Morning Links: VP candidates meet low expectations

Sounds like the verdict is in from last night's vice-presidential debate: not terrible! Both had their slip-ups and their misleading statements, but Republicans seemed satisfied that Palin didn't bonk, and Democrats seem satisfied she didn't soar. Best line of the night goes to Biden's "Bridge to Nowhere" comment; Dems seemed so happy that it's already an ad!

I was at the Lipscomb University debate watch party last night, and while not there as an official journalist-type, there were some pretty interesting reactions from the crowd via their clicker-vote system. A few mental notes:

After the debate, the split was down the middle as to who won the debate. I believe McCain-Palin had about a 6-point lead among the voters (about 75) after the debate, which is probably in line with the traditionally conservative campus.

One of the more lopsided votes: viewers went 80-20 for Biden on who they though has better foreign policy knowledge. On domestic policy, they went 51-49 Palin.

It should be noted that both before and after the debate, the vast majority of voters said that the debate would have no effect on who they voted for. Sounds about right.

And in perhaps the most thought-provoking vote, viewers were asked of the four candidates who they felt was most like themselves. The leaders? Sarah Palin ... and Joe Biden. Each received about a third of the vote.

(Photo credit: Rick Wilking/Associated Press)

Early lunch links: Biden and what's-her-name debate tonight

I don't know if you've heard, but tonight there is the Vice Presidential Debate feat. Gov. Sarah Palin. Oh, and that Joe Biden guy is showing up, too! On PalinWatch, Nashvillians sure are interested, reporters are being blamed for her slips, and independents are playing the skeptics. And Baptists? Well, they're not quite sure what to do about her.

And the general consensus: The winner of tonight's debate will be the candidate who screws up less. Didn't the campaigns have months to pick these two?

Also:

The Senate OK'd a revised, "sweetened" (earmarked?) bailout plan, and the Dow still dropped 200 points this morning. Doh!

(Photo credit: Associated Press)

Vice presidential debate watch parties

The vice presidential debate between Democratic candidate Sen. Joe Biden and Republican candidate Gov. Sarah Palin begins at 8 p.m. Thursday. PBS correspondent Gwen Ifill will moderate the debate. Here's the list I have so far; if you know of a watch party, e-mail me at ccsledge@tennessean.com.

Lipscomb University
Where: Shamblin Theatre, Lipscomb campus (3901 Granny White Pike)
When: 8 p.m.
Contact: 966-6494

Tennessee Democratic Party
Where: TN Obama ’08 Campaign Headquarters, 907 Rosa Parks Blvd.
When: Doors open at 5 p.m.; party begins at 6:30 p.m.
Contact: 244-1244

Tennessee Republican Party
Where: Limelight, 201 Woodland Street
When: Doors open at 6 p.m.; tickets are $10 in advance and $20 at the door (must be 21 and older)
Contact: 269-4260

Morning Links: Bailing out

I think we all know what happened yesterday, although it's a little sobering to hear our people talk about it. The consensus is there is no consensus, either in Washington or in Nashville. But hey, thank goodness for those brave souls on Wall Street who have sent the Dow up 200 points so far today ... you know, one-fourth of the damage done yesterday.

Meanwhile, back in election-land, the latest MTSU Poll has McCain comfortably ahead in Tennessee, and Lamar(!) handling challenger Bob Tuke fairly easily. And speaking of handling, Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden is following local liberal Larry Woods' advice and says he'll focus on John McCain instead of Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin in their Thursday debate.

Also:

Tom Brokaw, the moderator for the Belmont debate, gets a write-up in today's NYTimes.

Remember, documentary historian Ken Burns (The War, Baseball) is at Belmont tonight, 7 p.m. If you're planning on going, you should probably reserve a seat.

(Photo credit: Richard Drew/Associated Press)

Morning Links: Let the insanity begin

The chaos begins in earnest this morning at Belmont, eight days before the presidential debate. You might have noticed an 8-foot security fence along 15th Avenue South (I'll post a photo later), or the security guard posted at the entrance to the parking garage, or crews frantically working to repave sidewalks ... and yes, this will be going on all week.

Meanwhile, in the political world, after all the talking heads said nobody won last Friday's debate, other Americans said Obama won, although the post-debate polls aren't out yet. Meanwhile, the facts were checked, and both candidates were found lacking.

Also:

When your VP candidates are described as "loquacious" and "still-underexposed," well, you might not know what to expect at Thursday's debate.

From the weekend: McCain's least favorite media outlet tweaks him on gambling ties. Hey, at least here we're fair and balanced.

The people we actually elected plan to vote today on how to spend $700 billion of our money.

