Mr. Smith is a Systems Architect for Wells Fargo, Communications Director for the Polk County Republican Party, and a political blogger at the Des Moines Register. He is a founding member of Valley Evangelical Free Church in West Des Moines, Iowa. Art is the Publisher and an Editor of The Conservative Reader, The Conservative Reader: Iowa and Editor of Blog Net News Iowa. He occasionally appears at BitsBlog, and substitutes for Tim Albrecht at "The Beanwalker Live!" on the internet radio station Des Moines Local Live. Art's views are purely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wells Fargo, Polk County Republicans or Valley Evangelical Free Church.
We’ll be starting right at 9:00 PM Eastern. We look forward to your participation!
I’m going to have to switch to using the comments section. I don’t know what the issue is but CoveritLive is apparently having issues tonight. Please feel free to leave comments as you think of things to share.
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DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:07 pm | Reply
What’s up with the Latin?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:24 pm | Reply
Art: Welcome to our Live Blog. We will be watching the entire debate, which we hope you will be doing as well. There will be periodic polls, and opportunities for your comments. Feel free to send a message to us if you have questions!
8:55
Art: It will be interesting to see if we again dig into questions about the Economy and the $700 Billion bailout. I heard Sarah on Sean Hannity’s radio show today, and both of them were pushing the “Congress must do something!” line.
9:06
Art: First question is the bailout.
9:07
Art: Biden says they will bring change.
9:08
Art: Palin responds with everything we’ve already heard. Stump speech on McCain suspending the campaign and putting country first.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:24 pm | Reply
9:10
[Comment From DJ]
Here’s one thing I like about Palin…She is deferential to McCain and references him as President.
9:11
[Comment From DJ]
Not the greedy Wall Streeters…The Dems are always at fault for everything. Just check the record…
9:12
[Comment From DJ]
Memo to Biden: the current regulations got us into this mess…
9:13
[Comment From DJ]
How does de-regulation have anything to do with the price of gasoline?
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:25 pm | Reply
9:14 [DJ] – I’m curious…Who’s wearing more make-up? Biden or Palin. I think Biden…
9:17 [DJ] – Under McCain’s tax proposals, no one gets a tax increase, neither the middle, the “upper” or the low-income families.
9:18 [DJ] – Here’s what is really starting to get to me…Biden isn’t even real about taxes or regulation. Do he not get it?
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:34 pm | Reply
Environment…The cause is man-made? I didn’t realize that. I thought it was due to bovine flatulance!
Who cares what the cause is? Should we be spending billions to be good stewards of our world?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:35 pm | Reply
Okay, sorry for the delay folks. I’m catching up with the current discussion of the environment. Biden is clearly convinced that global warming is man made. I’m not convinced. Biden supports drilling. (He said “Drill, drill, drill”!). But continues to complain about the 10 years thing. I hate the fact that he and the rest of the liberals won’t admit that moving in that direction still drives the oil prices down.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:36 pm | Reply
The fact is we need a conservative policy for caring for the planet. But it is key to understand whether it’s we’re experiencing a problem with carbon emissions or a problem with sun storms.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:37 pm | Reply
Obama/Biden will grant same-sex couples all of the same rights as those weird opposite sex marriages.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:37 pm | Reply
Same sex benefits…How can you be a Catholic in good standing and still support same sex anything? The Constitution is silent on same sex because the Founding Fathers could not conceive of same sex.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:40 pm | Reply
Great! They both agree about Gay Marriage!!!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:41 pm | Reply
Next they’ll agree on the war in Iraq!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:42 pm | Reply
1) I’d like to learn something new tonight.
2) I’d like to hear about the VP positions, not the tops of the tickets.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:43 pm | Reply
Biden is all teeth and no smile. Look at his eyes…
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:43 pm | Reply
Sarah’s struggling already. “White Flag” came out kind of slow and rough.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:43 pm | Reply
But she’s back into the flow.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:44 pm | Reply
Where’s the proof on McCain cutting funding for the troops?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:45 pm | Reply
It’s the same line from last Friday’s debate: he voted against the timeline, which included funding, so therefore he voted against funding.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:45 pm | Reply
Memo to Biden: Just because you say it’s a fact doesn’t make it a fact.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:51 pm | Reply
Obama didn’t say he would sit down with Ahmadinejad???
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:51 pm | Reply
Looks like Sarah has gotten under Biden’s skin…
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:52 pm | Reply
There are lies and there are Biden comments and I can’t tell the difference…
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:52 pm | Reply
[DJ] Looks like Sarah has gotten under Biden’s skin…
Indeed.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:53 pm | Reply
Palin looks at the camera; Biden looks at “Gwen”.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:53 pm | Reply
Biden has a flag lapel pin on. :)
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:54 pm | Reply
Until now.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:54 pm | Reply
Just because you wear a flag doesn’t make you a patriot.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:56 pm | Reply
Evidently, Biden is not listening if he hasn’t heard the differences from Bush.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:59 pm | Reply
I guess I’m not sure what the surge is versus what is needed in Afghanistan. It seems to me to be the same thing.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 8:59 pm | Reply
Afghanistan for 7 years… Just checking, how long have we been in South Korea? Japan? Germany? ???
