared. He's losing. The problem for the Democrats is that the Republicans don't like losing. So they'll attack, attack and attack again. It's what they do best.

I'm just not sure how it'll be received by swing voters...and they're the key at this Tuesday's debate. Because, they'll be asking questions too! It should make for a more testing environment than the journalist hosts have managed so far.

Well, it'll be more entertaining than a rainy Sunday at least. Bring on the bitch-slappin'