Tennessean Election Blog 2008

Town hall voter: "I know Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae"

2008-10-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

Remember the town hall questioner Oliver Clark, who John McCain said may not have heard of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before the economic crisis? Well, turns out the senator was wrong, and Oliver wanted people to know:

"Well Senator, I actually did. I like to think of myself as a fairly intelligent person. I have a bachelor degree in Political Science from Tennessee State, so I try to keep myself up to date with current affairs. I have a Master degree in Legal Studies from Southern Illinois University, a few years in law school, and I am currently pursuing a Master in Public Administration from the University of Memphis.

In defense of the Senator from Arizona I would say he is an older guy, and may have made an underestimation of my age. Honest mistake. However, it could be because I am a young African-American male. Whatever the case may be it was somewhat condescending regardless of my age to make an assumption regarding whether I was knowledgeable about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

Yours truly on Inside Politics this weekend

2008-10-10T11:06:00.000-05:00

Shameless plug for other people's products: I'm on NewsChannel5+ Inside Politics with Pat Nolan this weekend, along with NashvillePost.com's Ken Whitehouse. We're talking about the Belmont debate and what it could mean for next week's debate in New York and Nashville's potential to host a party convention in the future.

The show airs on Comcast Channel 50 tonight at 7 p.m., Saturday at 5 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and Sunday at 5 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (it's also on Channel 5 at 5 a.m. Sunday, for all you rabbit-ears users).

Morning Links: Dow keeps dropping; race keeps plodding

2008-10-10T10:45:00.004-05:00

This guy finally got his scalp open early this morning.

So the Dow is down 300 today, which is actually only half as bad as yesterday (but give it time!). That's making some Republican supporters angry, especially because they're losing -- heck, even the made-up people are supporting Obama.

Oh, and the Palin trooper report will probably come out today (and it doesn't look good), so the "Palin campaign" released their own report first -- and unsurprisingly, she's cleared of all wrongdoing. Well, I guess that's that.

One final note -- in the time it took me to write this, the Dow dropped 75 points. Now go burn your money.

ALSO:

Barack Obama is taking over your TV, ala Ross Perot -- except maybe Obama will use PowerPoint.

A Medill student tells us to all stop laughing at our politicians. Somebody please tell him we're laughing to keep from crying.

And on that note:

(Photo credit: Richard Drew/Associated Press)

A day of rest

2008-10-09T11:04:00.000-05:00

Today I'll be kicking back and doing the kind of things that all people do on a day off, like get their car emissions tested for the third time. In the meantime, feel free to e-mail me about what you'd like to see this blog become now that the debate is over and the election is nearly upon us. Want more election coverage? General politics? Sophomoric humor? Let me know, and I'll tell you what the bosses think. After all, I am both their pawn and yours.

Making some noise

2008-10-08T15:53:00.000-05:00

From Tennessean reporter Michael Cass:

Two of the people I interviewed at the Ryman Auditorium after the debate ended last night were Jerry and Jane Armour. Jerry, a psychotherapist, said he was there to observe the crowd as much as anything else. He found the audience "not as excitable as I thought they would be."

"They were pretty civil, and I was sort of proud of 'em," Jerry said.

But while they may have been on good behavior, the people at the historic venue got to make a lot more noise than the town-hall audience under the watchful eyes of Tom Brokaw and the Commission on Presidential Debates (though those folks did make their feelings known in quieter ways).

"I think we had more fun here than they did at the Curb Center," said Jerry's wife, Jane, a Belmont alumna. "It was a great experience. We could react over here."

Hatin' the players and the game

2008-10-08T14:40:00.001-05:00

Worst debate ever? McCain demands that you take it back. Take it back!

Was Tuesday's non-answer fest really the worst debate ever? Politico says yes. I say that at the rate these guys are going, just wait until the next one. (And -- while not presidential -- has anyone forgotten this mostrosity?)

