That One!

Well, we have another debate this evening, the last of this long presidential primary and campaign season (I believe it is around 41 debates, total, that we have had to endure).

Being that Stumblin' Bumblin' John McKKKain is in this one, speaking publically, we remind you to clean, oil and test out your "My Friends" counter.

He's down, and free-falling in the polls, so it could be a blizzard of "My Friends" tonight.

Also, there will be held breath and anxious nerves, awaiting to see, as the minutes click off, if the debunked Maverick
employs "That One" again.

It still has gone unexplained by the Dead Campaign Express what caused The Donut Man to refer to Barack Obama as "That One".

Had he, earlier in the day, perhaps attempting to take a nap, have the television on and "That Girl" came on?

Maybe the movie "That Touch of Mink", or "That Darned Cat".

Or, he was thinking about the old, Brasilian lover, "That Naughty Girl", remembering the steamy times and complimenting her on "That Thing You Do".

There is the chance that he was just trying to bring back "That Old Feeling".

Or, he wanted to be hip, a bit of a smart-ass, and meant to say "That Darn Punk".

If he wants to keep the vibe of his campaign for the last week, or so, he can tag Obama with things like "That Awful Brother", "That City Feller", "That Soul Thing", and really toss one out to the base, with "That Minstrel Man".

He can follow-up on Jeffrey M Frederick, the Virginia GOP chief, and ask Obama "That Burning Question" about "That Mysterious Fez".

Perhaps he'll throw a shot out at Obama's campaign staff with a "That Gang of Hoodlums".

But, most likely, the debate will end with "That Sinking Feeling" and McKKKain, Mommy Moose and the Dead Campaign Express won't escape the label of just continuing ""That Yin Yang Thing".

In that case, we can expect some new stunt, and you can employ the nifty chart Nate Silver made up for just THAT happening.

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons John McCain Didn't Look At Barack Obama During Debate

News Item: Seems everyone noticed McCain's sneers, anger and contempt

10. There was, just off to his right, a really hot-looking redhead in the third row he couldn’t stop looking at

9. It was a signal to House Republicans, to stay firm in their opposition to the Bailout Bill

8. Actually, it was part of the training for Sarah Palin, for her debate preparation

7. He's such a conservative now, he can't even bring himself to glance to the left

6. Just something a true maverick does

5. Because he hadn't officially unsuspended his campaign yet

4. Not something they covered in his own debate preparation

3. AP's Liz Sidoti promised him a box of donuts (with sprinkles) if he would diss Obama during the debate

2. His gambling habit - Bet a friend $10,000 he could go entire debate without looking at Obama

1. Got confused - Was thinking about Rick Warren's "Cone of Silence", and thought Jim Leher put up a "Cone of Blindness"


Bonus Stumblin' Bumblin' Debate Riffs

Joan Walsh: Cranky vs. cool

Tom Shales: McCain's High Horse Meets Obama's High-Mindedness

Attytood: McCain doesn't like Ike facts

No More Mister Nice Blog: WHAT KISSINGER SAID THEN AND WHAT HE SAYS NOW

Well, It Depends On Your Definition of Crisis ...

Top Ten Cloves: Ways John McCain Isn't Like Herbert Hoover

Debate Results ... The Flintstones vs. The Jetsons

Debate Results ... The Flintstones vs. The Jetsons

I gotta say, and without the valid excuse of a hearing aid problem, for about the first 30-minutes, or more, Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain looked like he was going to go down Admiral Stockdale Avenue.

He looked like a third grader, called to the front of the class to do a reading, with each question asked.

And, while Barack Obama was laying out his views and vision as to the economy, Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny, fairly often, ignored the substance of the question (or what Obama had to say), and repeatedly prattled on about spending and earmarks, like he was hitting slow pitches in a batting cage (and quite proud of himself for hitting a lot of singles).

This carried on in the area of Foreign Policy and Iraq.

Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny turned into Cranky John, swatting away the barbs and ties to the Bush Grindhouse, with attempting to belittle Obama with "You don't understand ..."

Obama's best moment, likely, came, when he showered Cranky Johnny with a litany of "You Were Wrong", about the various issues around Iraq.

Oh yeah, Obama also reminded Cranky Johnny, that the war in Iraq had been going on for near five-years - BEFORE THE SURGE - which Cranky John seemed to be staking his territory on.

Cranky John, looking to dig himself out of the hole, went not to his POW-POW-POW super ring, but bored through stories of seeing 650 soldiers re-up in Iraq (and telling him all they wanted to do was win), and how he got a bracelet from some soldier.

Obama, with all the coolness of someone who knows they are right, simply held up his wrist, and informed Cranky John that he had one also.

On the international stuff, Cranky John got all full of himself, on how Obama is going to meet with Wicked Witch of the West, and all her Flying Monkeys, without preconditions and didn't appreciate Obama pointing back to him how, 1) The Bush Grindhouse, in a reversal, adopted some diplomacy and 2) Cranky John's own advisor, Dr. Death, aka Henry Kissinger, said exactly the same thing Obama has said.

