Random thoughts throughout the evening, as I flip between the US presidential debate and the Harper-Mansbridge interview:

9:28 – Obama channels Jack Layton, railing against “big oil” and “corporate tax cuts”. I suspect we’re in for a “kitchen table” before the night is done! Tom Brokaw reminds the candidates to manage their time…he’s like their very own Don Newman!

btw, 538 now has Obama at an 89% probability of victory.

9:42 – Back in Canada – Harper hasn’t said anything snark worthy yet, which is a sign he’s doing pretty good. In other news, new Liberal ads are out today and Coyne’s got a good post on the mathematics of majority.

9:48 – Harper: “I didn’t say the old minority was dysfunctional, I said we’d reached an impasse“

August 14th Stephen Harper: “In the past few months, and particularly over the summer, we have seen increasing signs that this Parliament is really not working very well any more. It is becoming increasingly dysfunctional.”

10:12 – The fundamental disagreement between our fundamental opinions on the fundamentals has fundamentally changed the fundamental nature of this fundamental argument…

10:15 – Obama wants to invade Pakistan! Just like Stephane Dion!

10:23 – McCain and Obama both stick up for Georgia. No surprise, given the latest polls there…

10:26 – Does anyone else think it’s strange that George Bush was mentioned more during the Canadian leaders debate than the American one?