[UPDATE 5: 10/15/08 McCain/Obama coverage here.]

[UPDATE 4: 10/07/08 McCain/Obama coverage here.]

[UPDATE 3: 10/02/08 Palin/Biden coverage here.]

[UPDATE 2: 9/26/08 McCain/Obama coverage here.]

[UPDATE: If you too think the debate sucked, please vote up this 1 second video saying... the debate sucked.]

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One of the people who selected the extremely puffball questions is Sam Feist, their Political Director. Could everyone send him an email letting him know what you think? He's at sam.feist *at* cnn.com and I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.

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For an example of just how badly CNN screwed America, consider the question about whether their universal healthcare plans would include "undocumented" workers. First, I'd be surprised if that's not the case for each of their plans. Second, as with all the other useless questions, that information is no doubt available on their websites. Third, if I were able to ask that question - and several follow-ups - on national television I have absolutely no doubt that I could end the political career of whomever I was interrogating.

Instead of doing anything like that, all the question did was give Dodd a chance to go back to the earlier healthcare question, and then Cooper asked Richardson to answer the question. Richardson, of course, answered that his plan would cover not just the "undocumented", but any "American". And, of course, Cooper didn't point out that illegal aliens aren't Americans. Neither did Anderson Cooper ask Richardson any of the tough follow-up questions that could have easily ended Bill Richardson's political career.

So, why didn't he? Could it be that CNN and Anderson Cooper are simply completely corrupt, and this debate was just a show? Of course not. Not at all.

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Taking a break from the news-making and the hard-hitting discussion of policy issues, CNN's Anderson Cooper is showing some "personal stories".

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Who knew? Barack Obama support social security. Thanks CNN!

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Was that Sally Jessy Raphael or the Christina or something from Univision in the audience?

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Here's a "stumper" of my own: why have there been zero questions about immigration so far, when a large percentage of Americans rate it as "important" or "very important" in several polls? And, especially since the Dems are so weak on that issue that asking them a series of tough questions about immigration could end any of their political careers? Could it have anything to do with the MSM and the candidates being both afraid of discussing this vital topic and supportive of massive immigration?

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Why I never! A talking snowman asking an oh-so-tough question about global warming! How will the candidates respond to such a tough, meaningful question? Why, with their stock speeches of course.

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Who was your favorite teacher? Look, CNN dudes, you do realize these people want to be the leader of the free world, right? Don't you think you could choose questions just a wee tiny bit more substantial?

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During the break, let's all compare the crappy questions that have been asked so far to my question for Hillary. How happy do you think she would have been if she had been asked that question on national TV? Shouldn't asking them tough questions and making them defend their policies be the whole point?

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One thing I've noticed from the beginning but I haven't mentioned so far is that Hillary is indeed looking quite peach tonight. However, her ears are a slightly less-peach shade, leading me to suspect that she's been painted and/or sprayed that color... developing...

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Now, Hillary and Dodd are bloviating for the creation of a Young Pioneers mandatory public service program...

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A question on Darfur has given Bill Richardson and Joe Biden chances to bloviate.

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Why am I doing this? Who am I? Why am I here?

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Finally, the very first question about a candidate's actual policies, albeit still a week question: why doesn't John Edwards support gay marriage? This avenue actually was a bit productive, including putting Edwards on the spot.

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Now here's another gutsy question: do the candidates support gay marriage? Wow, without Mary and Jen asking that question, I don't know where the f I would look for that information. I heard about candidates having f'ing websites and making f'ing speeches where that information might be found, but I've never ever seen one of those.

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This is really turning into a race-baiting fest now, with a question about whether the response to Katrina would have been different if it had occured in an upscale white community and about whether Hillary is feminine enough or Obama is black enough. If that upscale white community had been San Francisco or Portland, the response from the Bush administration probably would have been the same. And, rather than giving Bill Richardson an opportunity to make empty promises, how about asking him whether he supports illegal aliens being able to rush in and take rebuilding jobs from American hurricane victims? Wouldn't that be a better question?

John Edwards doesn't want the votes of those who'd vote against Hillary because she's a woman or Obama because he's black. Such guts to play the race card like that!

Edwards also wants to raise the minimum wage to $50 $9.50 an hour by 2012.

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OK, I spoke too soon. Asking about reparations is a bit controversial. Edwards: against it; now going into spiel about insurance companies. Obama: also apparently against it; going into his own spiel. Kucinich only one for reparations; he's also going to take on the insurance companies.

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Wow. CNN is really getting these candidates out of their comfort zones and doing a great service to the nation.

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Holey moley! Now, Rob Porter has the earth-shattering question relating to how Hillary defines "liberal" and whether she considers herself one. This has enabled the Hildabeest to launch into a spiel about how she's a "progressive", a word that most people consider a euphemism for "crypto-socialist".

Thank God for Mike Gravel, who's now calling Obama on his BS. Obama disagrees; Gravel wanted to respond but Anderson Cooper - like an idiotic tour guide on schedule - wanted to get back to the "real" questions.

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Wow! It gets even better! Davis Fleetwood wants Dennis Kucinich to tell us why he'd be better than Hillary or Obama. I'm sure that information isn't already on Kucinich's website, and I'm sure he hasn't already answered that question 10 million times.

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Zach Kempf asks a very good question about what the candidates are going to do different. That question will give the candidates a great change to launch into their standard "I am different" speeches. Thanks Zach, thanks CNN!

Oh no! They aren't going to feature people in masks.

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In a few short hours, this site will be providing live coverage of the ChrisMatthewsWolfBlitzerPuffballPart2 debate, aka the CNN/Youtube Democratic debate. We will be offering not just coverage, but meta-coverage and even some meta-meta-coverage if we can find any other meta around.