(h/t Michael Cass; photo credit Billy Kingsley/The Tennessean)

The world is over: Politics beats football in Nashville

2008-10-08T10:28:00.001-05:00

"Those awards are great, Al, but let's see you shake off Ray Lewis."

The preliminary TV ratings are in this morning, and woe to competing cable programming: the debate scored a whopping 57.7 in the area, equivalent to 586,405 homes according to our friends at NewsChannel5. In comparison, the first debate scored a 40.6 (412,618 homes), and last week's VP debate hit 53.0 (538,639).

The debate rating knocked off the previous local high of the past decade: the 2003 AFC Championship Game between the Titans and the Oakland Raiders, which scored a 54.7. I just wish Nielsen conducted a viewer satisfaction poll, because I'm pretty sure both programs would score lower than last week's Project Runway.

(Photo credit: Larry McCormack/The Tennessean)

Morning Links: The morning after

2008-10-08T10:10:00.001-05:00

The debate is over, and the scorecards are in: both guys did OK. All of the headlines are about the economy, of course -- although does it say something about us when we think it's important they didn't screw up that much? (P.S. They did both stretch the truth, with McCain outpacing Obama.)

So now what happens? Well, the massive tear-down process begins at Belmont, which normally would take half the time as the setup without our newfound floodwaters. The school will have to totally re-sod the soccer field where the media tent sits, and classes will start back tomorrow.

And as for the candidates, they'll be at Hofstra University one week from today for their final debate, this time on domestic policy. Maybe by that time, the economy will have hit rock bottom.

ALSO:

Tom Brokaw wasn't taking any guff, although some thought he came off a little rude.

(Photo credit: Billy Kingsley/The Tennessean)

Channel Phil: Debate doesn't provide real answers

2008-10-07T23:55:00.000-05:00

The Governor has spoken:

Debate links galore

2008-10-07T23:18:00.000-05:00

Tonight's debate was a fairly generic affair, and if even the spinsters agree on that point, then it must be true. But if you're really in an argumentative mood, then look no further than your Average Joes.

I'll try to write a more thorough recap tomorrow, but for now, you can check out my debate day in review here and my debate night in review here.

ALSO: Check out debate photos here.

(Photo credit: Billy Kingsley/The Tennessean)

What I saw from my seat

2008-10-07T23:12:00.003-05:00

Tuesday’s presidential debate at Belmont University was a carefully orchestrated affair, one that provided limited interaction between the candidates and the town hall audience that was intended to make this event a barometer of what the nation wants from its next president.

But from inside the Curb Event Center, there was an audience that was unafraid to react to candidates’ responses, or their lack thereof – something that didn’t always show up on camera.

In addition to the chuckles moderator Tom Brokaw drew when he repeatedly addressed time constraints on candidate responses, reactions from audience members ranged from holding head in hands to chuckling at candidates’ responses and squabbles.

Those reactions might have been even less subdued had it not been for the freezing temperatures in the debate hall, which had many audience members wrapped in shawls and suit jackets as they blew into their hands throughout the debate. Staff member from the Commission on Presidential Debates warned reporters that the hall would be about 65 degrees, but the hall could have been 10 degrees cooler easily.

Before the debate, many audience members tried to see how many national political figures they could pick out of the crowd seated directly below the network camera platform. Al and Tipper Gore received special recognition from the CPD and were treated to a standing ovation. Other notable guests included former Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, who chatted it up with Mitt Romney, another Republican hopeful this year, seated in the row behind him. Former Titan Eddie George had a prime seat next to the Gores.

After the cameras turned off, Sen. Barack Obama and wife Michelle stayed on the debate floor, chatting with town hall members while taking photos and signing autographs. Sen. John McCain shook hands with some town hall members immediately after the debate had concluded before leaving the debate floor.

(Photo credit: Larry McCormack/The Tennessean)

One final note

2008-10-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

Folks, I'm going to be leaving you now, but don't despair: Check out http://tennessean.com for news and continual updates during the debate.

