Gibson: Ladies and gentlemen thank you for coming to this historic discussion. Please try to keep your applause at a minimum to insure each candidate has a chance to make their points on the issues this country faces. Let us begin...

George: Obama, welcome and I'd like to ask you why you don't salute the American flag.

Obama: I salute the flag. I love the flag.

George: Hillary do you believe he loves the flag.

Hillary: Well George I think Obama is a good man. I think he wants to love the flag but if he doesn't salute the flag it looks like he hates the flag. He has to make a decision to love and salute the flag at the same time like I do.

Stephanopoulos: Are you saying he doesn't salute the flag or are you saying he hates the flag?

Hillary: I am saying Obama is a good man.

Obama: But wait a minute I do salute the flag and I love it...

George: So Hillary if he doesn't salute the flag, why doesn't he?

Hillary: You got me.

Stephanopoulos: Obama you really should salute the flag. But lets move on. I'd like to ask why you didn't refute the reverend that said all those bad things about America.

Obama: I did. I said I did not agree with, or approve of, his words.

George: Hillary, we know Obama approved of the reverends words but I'd like to know what you would have done.

Hillary: I would have killed the reverend and then I would have set him on fire.

Stephanopoulos: Would you say Obama was weak on killing the reverend?

Hillary: I'm not saying that. I am saying Obama is a good man but I would have liked to see him kill the reverend instead of letting the reverend say anything he wants and supporting him.

Obama: But I did refute him...

Hillary: Obama is a good man but even now he supports the reverend's words.

George and Stephanopoulos: We see that.

George: And now a question for you Hillary. You made a mistake and accidentally recounted being under sniper fire a few times when you were tired. What do you have to say about that?

Hillary: It was an accident. I was tired. Even Obama, this good man, gets tired.

George and Stephanopoulos: We can all understand that.

George: Obama the public needs to know if you wear a turban to bed. Do you?

Obama: No.

Stephanopoulos: Hillary do you think he wears a turban?

Hillary: I only know I wouldn't wear a turban to bed...

bla bla bla yadda yadda yadda...

Who actively dislikes you. And there's no other way to construe Obama's comments.

If McCain were to say "the voters are stupid for not electing me" would we ever hear the end of it?

Not an edifying debate, because we knew that already.

To prove just how insular these news people are, you would think that George would be sensitive to charges of favoritism because of his employment and rise to fame via the Clinton's. Most folks in this situation would see the trap and avoid it by asking questions of both parties in equal measure. But not our Georgie.

The real issue here is that the media is no longer part of the process of picking the best candidate, they are part of the new game of using the political process to further their own ratings, careers and agenda's. I am sure that both these moderators thought more about gotcha questions and sound bites than their responsibilities to the nation to aid in picking the best person.

This is unbelievably embarrassing for the United States. The world sees us forcing our future leaders handle attacks about lapel pins and inanimate objects like flags. Instead of real questions, we get questions one might ask in a trial of accused traitors. The very act of running for President by anyone displays a degree of patriotism far and away more substantial than almost any other act a person can do, including enlisting. Were I Obama last night, I would have been very direct in my distaste for the line of questioning.

Charlie, George, I find your questions to be beneath the dignity of this occasion and your fine reputations. I will refrain from answering any more of these irrelevant questions while we are facing such immense issues.

It really has become a circus and a sham

Sorry. Just felt the need to put that in, there. For some reason.

I didn't watch the debate, but I am sure that your recap is pretty accurate. Knowing the media, after months of Obama worship they have turned on him and instead of just being fair, they are treating him like they have treated Hillary in the last 4 million debates.

Taken together, it doesn't look very good for Obama.

I'm sure that clotted cream could be found in some teahouse or other in Vancouver. We do take the "British" in "British Columbia" rather to heart.

wikifray does look good, doesn't it? Ender's redesigned it for us. I've got a few things to clean up, and then I'll post about it.

Only thing missing was the concluding patriotic triathlon - who can bowl, shoot and salute the flag at the same time?

As good a way of picking a winner as any other.

first you get dizzy and a little irritable then, suddenly you have an overwhelming urge to condemn something but you're not sure what. Your friends begin complaining to you that they can't seem to get a straight answer to simple questions like how ya doin ?? or what's going on Urq ??... You start talking in riddles like..."together we can" or " Hope for the future" and " Change you can believe in!"

Don't worry it will pass!

I recommend some dry, factual reading like a geography book or a census list..things that are actually connected to reality. Try to concentrate on the relationship between the numbers and the actual facts...it usually works in less that 24 hours. Should it persist however you may have no alternative but to consign yourself to several months of Jesuit deprogramming at some Austere Mountain temple completely isolated from all news and media input...one can only hope at this point that you will make at least a partial recovery. You will know when the impulse to deny everything that anyone says to you goes away.

Correction:

Where it says "George and Stephanopoulos" it should read "Gibson and Stephanopoulos" I had a mind burp. Sorry.

And then I need a gun. I don't know why yet. But stick with me.

Then, I need God, you see? To tell me I'm right. In wanting to shoot someone. But whom who shall will I shoot?

People who aren't like me. They totally piss me off. Immigrants, mainly.

But is it just possible he meant what he has always said, that people in small towns are disenfranchised and they do get bitter, and they do turn to and rise to protect their traditions?

Is it just possible Obama's wording may have been askew, but the point was accurate? Sloppy wording or not, most people get it. Ask small town USA if they are bitter about politics and non-representation. I think you'd get an earful.

Obama's wording may have been askew?

People turn to God because gummint hasn't helped them enough?

What is that? Sure, you get an earful about how gummint didn't help me enough about his or that. But you get that in Europe. You'd get that under Genghis Khan. Disenfranchised? Are there no polling places in small towns?

Obama clearly means that small town folks are too dumb or ignorant to vote for him. He's right, partially. They won't.

You could always try self-loathing therapy.. No guarantees though.

There are several techniques...my favorite is the one where you throw yourself on the ground and scream out at the top of your lungs that you are not worthy...

Ok...

WHAAAAAAAA WHAAAAA!

I am not worthy, O Great ClosetMan!

I am not worthy, O Great ClosetMan!

I am not worthy, O Great ClosetMan!

I am not worthy, O Great ClosetMan!

I am not worthy, O Great ClosetMan!

I am not worthy, O Great ClosetMan!

I am not worthy, O Great ClosetMan!

wtf?