Liveblog: The 427th Democratic Debate

8:01- The candidates' heads float through a hall at Dartmouth University. It’s like Hogwarts!

8:02- It seems that BarriO was against the war back in 2002. It feels like I’ve heard this before, but I’m just not sure. Oh, cruel memory. Apparently, 2013 is four years from now.

8:04- Hillz is dressed like a ray of hazy, globally warmed sun. Hair looks pretty good, though.

8:06- January 2009 has come up about fifty-two times already. I will be turning 21 then. Anime John [insert shameless self-promotion...NOW] says something about Hillz; cut to her writing out the following to do list:
“1. Invest in pantsuit not made out of The Price Is Right set carpet.
2. Fire stylist #153
3. Call Clemenza re: Edwards”

8:09- JEEZ. Bill Richardson says something to the extent of “We must remove all troops” and the camera pans out to where BarriO’s staring at Bill like the reaper does. Yes, I've looked death in the face. I then slapped it.

8:12- Superfluous Chris Dodd has a nice blue shirt on tonight. That’s his main contribution for the evening.

8:16- The backdrop on this stage is a neon surrealist flag that split up so there are black bars where each candidate is. It’s both fabulous and fatalistic. Like "Xanadu."

8:18- Gravel flips out about Iran, calling out Hillz and BarriO. He pronounces Iran like EYE-RAN rather than EAR-RON. If I didn’t already dislike Gravel, that would probably do it.

8:19- I’m not gonna lie. I kind of like how much of a frosty ice queen Hillary Clinton is. I mean, bitch crazy. It’s pretty fantastic. Gravel calls her a whore for voting for Lieberman’s Iran resolution today, and she laughs.

8:23- We’re talking about North Korea and Syria now? Whatever. BarriO’s back—I’d sort of forgotten about him.

8:26- I will give credit where credit is due. I like Anime John’s tie. Anime John: “I have no intention of giving George W. Bush any authority to start another war.” Not a problem, John, you’re not a senator anymore.

8:31- What illegal immigrants are at Dartmouth? Rogue Mounties? Robin Sparkles?

8:33- This manly Allison newswoman is kind of hateful. I get the politics of it but still: if you’re going to trash George W. on Iraq, then you have to give him credit on trying to get the immigration bill passed.

8:41- Vector Vest? Who the hell named that?

8:43- “Certainly we all like and respect Hillary” …and she will kill us all with her terrible, terrible eyes!

8:45- Tim has gotten nasty here since the commercial break. And stupid. Hillz does not like it when people say she doesn’t know what she’s doing.

8:47- “I regret that and so did the late Senator Chafee” …but he’s dead now, so I can now use his plan and he can’t say anything about it.

8:49- Apparently this segment is “Tim Russert Will Now Ask You About Anything Nasty You’ve Ever Said About Hillary Clinton.”

8:55- Kucinich let Cleveland go bankrupt. Those people can’t get a break up there. The BCS Championship game, Drew Carey, Romeo Crennel, probably the worst NBA Finals performances ever, it just goes on and on. I mean, I won’t be surprised if Grady Sizemore and C.C. Sabathia’s arms fall off tomorrow.

8:59- Hateful Allison—from, I kid you not, “New England Cable News”—is like the stereotypical Northeastern snippy elitist.

9:10- Hillz wants to talk about fiscal responsibility!

9:12- Tim Russert looks a lot like the human Peter Griffith.

9:14- Everyone pussyfoots around saying that they hate old people and their demands for the blood of the today’s youth. Don’t you ever forget that the AARP owns your soul and will trade you away like a cheap, cheap hooker for the blue plate special at Denny’s and a discount on tires.

9:18- So, Kooch bankrupted Cleveland. Kooch wants to lower the retirement age back to 65. Will somebody just give him a pat on the head and send him home?

9:25- Hateful Allison: “Would you remove the federal drinking age?” Dartmouth students cheer, which is ridiculous because they’re at college with free alcohol, out on, like, a farm in New Hampshire. Nobody cares, Dartmouth.

9:27- It’s National Alpaca Farm Day both September 29 and September 30!

9:33- BarriO wants to end the “divisive politics” in this country, except he says it like “divissssiv.”

9:37- Chris Dodd has daughters aged six and two? If we’re being honest, I look like I’m about sixteen. I still more look age appropriate to have children aged six and two than Chris Dodd.

9:42- Kooch says something about oil dependency and the camera pans out so we get a fantastic shot of Hillz giving him a face, a picture of which is next to the definition of “Deadpan” in the dictionary.

9:47- Tim: “That scenario was laid out by William Jefferson Clinton”
Hillz: “Well, he’s not standing here tonight.” Good line, ma’am.

9:55- Anime John stomps around:
9:54:42 PM kmarsmill: he's come off a lot better tonight than last time
9:54:52 PM kmarsmill: much less angry, much more sympathetic
9:55:03 PM doogmanpga: heh
9:55:05 PM doogmanpga: there goes that
9:55:10 PM kmarsmill: it's like my magic touch

9:56- BarriO’s favorite Bible verse is apparently one he’s making up right now.

9:57- Hillz’s favorite: the Golden Rule. “A good one for life and for politics.” HA. I love that bitch.

9:58- Most important issue of the night. No, really. This is the most interested I’ve been.
Richardson: BoSox
Kooch: Indians
Hillz: Yanks unless the Cubs make the World Series then the “apocalypse is coming”
Gravel: BoSox
Dodd: BoSox
BarriO: ChiSox (sounds like an omen, Barrack)
Biden, awesomely: “I grew up with a grandfather who said if you weren’t a Yankees fan, you didn’t eat. Yankees.”

Katherine: Yankees and Phillies (…maybe the Rockies if they make it, the pitching holds up, and Matt Holliday continues to channel, like, the entire HOF. That would be weirder than Kooch being president, though...so, the Phillies. Rah Jimmy Rollins).