Live blogging at Hofstra presidential debate

News 12 Long Island went full throttle with its debate coverage, with on-scene team reports and analysis from local political experts, perspectives from a group of undecided voters at News 12 headquarters and a live “Sound Off” feature, in which viewer-submitted comments were posted on air. Here's a taste of News 12's top story: Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) lit into each other at Hofstra University Wednesday in the third and final presidential debate. McCain blasted Obama for waging what he claimed was "class warfare" with his tax plan. The Republican presidential candidate also said Obama doesn't "tell the American people the truth." Obama responded by saying the ads his opponent is running are 100 percent negative. He also criticized McCain for attacks on his character and questioning his "relationship" with former 1960s radical William Ayers. Like our blog below, a number of other local news outlets also covered the debate using Twitter and live blogging, including Newsday, The Long Island Press and Long Island Business News. But perhaps the most interesting feed came from Hofstra  University’s own student journalism project, Nassau News, which provided colorful local commentary. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11:05 p.m. So who won? Comment here. 10:28 p.m. Here come the Obama surrogates. 10:26 p.m. McCain surrogates begin to flood Spin Alley. 10:22 p.m. Obama: They left the money behind for No Child Left Behind. 10:12 p.m. McCain: Roe V. Wade was a bad decision; Obama agrees with the decision. 10:10 p.m. Both candidates say no litmus will be used to select Supreme Court justices. 10:06 p.m. "Joe the Plumber" becomes the central figure in the debate. Poor Joe will no doubt be getting a lot of calls tomorrow. 9:58 p.m. .... nothing from Obama's camp yet. 9:57 p.m. McCain campaign has already distributed 11 "Debate Facts" to reporters during debate. 9:50 p.m. Obama: We can eliminate dependence on oil from Middle East and Venezuela in 10 years. 9:48 p.m. McCain: We can eliminate dependence on foreign oil in 7-10 years. 9:43 p.m. McCain: Palin is a reformer through and through; it's time for a breath of fresh air. 9:42 p.m. Obama: Biden shares my values, fights for the little guy. 9:41 p.m. Schieffer: Why would the country be better off with your running mate? 9:38 p.m. Obama: Ayers not involved in my campaign; We have no involvement with ACORN. 9:37 p.m. Obama: to fix economy, parties need to work together. 9:26 p.m. McCain: You should have run four years ago if you wanted to run against President Bush. 9:23 p.m. McCain to Obama: I'm not President Bush. 9:07 p.m. McCain: American are angry; must reverse decline in home prices. 9:02 p.m. And they're off. 8:58 p.m. Bob Schieffer enters the house. "I wish my friend Tim Russert could see this." 8:56 p.m. All is quiet in the auditorium. 8:49 p.m. In the media center, a hundred monitors and no good view of the debate. 8:38 p.m. Debate assembly crowd is being asked by organizers to stay quiet during the debate. 8:30 p.m. Celebrity sitings: Mitt Romney, Gov. Paterson, Sen. Schumer, Homeland Security Chief Mike Balboni 8:02 p.m. An hour to go and the excitement is ramping up around campus. Bigger crowds around media tents and lots more cheering. 7:40 p.m. In "Issue Alley," the band Melodeego is playing what it calls "soul and roll." Think 70's funk music. 7:24 p.m. U.S. Rep. Peter King: "The whole world is looking at Hofstra." King's district includes Hofstra. 7:14 p.m. The debate will be simulcast at four locations around campus; pre-debate student debates start at 7:30 7:03 p.m. Have comments that you'd like to see on air during the debate? Go to Sound Off on News12.com 6:42 p.m. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richards is holding court in the media center, speaking to reporters in English and Spanish. 6:21 p.m. Best signs so far: "This is a sign" and "My arms hurt"

6:06 p.m. The current big attraction: Chris Matthews live in front of the student union. Students chanting for their candidates, hoping for air time. 5:15 p.m. Security, to say the least, is tight.  It took four roadblocks, six ID checks, a pass through a metal detector and a bag sniff by a Jack Russell terrier just to get to the media shuttle bus.  Helicopters are flying overhead. News 12 Long Island will be blogging live from Hofstra University, site of the third and final 2008 presidential debate.  Check here for frequent updates as Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama square off on Long Island. For questions or comments about the live coverage from the debates, comment here. To comment on-air about the debate as it happens, go to Talk to 12. And don't forget to take a look at a video log by Hofstra journalism student Jayme Lengrehr, who was given a Flip cam and asked for a behind-the-scenes look at events the events surrounding the Debate.

Comments

[Alex]

McCain would have won (insta polls) if he didn't blink 3000 times, make weird faces, and attacked obama non-stop. McCain looked very uncomfortable. People don't look for a "fight" in a debate when their 401K are drowning, they look for "content".

[Donald S Dittmer]

I think Jonh McCain won this debate hands down.