Well, here we are again, folks, ready to test my mad live-blogging punditry skillz against the tomfoolery of politicians, to see if my stomach can stand it and keep down fabulous food goodies.  Tonight’s episode is extra special because I am not alone.  Tonight I come to you LIVE from my basement, where I have assembled a sampling of Virginia democrats to watch the debate with me.  Some of them have even agreed to be “blogged” tonight, which means you’ll be meeting them, and hearing what they have to say about the race here in Virginia.

A word about the menu tonight…because it is the deluxe party edition, most of the food is in the line of party munchies.  I have prepared a couple of dishes, and some have been brought by my guests.  My offerings include dates stuffed with goat cheese and almonds, and wrapped in bacon, and grape-bleu cheese “truffles.”   

Among the party guests tonight are Joanna DeLaune, a local Fairfax County precinct captain and several others whose names you'll hear over the course of the evening.

So without futher ado, let's begin.....

8:21 p.m. -- Folks are starting to arrive for the party.  I'm settling in on the sectional with people.  We are, of course, turned to Kieth Olberman and MSNBC, because liberal bias is going to be a necessary evil tonight.

8:23 p.m.-- Margie and Robert are concerned with how old Kieth's hands look.

8:26 p.m. -- Margie and I discuss how really, really dumb it was for McCain to diss Letterman.

8:30 p.m. -- Kieth admits that he's got a big head.

8:33 p.m. -- We're discussing the fact that Palin still has some appeal.  Margie's neighbor apparently likes Palin because "she reminds me of me."  We are flabbergasted.

8:37 p.m. -- Kieth's re-airing snippets of the Palin-Couric interview.  It doesn't get better with repeated viewings.

8:43 p.m. -- Robert and I are talking about what would really "blow it" for each of the candidates.  Obviously if McCain looks too old or too crazy he's dead.  But what about Obama?  Is there really anything you can think of that would tank it all for Obama?  We're having trouble with that.

 8:45 p.m. -- Margie figures if he gets too rambly in his answers.

8:48 p.m. -- This hot and cool thing is starting to irritate me.

8:51 p.m. -- Joanna is giving a little talk to the folks assembled about how we're going to win this election for Obama.  It involves canvassing and phone banks, of course. 

8:58 p.m. -- Peg, who's been doing a lot of canvassing, is reporting that on her canvasses, she's seeing alot of women who are NOT voting McCain because they are angry about the Palin pick.  Also, apparently the phone banks are getting so crowded with volunteers they are running out of equipment.

9:01 p.m. -- in a room of about 20 people, 7 responded that this is their first time volunteering for a Presidential campaign.

9:03 p.m. -- I am LOVING that Jim didn't share the questions or have anyone review them.  And that there will be no cheering.

9:04 p.m. -- Obama enters the  fray. 

9:05 p.m. -- our gang here LOVES the tying of McCain to Bush's failed policies.

9:06 p.m. -- McCain's not feeling too great.....about his poll numbers.

9:07 p.m. -- I thought the GOP was walking away from the negotiations....I think he's rewriting history here.

9:10 p.m. -- Obama makes a great point here about how deregulation brought this on.

9:11 p.m. -- McCain is going to try to defend his boneheaded call to fire the SEC chair?

9:12 p.m. -- Lerher wants them to engage.  I agree. Go get him Obama!

9:13 p.m. -- I think the first one that engage is going to win this thing.

9:15 p.m. -- Earmarking as a gateway drug prompts Joanna to say that earmarking doesn't sound nearly as much fun as other gateway drugs.

9:17 p.m. -- Obama goes after the tax cuts.  I think it's a good move on his part.  McCain is trying to do the "pork barrel" thing, and I don't think it's that persuasive.

9:19 p.m. -- I like going after John's figures.  I like that he's started to engage.  I think he's got it.

9:21 p.m. -- IRELAND?  You're seriously talking about Ireland?  And what the hell is this hard on for cutting spending? 

9:23 p.m. -- I think McCain is getting pissed..the exhale...the nervous smile.  And FESTOONED?

9:26 p.m. -- Obama is being smart on this next lead question.  He's leaving the gate open....but setting the priorities.