Oh, and one final note: If anyone ever tells you that a local blog never did anyone any good, you can always point to yours truly as a shining example.

Because I'm headed to the debate hall.

The Belmont 300

2008-10-07T15:35:00.000-05:00

The final tally on student tickets to the debate: 300, according to Belmont President Bob Fisher. That's only six times as many as the school thought they would receive.

"We lobbied hard, and the [Commission on Presidential Debates] really pushed the limits for us," Fisher said.

(Those students include my brother, but I'm already over it.)

Belmont also invited 40 VIPs, Fisher said, although he later regretted calling them as such. "If anyone asks, they were number 42," Fisher said.

Among those VIPs I've been told so far are definitely in the hall: Gov. Phil Bredesen, Belmont uber-donor Mike Curb ... and Ludye Wallace.

Ludye Wallace rides again

2008-10-07T15:33:00.000-05:00

The local politicos will appreciate my sighting today of former Metro Councilman Ludye Wallace, who was hanging out talking to folks (and making out-of-towners a little uneasy, from the looks of things) in the Pick's Political Buttons booth during Belmont's block party.

Wallace, who embodied the phrase "sly as a fox" during his time in the Metro Council, was dressed in a large t-shirt and jeans -- but he was getting ready to get scrubbed up. "I know one person who's going to the debate," he said. "Me."

When I asked how he got a ticket, he laughed and said he just got lucky. Lucky as a fox.

More information about the debate than you want

2008-10-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

Make sure you check out the #nashdebate Twitter feed today for (literally) up-to-the-minute updates on where the candidates are and the little things here. But come back here!

McCain arrives for rehearsal; Obama expected soon

2008-10-07T13:02:00.001-05:00

A little bit of old news, but McCain arrived a couple of hours ago for his rehearsal in the debate hall; Obama's expected to be here in about a half-hour. Click here for more.

P.S. The media tent is still pretty empty:

What the town hall-ers should expect

2008-10-07T12:34:00.000-05:00

Here's a little bit of leftover video from yesterday with Janet Brown, executive director of the Commission on Presidential Debates. Brown addresses what the town hall folks will go through today, and how the economy could dominate the conversation (for more, check out our YouTube page):

A quick moment of jealousy

2008-10-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

Belmont University began notifying students last night who had been drawn in the ticket lottery, and the number of tickets available ended up being much larger than the 50 or so that the school initially expected – even though spokesman Greg Pillon said the school still doesn’t know how many there are.

I had heard of students getting tickets with numbers as low as 184, but then I got a call from my brother, a junior at Belmont (to be clear, I don’t use him as a source, either on or off the record). He had a debate ticket somewhere in the 240s – or worse – and was practically guaranteed to be on the outside looking in.

Well, he’s in. And I’m stuck in the media tent. Come on!

Your reading material, Mr. Brokaw

2008-10-07T12:05:00.000-05:00

The Commission on Presidential Debates assured us yesterday that moderator Tom Brokaw would be reading all of the questions submitted through the Internet in order to choose a select few. Well, I hope he can speed-read, because he has six million.

Morning Links: D-Day

2008-10-07T08:38:00.000-05:00

It's here, it's here, it's finally here! It's Debate Day, and I'm getting ready to dive into the campus for the day/afternoon/evening/night (and I would be there earlier, except my computer decided to die on me this morning). But what, pray tell, are our fine Middle Tennessee voters going to talk about? Well, at least one of them wants to know about nuclear proliferation (second item down), but I'm betting that little tanker known as our economy could spark a few questions.

Anyway, if the rain holds off, you'll have plenty of debate-related events and watch parties to attend today. I suggest hitting the Belmont block party early and stopping by the news outlets during the afternoon, and then cruising (or, if you're near Belmont, walking) through the different watch parties.

