On Presidential Debate #1: my random notes.

McCain keeps mentioning experience; what can Obama say to that?

Obama keeps mentioning the middle class; what can McCain say to that?

Obama addresses the camera directly; McCain appears to be addressing the darkened crowd.

McCain talks about cross-party politics, which was Obama's schtick first!! HEY!!!

It makes me soooo nervous to listen to them talk with the clock ticking down two minutes per solo response, then five minutes' shared time to engage directly. I almost wanted a little clock in the bottom right corner of the TV, like a New Years' Eve countdown. I felt nauseated, worrying especially for Obama when he'd get cut off from responding to one of McCain's blatant misstatements of fact.

I love watching Obama watching/thinking through what McCain says. He's so confident up at the podium, actively listening and taking notes, and even laughing to himself at some of the more ridiculous things McCain had to say. He is graceful and gracious.

McCain is a bit more awkward before the camera. As various commentators noted, McCain appears to not like Obama and to be unable to mask this fact. LAME.

My favorite weird line repeated twice by McCain? "I didn't win Miss Congeniality in the U.S. Senate." (When talking about his policies on cutting spending in the Senate.)

I like Obama's outfit better. The black jacket, crisp white shirt, and deep yet vibrant red tie. MMMM, tasty presidentiality. McCain had a black jacket, a light blue shirt, and a red and white striped tie, which created a less striking overall effect. Obama's just better looking too, poor McCain. Is there something with red ties? I thought maybe Obama did it to subconsciously denote that although he is of the "blue" party and stands for "blue collar workers," he can cross party lines and stand for those in "red" states too. But then I realized the backdrop behind them was blue, so maybe red just stood out better and the two candidates were advised to wear red.

McCain seems to want fast fixes in terms of tax policy, giving all citizens more of the temporary kind of boon, in the way of the economic stimulus payments. Which were nice, don't get me wrong. But I'd give up a fast fix (which I believe we used to go to Montreal!) for a larger, longer-lasting, better solution.

It STRESSES ME OUT when they misunderstand each other on purpose. Especially when McCain does it to Obama. McCain is very skilled at getting little digs in--and they are inaccurate!!--and then that Obama is often not given time to fully respond because Jim Lehrer had to move onto the next question.

My GOD they can think on their feet, all those names (and trickier ones than Barack Obama!), figures, statistics, etc. I could so never be President. I can't even keep loved ones' birthdays straight, nevermind wars and invasions and foundings and so forth.

Could you even believe it when McCain called Obama inflexible and compared him to Bush?! WHAT THE~!!! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME! Obama just laughed and didn't even completely address this comment, because CHRIST what a waste of his time. I mean, what else can you do but laugh to draw a comparison between Bush and Obama? That is the whole point of Obama, that he is dialectically placed in opposition to Bush. Whatevs.

When in closing McCain stated the following--"Jim, when I came home from prsion, I saw veterans being treated badly. And Jim? It made me sad."--I was, like, GRRRRR. SHUT UP. Sometimes presidential rhetoric on BOTH sides makes me impatient because I get it already: Obama is for change, McCain was a POW, and both talk to people, American people, like nurses and teachers and steel mill workers, across the country. But then I realize that that rhetoric is not to win me over; it's to win over those who are less educated about the issues and those who are undecided. So then I say go ahead, rhetoricize away. Obama's rhetoric can so armwrestle McCain's--and win.

Finally, I really enjoy the Obamas' on-stage interaction better. They are warm and real to each other, instead of posed and waving all the time. I want that kind of First Family in our White House, leading our nation. I want that kind of love held up as an example to all.

OBAMA FOR EVER!