Starting tonight at 9:00 p.m. EDT, Ugarte and I will be attempting to liveblog the Third Presidential Debate simultaneously. We only came up with the idea a few hours ago, and I haven’t had a chance to field test the changes I made to the blog to facilitate this, so bear with us if it is a disastrous failure. On the assumption that it is not, click HERE.
Who knows, this may be a first!!! (First time two people liveblog the same debate at the same time on the same blog, not first time something on this blog is not a disastrous failure 
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MEA CULPA: Ugarte’s absence was my fault. I failed to give him the requisite access. He’s in now, and plugging in notes he took while watching. Sorry for the failure, but it was our first time.
Check below the fold for our final thoughts.
I don’t know what happened to Ugarte. Hopefully, he will be TiVo-blogging and you’ll get his unvarnished impressions in just a few minutes.
Rick’s Final Thoughts
Without going back and thinking about it, I have to say I think Bush won this one by a smidge. Couldn’t say why, but that’s what my gut says.
-- UPDATE—Having given it some thought, I’ve decided that Bush “won” because (a) these were some of the worst questions ever; (b) Kerry repeated a lot of stuff he’s already said before, whereas Bush, while saying little substantive, at least was saying some new things; (c) when Kerry wasn’t repeateing stuff he said before, he was pulling a Gore—boring the American people with the facts and figures that prove he’s a better choice for president; and (d) whatever George was on made him less of a cranky, defensive bastard than he usually is. I seriously think he was on something. Probably Canadian.
Ugarte’s final thoughts
My scorecard says 10-4, with 6 questions and the closings too close to award to either candidate. That would seem like a Kerry blowout, but I wouldn’t say that was true. This was a very close debate. Bush was sharp. He exhibited a strong command of the stage and his opinions. He recognized the value in a short answer. Kerry wins so many questions in my book because Bush is hamstrung by bad facts. Unfortunately, for facts to matter, you need to come to the debates with an understanding of the issues discussed (which most voters don’t have) or the ability to listen as Kerry rambles on (which most people with hearing don’t have).
I think both candidates were at their best last night. And it was still excrutiatingly boring. I predict that fewer people watched this debate than any debate going back to Carter. So while I think this was a modest Kerry victory (sweep!), the impact won’t be as significant. Of course, with the election in a dead heat, a small impact can be the difference between the White House and 365-day-a-year broom hockey with the family on the Heinz estate.
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Simuliveblogging!!!
