Live blog — from Nashville, a grand ol’ debate!
Things should be getting under way at Nashville’s Belmont University in just a few minutes.
For those joining our debate live blog for the first time, everyone is invited — indeed, encouraged — to contribute thoughts by adding their comments to this post.
Pre-debate spin is focusing on “John McCain’s last stand.” The consensus of polls is that Barack Obama is widening his lead, anywhere from 6 to 8 points. McCain needs something tonight to stop the bleeding.
Two trivia questions to get things started:
1. What highly-ranked NCAA Division I basketball team lost to tiny Belmont in December 2003?
2. Name the 1975 movie in which a fictional presidential candidate named Hal Philip Walker played a key role, though he was never on screen. Who directed the movie?
Kevin Horrigan is deputy editor of the editorial page. He writes editorials on local, state and national politics and public policy and also contributes a signed column to the Sunday Commentary Page. "The Old Sport" is a former sports columnist for the Post-Dispatch and for 10 years hosted radio talk shows on KMOX and KTRS in St. Louis. He lives in South St. Louis with his wife, Kate, and a dream of one day starting a professional catfish noodling tour. 
Checking in from the Post-Dispatch University City bureau. Should have known the answer to Kevin’s second question, but had to look it up… DOH!!! Of course, I had no prayer of answering the first one.
Should be interesting tonight.
Watching a web pre-feed…. Just heard Brokaw clear his throat like a horse.
10-4 here in South St. Louis.
Brokaw looking like a member of the greatest generation.
Economy! Economy! Economy!
McCain smart to start off talking personally to the man who asked the question.
McCain wants to give relief to homeowners on home values. I have not heard much on this before.
Once again, John McCain mentions the $700 billion Americans send overseas for energy. For the sake of context, it’s worth noting that our leading “overseas” oil suppliers are Canada and Mexico.
CEO of EBay as Treasury Secy?
Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac don’t make loans to people. They buy loans that banks have already made to people. That’s a somewhat important distinction, if you’re going to blame them for setting off the housing crisis.