Morning Links: It's beginning to look a lot like Debate Day

We're less than a week out from the presidential debate here, and it's getting pretty obvious. This banner was going up outside the Curb this morning, the security fence is snaking its way down to Belmont Boulevard, and there are now bathrooms on the tennis courts. Belmont President Bob Fisher has been waiting eight years for this day, and unless the candidates decide they have to rush back to Washington again, it looks like it's going to happen.

Outside Nashville, debate news centers on tomorrow's VP tangle, and as expected, Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin is getting most of the attention. Meanwhile, anybody hear about moderator Gwen Ifill, who'll be gaming through the debate with a broken ankle? Give her a Klondike bar.

Also:

Gov. Bredesen tells everybody to stop all their bickering.

Billy Joel and The Boss know who they're voting for.

Mason-Dixon gives McCain a 16-point lead in Tenn., but Quinnipiac says Obama is surging in the battleground states.

Morning Links: Late-night special

Part of John McCain's decision to suspend his campaign included canceling on David Letterman, whose show was scheduled to tape just a few hours after the announcement. Letterman, who earlier this week had Chris Rock calling out Bill Clinton, didn't take the cancellation lightly, especially after finding out McCain was then doing an interview with Katie Couric at the same time as Letterman's taping. Below, you can watch the entire skewering, as well as Letterman's second thrust -- having MSNBC commentator Keith Olbermann on in McCain's place:



Now, the most interesting thing Olbermann says is that McCain's move to delay Friday's Ole Miss debate was a ploy to get the vice-presidential debate canceled, and thereby continue Sarah Palin's media protection plan. (Palin also showed up with Couric, and reviews were not kind.)

Being of a particular political mindset, Olbermann doesn't lend himself as the most credible source on McCain's campaign ... until McCain adviser Sen. Lindsey Graham proposed almost the exact scenario Olbermann discussed. Under Graham's proposal, the first presidential debate would be moved to Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis, and the VP debate would be rescheduled and held at Ole Miss. If the Ole Miss folks weren't happy yesterday, they'll be livid if this goes through.

Also:

Bill Clinton makes sure he mentions Barack Obama's name to Jon Stewart.

Ole Miss keeps chugging along, as does Belmont.

The First Debate: Whose Logo Will Capture America's Heart and Eyeballs?

So I thought we could get some friendly competition (read: shameless, cutthroat argument) started among the debate sites by introducing our first debate question: Which school's debate logo is the best? Now, "best" could mean anything by most patriotic to most pleasing to high-minded media outlets who like to pontificate about such things. Below are the logos, in chronological order of the debates, with careful, thoughtful analysis attached:

The University of Mississippi (Sept. 26):




Ole Miss does a fine job of incorporating the school's logo representing The Lyceum, the oldest building on campus (or so says Wikipedia). It switches the colors, however, turning the logo from red to blue. Hints of an Obama victory? Not likely! Also, I'm not sure what the four stars represent: The four debates? The four years in a presidential term? The four S's and four I's in "Mississippi"? The school should have to answer these tough questions! They probably won't, though, given that I'm close to violating their sunshine-and-rainbows policy that states, "logos provided should only be used to reflect a positive image of The University of Mississippi® Presidential Debate." Yeesh, thanks for the ringing endorsement of free speech regarding a debate.

Washington University in St. Louis (VP debate, Oct. 2):
See below.

Belmont University (Oct. 7):



By far the most stately of the logos, Belmont means business (and as we know, presidential campaigns are made of serious stuff!). Points to the attempt to make the flag image actually look like the real thing, but negative points for 15 1/2 stripes! Are they trying to give a preview of what the flag would have looked like if the Union had stopped at Tennessee (and only half, at that!)? However, points reinstated for using three stars, an obvious homage to the state flag and our three grand divisions. Or maybe it's referring to the third debate. At least it makes sense -- and is easily available to download, unlike WUSL's rendition, which looks distinctly Puerto Rican.

Hofstra University (Oct. 15):



Now here's a mind-boggler: The red is on the left, and the blue is on the right. It doesn't match the flag, it doesn't adhere to conventional party-color associations -- it's truly independent! Also, note how the star subtly points to the "Presidential Debate" line, serving as a helpful guide to reading left-to-right. Thanks, institution of higher education! I would say, however, that placing your big-time campus event in lower-case letters might not be the best idea ... unless you're trying to say that the event is secondary to the issues discussed ... man, this is deeper than I thought.

So there it is: It's up to you, dear readers, to decide which graphic design movement you will support! Don't take your position lightly -- after all, we've argued vehemently over less!