9:29 p.m. -- Opposing ethanol subsidies is one reason you're not winning Iowa, Johnnie.

9:32 p.m. -- spending freeze? Let me tell you about Iraq, John.....

9:36 p.m. -- McCain is working the healthcare thing hard...and the cut spending thing.  Traditional GOP lines.  And Obama needs to call his ass on the Veterans' thing.  Seriously.

9:38 p.m. -- Wave of nausea hits as McCain proclaims himself a "Maverick" 

9:39 p.m. -- McCain now takes credit for "winning" Iraq.  I may lose it here people.

9:40 p.m. -- Margie is really unsure whether McCain can really say this shit and believe it.

9:44 p.m. -- McCain is going to lose it here at some point, I can feel it.

9:46 p.m. -- Oh yeah, Iraq is SO going to be our ally after we leave....and Obama is looking very authoritative.

9:49 p.m. -- McCain is getting rolled....

9:51 p.m. -- Lawyer's tactic ... take his lingo and ram it back down his throat.  Note the emphasis on "strategic"

9:54 p.m. -- "you don't say that out loud" spawns laughter in the crowd here at chez liz.

9:56 p.m. -- Joanna thinks McCain looks like he has to go to the bathroom.  Any bets on whether he's wearing depends?

9:58 p.m. -- Groans here as McCain invokes Ronald Reagan.

9:59 p.m. -- how much money says he breaks out the bracelet?

10:00 p.m. -- Tell me about the war grandpappy.....

10:02 p.m. -- someone here thinks McCAin and his stripey tie make him look like the ice cream man.

10:04 p.m. -- Didn't the whole sanctions thing get tried once before with Iran?

10:07 p.m. -- Obama needs to get himself a little more in the game.  He's doing the wonky thing again.

10:08 p.m. -- You know McCain's been waiting to deliver this line about Iran all night.  But John, seriously, learn how to say "perestroika."

10:10 p.m. -- The Henry Kissinger thing is priceless here.

10:12 p.m. -- SPAIN!  That was a pretty good shot.

10:14 p.m. -- North Korea is BAD.....cuz they're SHORT.

10:16 p.m. -- Robert thinks Obama is being too polite to McCain.

10:18 p.m. -- Oh, now we're going to hear about how John McCain saved Georgia.

10:19 p.m. -- wait, you call Russians a "KGB Appartchik government" and you think you're not going to start a new cold war?  Are you on CRACK?

10:24 p.m. -- Here's come the smirk!

10:26 p.m. -- the 9-11 Commission....let's see what happens here....

10:28 p.m. -- Wait, we should congratualte McCain for doing the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission, one of which was the creation of DHS, which he complained about earlier as expansion of bureaucracy....

10:30 p.m. -- we have less respect in the world...this gets nods and approval from the crowd here.

10:31 p.m. -- SDI brought the end of the Cold War?  You are ON CRACK!

10:33 p.m. -- Obama is getting himself together here.  This last bit has been fantastic.

10:35 p.m. -- McCain and his farkin' surge.

10:36 p.m. -- Here we go, the POW thing......

Our group here is thinking that the debate was a mixed bag -- Obama got some hits in, but McCain did too.  Peg says that McCainis better with the anecdotal parts, but Obama was better at the analysis.

10:44 p.m. -- we switch to CNN to check what the analysts are saying.  Although quite frankly, Bill Bennet is going to make me hurl if I'm not careful.

10:45 p.m. -- Margie is disappointed there wasn't more interaction between the candidates. 

10:50 p.m. -- castellanos says a tie for McCain keeps him in the game.  I think he may be right about that.  He also says that Obama looks Presidential.

10:53 p.m. -- Interesting to see Toobin talk about the focus groups.

10:53 p.m. -- most of the party cleared out by now.  Gergen on CNN is saying that McCain needed a clear win.  Gergen I find leans right, but honestly, he's often spot on.  If he's saying McCain is still behind, I kinda believe him.

10:57 p.m. -- Hubby is getting paranoid about cleanup.  I guess that means I gotta go.  Thanks for stopping by!