Obama v McCain: Round three - as it happened
Barack Obama and John McCain goes head-to-head
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Thursday, 16, Oct 2008 03:40
Welcome to inthenews.co.uk's live coverage of the final of three presidential debates between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Hit refresh to see the latest updates from the debate at at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, which is due to start at 21:00 local time (02:00 BST).
You can also keep track of our running debate score, with knockout blows or gaffes affecting the candidates' scores.
With Matthew Champion
(All times BST)
03:34 - And the final debate is over. Obama has probably edged it again, but a much improved, if still slightly odd, performance from McCain. Bob Schieffer ends the night with a line from his mother: "Go vote. It will make you feel strong and proud."
03:33 - Obama says he will work tirelessly for Americans and their children. "It's not going to be easy or quick," he adds.
03:30 - McCain's closing statement sees the Republican pledge to end the mortgaging of the future of America's children and insist he has always put his country first.
03:24 - Spending more money isn't always the answer, McCain says of Obama's education plans.
03:18 - Obama says parents should turn off their kids' video games. This week it was revealed his campaign had inserted an ad in an Xbox game.
03:16 - Last question of the evening on education. I'd forgotten Bob Schieffer was even there. He has done a good job of getting the nominees to debate. Top marks.
03:13 - "Here are the facts," Obama begins an answer on abortion and equal pay. He is getting the better of McCain on almost every issue now. Focus on avoiding unwanted pregnancies, he adds.
03:05 - Obama is mugging wildly almost constantly when McCain is answering. It is starting to look a little patronising. McCain calls his opponent "Senator Government". It's almost as good as his earlier pledge to build "50 nuclear power pants". In about four weeks one of these men will be the leader of the free world.
03:03 - McCain: "Congratulations Joe, you're rich... Senator Obama wants the government to do the job... Joe - I want you to do the job."
You just couldn't let things lie, could you John McCain?
Obama 1-1 McCain
03:01 - Obama replies: "Here's your fine Joe - zero."
McCain: "Zero?!"
It's such a good exchange that I won't penalise both candidates for dragging Joe the plumber back into the limelight. Obama's zero remark is based on the fact he does not intend to fine small business owners for not delivering on employee healthcare.
03:00 - McCain on healthcare: "If my old buddy - Joe the plumber - is out there, if you're out there my friend, if you've got employees and kids, if you don't adopt the healthcare plan that Senator Obama mandates you are going to have to pay a fine - and I want to know what that fine is."
02:53 - McCain comes back again, aggressively. He says Obama did not understand the situation in Colombia when he said he did not back a free trade agreement. Obama's retort is wordy and sensible, but who will people remember tomorrow morning? McCain is so far delivering on his new, aggressive debating style.
02:51 - McCain warns voters to watch out for Obama's eloquence. The Democrat said he would "look at" offshore drilling. McCain has a point.
Obama 1-2 McCain
02:47 - Canadian oil is fine, McCain says as the debate moves on. Venezuelan and Middle Eastern oil is not. This is by far McCain's best performance out of the three debates. Obama is constantly on the back foot, although he never looks pressured.
02:43 - McCain on Palin: She is a role model to women and other reformers across America; she took on the governor from her own party; she resigned from a state board when she saw corruption; she faced down the oil giants; she's a breath of fresh air that will sweep out the deadwood in Washington; she's Sarah Erin Shootalotovich. Obama says the American people will determine whether Palin is up to the challenge, describing her as a "capable politician".
02:42 - Joe Biden will fight for the little guy, Obama says as he praises his running-mate's record on foreign policy. Joe has always made he is fighting on behalf of working families and he shares my core values, the senator continues. I cannot wait to hear what McCain has to say on Palin.
02:40 - Another tasty question. Why would the US be better off if your running-mate became VP as opposed to the other guy/gal?
02:39 - McCain says Obama launched his political campaign in Ayers' living room. "That is not a fact," Obama hits back. McCain is subtly escalating the Ayers link.
02:35 - "I don't care about some washed up terrorist, but I want Senator Obama to reveal the extent of his relationship," McCain says as he answers the earlier question. Obama says William Ayers has become the centre-point of McCain's campaign. The Illinois senator says the domestic terrorist turned university professor's behaviour in the 1960s was "despicable". Obama and Ayers served on a charity board in the 1990s. Obama shoots down the McCain campaign line.
Obama 1-1 McCain
02:33 - Bob Schieffer asks McCain if he thinks Obama is "palling around with terrorists". McCain says Obama supporters have been wearing inappropriate T-shirts, ignoring the question.