Cranky John waited until the final moment to pull out his POW-POW-POW super ring, and he only said "My Friends" once.

Both candidates exasperated moderator Jim Leher, by not answering (and he asked it four times) what they would cut out of their plans, if elected, due to the Wall Street Meltdown and Hank's Heist Plan.

In summing it up, I peg it as no knockouts, no major gaffes.

But it was The Flintstones versus The Jetsons.

While you could hear, ringing throughout the evening Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny (and Cranky John) often saying how he has been in Congress forever and he knows how to do things, over-and-over, and that came out on the Super Titles and Closed Caption as "Trust Me", while Obama articulated substantive answers, depicting vision and plans, and a commitment to restoring the country's place in the world.

If this debate was supposed to be in Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny's wheelhouse (a much over-used phrase on the cable this evening), then it's going to be all downhill in the rest of the debates.

Next up - Palin vs. Biden (Hey, Hey, Hey, no laughing out loud, yet).

The Dead Campaign Express Is Back On The Road

Dusty Springfield - You don't have to say you love me



Well, that was special, wasn't it?

Stumblin' Bumblin John McCain calls off his Mighty Mouse ("Here I come to save the day!"), "My sister-My daughter" campaign suspension and is rolling down to Ole' Miss for the debate this evening.

Hard pressed to come up with a good example of when a national-stage politician has so thoroughly embarrassed him or herself (excluding his running mate).

By virtually all accounts (excepting of course, his own staff), he was utterly useless, and his ploy was seen for what it was - big-time grandstanding, putting not his bank-slogan "Country First" up front, but, rather, his flailing, dying campaign (or, by a good number of people, it was done to cover-up the dreadful Katie Couric - Sarah Palin interview; If he's going to start covering up for her, he's going to have to light his hair on fire nearly everyday).

So, not sure what that means for the country.

He's still watching over us? ... He doesn't care anymore? ... It will still be a deal, but just not his?

Anyway, here's a good sample of the vibe going down ....

NO METHOD, JUST MADNESS...

Ex-Adviser: McCain "Blinked," Campaign "Governed By Tactics, Not Ideology"

John McCain Blinks

McCain's flailing panic


And the Rove Rats even had the nerve to jump the gun, putting this up this morning - Check this out!

I'm intending (hoping) to get another post up late this evening, with, at minimum, first riffs on the debate.

• Will Mr. Economy snap at Obama, with an angry something (not the "N" word, but, perhaps a "son" or "boy")?
• While we listen to Obama answering a question, we hear a "thud", the camera cutting over to Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny, who has fallen asleep at the podium?

And, as always, polish the "My Friends" counter before the debate, you can expect a slew of them coming out, and the more "My Friends" that come out, the more that means he's on auto-pilot, just going through the motions.

After the debate, Stumblin' Bumblin Johnny will still have some hard choices to make.

Does he don his Mighty Mouse suit, whether or not he suspends his campaign again (wink, wink), and fly back to Washington?

Or does he huddle with the Rove Rats, and they begin tossing out new diversions, reasons, for keeping Sarah Palin away from her debate, next week?

He's Still Harping About The 10 Town Halls!

Where, oh where can my little 10 Town Halls be
Where, oh where can they be ...
With my campaign cut short and his lead getting long
Oh where, oh where can they be?

Allow me to rant here.

Jesus, he just doesn't get it.

While the bigger buzz, coming from the Brian Williams interview with Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain yesterday is over the "I'm a betting man", referring to whether or not he will show up at the debate this evening, Fly Boy took another opportunity to hawk his "town hall meetings", again chiding Barack Obama for not agreeing to them.

And, it's hard to say, if he's acting like a petulant little child, stamping his feet in a tantrum, or, perhaps closer, to reality, it's in the area of dementia and senility.

And, this is the second time in the past few weeks that he has harped on this, previously, actually blaming Obama's not accepting the town hall meetings for the lying, negative campaign he has run.

McCain Admits He's "Divorced from day-to-day challenges people have"

And notice, in that same exchange, how he blames Obama for his pathetic, scurrilous, gutter--based, insultingly negative campaign?

"First of all, this is a tough business. Second of all, I think the tone of this whole campaign would have been very different if Senator Obama had accepted my request for us to appear in town hall meetings all over America, the same way Jack Kennedy and Barry Goldwater had agreed to do so. I know that, because I've been in enough campaigns."

So it's Obama's fault the Rove Rats, and signed off by Stumblin' Bumblin' Johnny, have been outright lying about Obama in their campaign ads and charges.

You can lay odds he'll, almost definitely, and especially if he is sweating and screwing up, make this charge again (or, in the post-debate spin is where it will pop up).

Crimmins Scoops McCain Debate Pullout Doc

You know, this just has to end up at the Smithsonian.

Barry Crimmins got it!

The actual document Stumblin' Bumblin' John McCain sent to the Debate Commision, requesting tomorrow's debate with Barack Obama be postponed.

I could extol more on it, however, it will be better that you see it for yourself

Go over to Barry's site, to see the "Great American Document"