Also:

On the day of the debate, our own Clay Carey profiled Tennessee's politics in USA Today

Did you wake up before the crack of dawn to see John Rich? Me neither -- but my colleague Anne Paine did, and so apparently did a lot of Obama supporters. I bet that made him happy.

(Photo credit: Billy Kingsley/The Tennessean)

Red State Update doesn't need your fancy town hall

2008-10-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

The boys at Red State Update had their debate credentials revoked by the Secret Service, and they’re mad as hell about it.

“I don’t know what kind of threat we are to national security,” said Jackie Broyles, who along with partner-in-crime Dunlap will be putting on a show at the Belcourt Theatre at 9:30 p.m. tonight. “You’ve got McCain the Manchurian Candidate and Obama palling around with all the terrorists, so you would think Dunlap and me would be somewhere in there, but I guess not.”

Jackie said tonight’s debate will feature everything a town hall debate should have, including puppets. The pair said they may watch tomorrow’s “real” debate, but they’ll do so begrudgingly.

“I guess we’ll have to look at some of it, if we can stay awake through it,” Jackie said. “They wouldn’t let us in there, and McCain don’t even want to go to them!”

(By the way, Jackie’s fighting to replace McCain with Palin tomorrow – “she’s better than Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell sisters,” he said.)

Unlike tomorrow’s debate, tickets for tonight’s town hall are available to the general public (for an $8 fee). Prepare to see the First Amendment stretched to its limits.

She'll show you: Town hall participant threatens to vote for Nader

2008-10-06T18:39:00.001-05:00

East Nashville resident Laura Clifford wanted to be a part of the town hall debate pretty badly, especially when she heard a report about how the audience would be selected one night last week.

Less than an hour later, Clifford got her wish.

Clifford, 61, received a call from the Gallup Organization asking for the youngest male in her household, and then the oldest woman. When the voice on the other line asked who Clifford was voting for, she said she was leaning toward McCain — but her willingness to be swayed to Obama is what got her a seat on the debate hall floor.

“I don’t really fit either place,” Clifford said. “My tendencies are more toward Democratic things except for the pro-life issue, and I’m strongly pro-life, so that throws me strongly to the Republicans.”

Clifford said her vote lies mainly with her pro-life stance, which for her also includes her position against the death penalty, support for stricter gun control and a desire for limited military involvement abroad.

Despite all of that, however, she said she’s thinking about submitting a question about when the candidates would intervene in Iran if it began to make strides toward nuclear weaponry.

Clifford said she's as excited to meet moderator Tom Brokaw as she is to meet the candidates, who might have to work extra hard for her vote. After all, she said, she could just decide not to vote for either of them.

“I’m thinking about voting for Ralph Nader as a protest vote,” she said.

PETA v. KFC: Who cares about us more?

2008-10-06T15:34:00.000-05:00

The PETA people were cruising around Belmont this afternoon with a volunteer in a giant pig costume, calling for a 10 percent tax on meat because of its implications on global warming (I didn't bring up what their Ford Mustang's emissions were doing to the environment). Check it out:

But then I receive an e-mail in my inbox from KFC (who draws a special kind of PETA ire) saying the company will donate $20,000 to world hunger relief if one of the candidates mentions it tomorrow night (which means one of the town hall participants has to bring it up, right?). So, America, I put the question to you: who cares about you more, PETA or KFC? (Or neither. You could also vote neither.)

Media blitz: Gov. Phil Bredesen on the debate

2008-10-06T15:27:00.000-05:00

Below, see Gov. Phil Bredesen's comments on how he thinks Middle Tennesseans will impact the debate, and why he's even less of a fan of Gov. Sarah Palin:

CPD co-chairman on Nashville

2008-10-06T14:30:00.002-05:00

Commission on Presidential Debates co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf talked this morning about Nashville and what he expects from town hall participants Tuesday. You can check out more at http://youtube.com/tnelection.