Morning Links: Free Sarah Palin!

Looks like David Kernell dodged his first bullet when he wasn't indicted by a federal grand jury over accusations that he accessed Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal e-mail. But he's not in the clear yet.

And neither is Palin, if CNN's Campbell Brown has anything to do about it. Brown called McCain out last night for Palin's insulation from reporters. Brown tells McCain's campaign to free Palin from the "chauvinistic chains you're binding her with." I saw Brown's manifesto while at dinner, and even with the TV muted I could tell she was hacked off.

Also:

The daily poll roundup has Obama ahead nationally, but the battleground states are still predictably close.

Joe Biden maybe kinda sorta mixes up Depression-era presidents.

Hey look, another "new Ole Miss" story! I won't say I told you so ... but I told you so.

(Photo credit: Henny Ray Abrams/Associated Press)

Tennessee's campaign volunteers step it up

From colleague Jennifer Brooks:

The polls and pundits say Tennessee won't be one of the presidential battleground states, but you wouldn't know that, standing in the middle of Nashville's volunteer presidential campaign headquarters.

"We're excited, we have a great team and we just want to help them get elected," said Barbara Outhier, standing in the shell of an old Green Hills Burger King that she and other volunteers have just transformed into Nashville's brand-new McCain/Palin campaign headquarters.

Click here to read the full story, and here for a previous story on the local Obama/Biden HQ.

(Photo credit: George Walker IV/The Tennessean)

Morning Links: Looking to Oxford

With the Ole Miss debate a mere four days away, it looks like people (read: national media) are starting to pay more attention to the events and the candidates' strategies for them. Most interesting: an agreement by both parties to rein in the vice-presidential debate for fear that one candidate may look unprepared and the other might say something regrettable (I think you can guess which is which).

Also:
The Wall Street Journal fires off the first of what will probably be many "the new Ole Miss" stories.
That move by the candidates to put foreign policy first? Might not look so great as the economy tanks.
Obama's staff has pulled out of North Dakota to focus on Minnesota and Wisconsin, which the campaign sees as battleground states (and probably because they each have three times as many electoral votes as N.D.).

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In other political news, looks like the FBI is getting serious about the Palin e-mail "hacker" (although he's really just good at answering her e-mail password questions), visiting his apartment and questioning his roommates. Something tells me this one could go for a while.

And finally, what, my friends, would a Monday post be without an SNL clip?

UPDATED: Today's event: Woods, Harwell and Stansell hash it out

Larry Woods and wife Saralee at their Bookman/Bookwoman Books in Hillsboro Village.

It’s less than two hours away, but you can catch a roundtable discussion featuring some prominent locals speaking about political debate at Belmont this afternoon.

The roundtable, hosted by WRVU talk show host Freddie O'Connell, is slated to include state House District 52 candidate Eric Stansell (updated 4:45 p.m.: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Bob Tuke is not present), state Rep. Beth Harwell (R-Davidson County) and local attorney and Bookman/Bookwoman Books co-owner Larry Woods.

Woods, one of the city’s best known Democrats, said he’s anticipating a large number of people across the country voting early this year because they’ve already made up their minds. (Early voting in Davidson County begins Oct. 15).

That makes the debates particularly important for the remaining undecided voters, he said.

“Those are the ones that will tune into the debates to think, ‘Here’s my opportunity to find out what these candidates are about,’” Woods said.

Woods, who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks about any political topic, said he thought Sen. Joe Biden would do well against the much-ballyhooed Gov. Sarah Palin in their vice-presidential debate … as long as he doesn’t talk about her at all.

“Biden’s got a really clear, relatively easy job for that debate: talk for a solid hour about Senator John McCain,” Woods said. “If he talks about Sarah Palin whatsoever, Obama ought to fire him.”

The discussion begins at 4:30 in the Leu Art Gallery in the Lila D. Bunch Library. If you can’t make the debate, there will be a reception from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. in the Leu Art Gallery lobby.

(Photo credit: Jason Lee/The Tennessean)

Morning Links: Biden looks toward VP debate with Palin

Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden says he's ready to take on Republican counterpart Gov. Sarah Palin in the VP debate at Washington University in St. Louis next month. The debate comes less than a week before the Belmont debate and could set the tone for the presidential candidates when they come here.

Also:

USA Today has a new version of its Candidate Match Game between McCain and Obama. Nice way to discern basic differences between the candidates, although you're stuck with the topics they give you.

President Bush's announcement about Iraq troop levels today means major Iraq War decisions will likely be left to the next president. Wonder how that will influence audience members' questions at the Belmont debate?

(Photo credit: AP)