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm | Reply
Joe is losing control…
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm | Reply
Here come the sighs…
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:00 pm | Reply
It’s all just twisting sound bites.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:01 pm | Reply
He’s certainly more and more fed up. Slowly but surely.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:01 pm | Reply
Notice the longer more emphatic sentences.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:02 pm | Reply
Bosniaks?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:02 pm | Reply
Biden: “I gave the President the power.” Nice.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:03 pm | Reply
“I gave the President the power?”
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:03 pm | Reply
Joe Biden: KingMaker
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:03 pm | Reply
Although he corrected himself, the slip reveals a lot about what Biden thinks about himself.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:04 pm | Reply
I am glad they’re talking about Darfur. Since they never got to it last Friday, it’s good to get it out in front of Americans.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:05 pm | Reply
Sarah’s starting to mop up…
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:06 pm | Reply
Palin: Ask him why he voted for the war!!!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:06 pm | Reply
Didn’t he vote for the resolution?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:07 pm | Reply
Time to move on to a new topic.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:07 pm | Reply
Even though Biden prepared, he’s never faced a woman with logic…
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:08 pm | Reply
Biden would be the Spirit of Obama! One more reason to vote for McCain/Palin.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:08 pm | Reply
Here we go with the socialistic tendancies. How is he going to create 5 million new jobs? Please explain!
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:09 pm | Reply
Cooperation? We’ve never tried that before!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:10 pm | Reply
Wow! Most important election since 1932! I would tend to disagree. 1980, 1984, 2000, 2004 were all pretty important.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:10 pm | Reply
Does Biden secretly support the FairTax?
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:11 pm | Reply
Joe Biden spends a lot of time in Home Depot? He probably thinks it’s a bus station…
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:11 pm | Reply
Biden spends a lot of time at Home Depot! That explains a LOT!
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:11 pm | Reply
I want to see Joe Biden’s neighborhood!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:12 pm | Reply
Do I get extra credit?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:13 pm | Reply
Go Sarah! Schools are important! Spend the money wisely!
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:14 pm | Reply
Government reform? I’m skeptical on that one!
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:15 pm | Reply
Not more money for education. More parental involvement.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:16 pm | Reply
Kill the teacher’s unions.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:17 pm | Reply
I think Sarah and John are our best current shot at making real dramatic changes to how government and politicians operate.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:18 pm | Reply
So how is Cheney the most dangerous VP ever?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:18 pm | Reply
Where is Biden getting this about the Senate? The VP is the President of the Senate. It’s not a “run over and break a tie”, it’s a real role.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:20 pm | Reply
Excessive passion? That’s what got Bill Clinton in trouble!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:20 pm | Reply
I’m liking how the debate is going in general. There is no interrupting and not as much of the on and on and on that we had with Lehrer. I think both VP candidates are probably on a short leash, which probably helps keep things even and keeps them from going off where they haven’t been prepped.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:23 pm | Reply
Joe, if you love McCain, why are you trashing him?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:24 pm | Reply
I’m surprised that Ifill allowed Biden to take an extra turn like that.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:26 pm | Reply
So, Joe, do you think that Roe v. Wade was good judicial decision? Do you think the Court should be making law?
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:28 pm | Reply
Guess what Joe? I question your judgment!
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:29 pm | Reply
It comes down to Capitalism vs Socialism.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:30 pm | Reply
Sarah made it. And for the most part Joe did as well. Sarah got a couple of points where she was temporarily stymied. Joe definitely was getting hot under the collar.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:30 pm | Reply
We’ll be speaking Arabic.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:31 pm | Reply
Why doesn’t he just call her Gwennie-Poo?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:33 pm | Reply
Great concluding comments from both.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:33 pm | Reply
It’s over…Edge to Palin.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:34 pm | Reply
I’m watching on CBS. Couric’s first comment “Sarah Palin did not embarrass herself”. What a jerk.
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:34 pm | Reply
If Gwen married John Tower, would she be Gwen Iffel-Tower?
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:35 pm | Reply
[DJ] If Gwen married John Tower, would she be Gwen Iffel-Tower?
[groan]
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:39 pm | Reply
And Bob Schieffer does the exact same thing saying “many were expecting Palin to make a blunder…”. And then Greenfield focuses on Palin’s speaking style. In the first 5 minutes of analysis there’s is NO CONCRETE CONTENT about what either candidate actually said!
DJ Durant | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:42 pm | Reply
This is why I stick to FOX!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:46 pm | Reply
Joe Lieberman in Spin Alley gave strong support for Palin and kind words for Biden. Senator Claire McCaskill spoke for Biden, but spent her time bashing Palin.
rdutcher | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:46 pm | Reply
that was such a great debate. I am so proud of the job that Sarah did!
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:51 pm | Reply
For anyone reading, what do you think was the best part of the debate?
rdutcher | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:52 pm | Reply
ABC thinks Joe Biden won. They are so wrong.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:55 pm | Reply
CBS showed their in-scientific polling showing their audience liking Biden, but when they asked for comments, got some good feedback overall from people that liked Palin in the group.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:55 pm | Reply
But it’s no surprise that the big three all will side with the Democrats.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:58 pm | Reply
CBS online poll of 500 uncommitted voters puts Biden ahead 46% to 21%.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 9:59 pm | Reply
That same poll said of the uncommitteds, 18% ready to vote for Obama, 10% for McCain.
Art Smith | Oct 2, 2008 at 10:04 pm | Reply
Well, that it for tonight. Thank you visiting!