I love his remarks as well about how large government has grown the past 8 years - who's been in charge?  Who's voted for this increased government and ludicrous spending?  And when he constantly brings up the crappy presidency of Herbert Hoover, I wonder if he realizes Hoover was a Republican?
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I believe that BOTH parties are to blame for the increased spending.  The fact that Hoover was a Republican or Democrat would not have made a difference with what happened in October of 1929.  Speculators of the stock market was a major cause of the collapse and the refusal of both parties to use government power to keep the financial boom of the industrial revolution in check.  The lack of regulation is as much Taft, Wilson, Harding & Coolidge's fault as it is Hoover's.

Here's something I didn't know until recently.  Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) received only 42 percent of the popular vote but an overwhelming electoral vote.

I actually missed the debate last night, but from what I've read, it sounds like Obama may have sealed the deal last night. Not by what he said or did, but by what he didn't say or do.

Hard-liners on the left who want an angry, attacking Obama need to realize that sort of approach doesn't play well with mainstream America. From what I've read, Obama came across as composed and, well, presidential. That's exactly what he needed to do last night.

It's clear from the polls that America wants to elect Obama. He just needs to avoid giving them a reason not to. Unfortunately (in my opinion), I think the election is Obama's to lose at this point.

Here's something I didn't know until recently.  Woodrow Wilson (Democrat) received only 42 percent of the popular vote but an overwhelming electoral vote.

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Roosevelt broke from the Republicans and finished second. Taft became the only sitting President to finish third.

Did anyone notice that McCain made a mistake when he said that Sara Palin knows all about autism because she deals with it everyday because of her child?

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That's not what he said.

We'll see. 

Can someone explain how Obama is able to have school municipalities increase their spending for teachers?

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"Increase teacher pay" is something that sounds good on the stump, but it's just political rhetoric. It's one of those "a chicken in every pot" kinds of statements that makes people feel good at the moment.

As you say, teacher pay is governed by local school districts, not the federal government. Obama saying "I support increasing teacher pay" may get a big cheer at a political rally, but the President really has very little (as in, almost no) authority on the issue.

I was in and out on the debat last night but what I saw I came away with two impressions:

(1) McCain is desperate -- but for what I'm not sure.  Certainly he still wants to be president but I do think he hates the tactics he's allowed his campaign to employ.  I think he's got a conflict between what he wants and who he wants to be.  So he attacks Obama on one hand and complains about being attacked on the other.  It comes back to that moment when we saw what I think is the real John McCain in Minnesota last week correcting his supporters about Obama.  I cannot get out of my head that somewhere, in the recesses of his heart, McCain hates what he's allowed himself to be portrayed as. 

(2) Obama won the looking presidential test but he failed the gracious test.  I thought, watching what I did of the debate, Obama had a moment to show how different he is from "politics as usual" by addressing Congressman Lewis' comments first and then defending his campaign.  He did it the other way around.  I think that could have been a very good moment for Obama who has a "coldness" factor sometimes (recall the dismissive "I like you fine" comment to Hillary Clinton back in New Hampshire during their debate).  I don't think it will hurt him in this election -- I agree with Bruce I think most Americans are favoring Obama -- but I do think it could hurt him when he leads.  Say what you will about the policies and character of both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton but both made people feel that they cared for their concerns.  Obama sometimes needs to supress the logician for the humanist.  Truthfully thats the smallest of nits I have to pick.  From what I saw I felt he won -- not on a substantive basis (I was in an out of the debate so much I can't say that for sure) but on the basis of being presidential -- which was the basis Obama needed to strengthen going into the debates.

Did anyone notice that McCain made a mistake when he said that Sara Palin knows all about autism because she deals with it everyday because of her child?

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That's not what he said.

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You're right Christopher!  After reading the transcript closely, he was talking about special need families and how she knows what they go through.  Thank you for pointing out my error.

If anyone wants to read the transcript, it can be found here... http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/debate.transcript/ind ex.html

Roosevelt broke from the Republicans and finished second. Taft became the only sitting President to finish third.
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That's right.  Theodore Roosevelt ran on the Bull Moose ticket because the Republicans backed sitting President Taft.  Imagine how Roosevelt would have handled WWI instead of Wilson.  Would he have waited three years before entering the US into the war?

The agent in charge of the Secret Service field office in Scranton said allegations that someone yelled “kill him” when presidential hopeful Barack Obama’s name was mentioned during Tuesday’s Sarah Palin rally are unfounded.

http://www.timesleader.com/news/breakingnews/Secret_Service_ says_Kill_him_allegation_unfounded_.html