02:32 - McCain is snappier in his answers than Obama so far, but the Illinois senator is as cool as a tall glass of ice water. He looks (whisper it) presidential. He responds to McCain's concerns over remarks by Democratic congressman Joe Lewis by saying supporters at a Sarah Palin rally were chanting "terrorist" and "kill him" when Obama was mentioned.
02:30 - Obama is spending "unprecedented" ammounts of money on negative ads, McCain repeats and denies he is ignoring the economy. Joe the plumber's taxes are safer in his hands, he adds. One more mention of Joe the plumber and it will cost the offending nominee a point, on my oath.
02:28 - Obama says "100 per cent" of McCain's ads have been negative. "It's not true," McCain interrupts. The two men sound like a couple dissecting the end of their relationship. Obama says he doesn't mind three weeks of attacks, but warns the American people cannot stomach four more years like the last eight.
02:26 - McCain admits he regrets some turns the campaigns have taken but blames Obama for not participating in town hall meetings. He says Obama has spent more on negative ads than any other presidential candidate in history.
02:25 - Bob Schieffer is easily the best moderator so far. His next question is whether the candidates could repeat the allegations made in their campaign adverts to their opponent, face to face.
02:22 - And there's more: McCain demands that Obama tell him one instance when he stood up to the leaders of his party. McCain is adapting to the debate's format, using his follow-up questions well; directing them against Obama personally. Obama says McCain has shown "commendable independence" from the Bush administration on issues such as torture.
"But on the economy what you are proposing is eight more years of the same thing and it hasn't worked and I think the American people realise it hasn't worked," Obama presses as Bob Schieffer gets grumpy when McCain tries to come back.
02:21 - "Senator Obama - I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush you should have run four years ago."
Great language from McCain, delivered confidently enough to draw gasps from the audience. Powerful stuff.
Obama 0-1 McCain
02:19 - Very little to choose between the candidates at the moment. A draw of any kind is expected to be enough for Obama, however. McCain needs a win. Will he get desperate as the debate goes on? Let's hope so.
02:17 - McCain says he will stop sending money to countries that "don't like us". I don't remember seeing the Countries That Don't Like Us programme on the White House budget sheet. Obama didn't answer the question completely, either. Par for the course in this series of debates.
02:13 - Another topic, at last! Bob Schieffer wants the info on the United States' deficit. Both candidates are accused of adding more than $200 billion to the deficit through their prospective programmes. Obama admits that Americans have been living beyond their means.
02:12 - Obama is talking about Joe the plumber and Exxon Mobil... This dinner table debate is getting surreal.
02:11 - McCain says Obama wants to take Joe the plumber's money and spread it around. Why not let Joe the plumber spread it around himself, McCain asks. Joe the plumber and his tax revenue is becoming a political football, I fear.
02:07 - McCain has no follow-up question for Obama, but instead talks about an Ohio plumber called Joe who is unimpressed with the Democrat's tax plans. He pledges to help Joe. Obama says the plumber has been watching too many McCain ads.
02:05 - Obama admits the economic woes afflicting the US are the worst since the Great Depression. The Illinois senator says his plans to cut tax breaks for overseas firms, create tax cuts for families, help homeowners and reform energy policy.
02:03 - Bob Schieffer goes straight to the heart of both campaigns - the economy. McCain says Americans are the "innocent victims of greed and excess on Wall Street and Washington". The 72-year-old pledges short and long-term fixes. He wants to buy out toxic mortgage debts worth $300 billion.
01:58 - Just moments away now - and it really is last chance saloon time for McCain. Has he got what it takes to reclaim the limelight with Obama looking unassailable in the polls?
01:50 - With domestic policy the focus for tonight, it remains to be seen whether McCain will make good on his promise to "whip" Obama. Strong words from the Arizona senator, who in the last debate referred to his opponent as "that one".
01:42 - The first debate was a rostrum affair, the second a town hall-format that encouraged the candidates to roam. Tonight, they will sit across the same table to encourage conservational exchanges.
01:30 - Bob Schieffer of CBS is the moderator for tonight's debate. Let's hope he does a more even job than Tom Brakow in the second encounter. According to an inthenews.co.uk count, Brakow thanked McCain ten times compared to two for Obama. True story.
01:25 - Welcome to inthenews.co.uk's live coverage of the final of three presidential debates between Barack Obama and John McCain.
Democratic nominee Mr Obama is widely perceived to have won the first two debate between the White House hopefuls, and with Republican candidate Mr McCain slipping further behind in the polls, a third defeat would spell the end of his campaign.
Hit refresh to see the latest updates from the debate at at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, which is due to start at 21:00 local time (02:00 BST).
You can also keep track of our running debate score, with knockout blows or gaffes affecting the candidates' scores.