The Hands-down Winner of the Presidential Debate Was...Moderator Jim Lehrer

Sept. 27, 2008 (LPAC)--For the first 40 minutes of the 90 minute presidential debate, moderator Jim Lehrer of PBS tried valiantly--but unsuccessfully-- to get Barack Obama and John McCain to actually say something substantive about the global financial crisis and the Paulson bailout package. Nine (9!) separate times Lehrer asked questions on this subject, including:

"Gentlemen, at this very moment tonight, where do you stand on the financial recovery plan?"

"Let's go back to my question. How do you all stand on the recovery plan?"

"But if I hear you correctly, neither one of you is suggesting any major changes in what you want to do as president as a result of the financial bailout? Is that what you're saying?"

"One of you is going to be the president of the United States come January. In the middle of a huge financial crisis that is yet to be resolved. And what I'm trying to get at, is how this is going to affect you, not in very specific, small ways, but in major ways and the approach to take as to the presidency."

"Before we go to another lead question. Let me figure out a way to ask the same question in a slightly different way here. Are you willing to acknowledge, both of you, that this financial crisis is going to affect the way you rule the country as president of the U.S... I mean, is it a major move? Is it going to have a major effect.?"