During each presidential debate, watch political analysts Peter Robinson and Arnie Arnesen exchange wit and wisdom in a real-time format.

Join us each debate night at 9pm (ET).

 • Friday, October 8: Second presidential debate at Washington University, St. Louis, MO
 • Wednesday, October 13: Third presidential debate at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ

Transcript of Thursday, September 30th's Diablog, first presidential debate at University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL:

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 9:00:08 pm ET)

Welcome to diablog: real-time repartee. We're delighted to welcome, from the right Peter Robinson, and from the left, Arnie Arnesen. Peter and Arnie, glad to have you here for this first presidential debate.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:01:01 pm ET)

Good to be back, Josh. And welcome, Arnie. Before we get started, Arnie, would you give my love to New Hampshire, my second-favorite state?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:01:51 pm ET)

Be delighted. The weather is perfect and Bush is due in tomorrow. It feels like the primary days.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 9:02:03 pm ET)

Based on the format of this debate, do either of you think this event even qualifies as a debate?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:02:45 pm ET)

No. To quote George Will, they are parallel press conferences.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:02:56 pm ET)

It's not a debate, strictly speaking, but a sort of parallel press conference. Even at that, though, it offers us all a dramatic opportunity to compare the two candidates, side-by-side. No handlers. No spinners. No ads. Just two men.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 9:02:57 pm ET)

And do these debate rules give either candidate an edge?

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:03:23 pm ET)

Yup, that phrase does come from George Will, come to think of it. I knew it was too good for me to have thought of just now.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:03:35 pm ET)

Bush loves it short and sweet with no real exchange.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:03:57 pm ET)

Who has the edge? The candidate who already has his positions more clearly formed and who is more relaxed within himself, as himself. The way I see it, that's Dubya.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:04:19 pm ET)

Gee, Kerry is a lot taller, isn't he?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:04:49 pm ET)

Poor Kerry he could not deliver all that cash to the Floridians hit by 4 hurricanes.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:04:57 pm ET)

Boom – two words into it, and Kerry is breaking the rules, which explicitly ruled out any opening statement.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:05:38 pm ET)

the new word is better...

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:05:46 pm ET)

A hat tip to Kerry, so far. Calm, well-spoken, forceful. A good first two minutes, and that's not nothing.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:06:28 pm ET)

Nope, now Kerry is trying to say too much, dissipating the focus of those first few moments.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:06:30 pm ET)

C-SPAN has a spit screen so you can see the reactions. Now that Kerry has broken the rules, so can the President.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:07:15 pm ET)

A "spit" screen? Hmm. So far, I only feel the urge to spit at one side.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:07:37 pm ET)

Kerry is building his case, expanding it beyond Iraq

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:08:05 pm ET)

You know what, Arnie? It was hard enough to filter out one's own partisan feelings during the conventions. During these debates, it's going to be almost impossible. I'm already grooving with Bush – calm, forceful, and somehow more businesslike than Kerry.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:08:47 pm ET)

"I've shown the American people I know how to lead." Simple, but compelling. That's pretty good rhetoric, and very good politics, right there.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:09:35 pm ET)

"We have a duty to stay on the offensive, and a duty to our children." What about the duty to our allies?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:10:52 pm ET)

Let's see if Bush mentions Osama bin Laden. It will be his first in over a year. He has avoided his name.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:10:55 pm ET)

Gee, Arnie, I don't know. Kerry keeps using the word "strong," but he just doesn't seem to have as much – I don't know – presence, I guess.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:11:24 pm ET)

"This president has made a colossal mistake in judgement." Let's see if Bush let's that one stand or comes back to refute it.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:11:40 pm ET)

John Eisenhower endorsed Kerry? I missed that one. How come it didn't make any news?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:11:55 pm ET)

"Outsource to the warlords." An amazing concept. Do you think the American people will follow that concept? Leaving Afghanistan undone?

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:12:10 pm ET)

Lehrer picked right up on that, that "colossal" business. Good for Jim.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:13:04 pm ET)

Kerry says we "outsourced" to warlords. Bush says ten million Afghans have registered to vote. As I've said, I'm finding it very hard to be objective, but I have to think that Bush's statement is the more forceful and memorable.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:14:17 pm ET)

Kerry just isn't cutting it here. Jumping from Iraq, to Afghanistan, to Osama, to opium production. He's making important enough individual points, but where's the focus? Where's the single line, or even paragraph, that sums up what Kerry believes?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:14:54 pm ET)

Bush statement is more forceful except that he forgot to put money into the budget for Afghan reconstruction until Senator Pat Leahy noticed the slip. Iraq was a distraction not only from completing the task in Afghanistan, but in finding Osama.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:15:34 pm ET)

"A September 10th mentality." That strikes me as a very good line.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:16:17 pm ET)

Arnie, Iraq might or might not have been a distraction – I grant you that the charge is at least plausible – but Kerry has to make his case. It's just not clear to me that he's doing so.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:16:40 pm ET)

No. Bush proved that the US did not have the ability to do both. They took special-ops officers out of Afghanistan to look for Saddam and the WMD. They forgot to put money in for reconstruction and Osama was not found alive or dead.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:18:37 pm ET)

Kerry is finally making the point. Iraq was not the center of terror and we told the world and the American people that we were fighting a war on terror.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:18:48 pm ET)

Something astonishing is taking place here, something akin to what took place during the OJ Simpson trial. People are looking at the same set of facts and seeing two quite, quite different realities. Kerry sees us losing ground, while Bush is convinced that we're making progress. How are voters supposed to decide between the two? I figure voters have to look hard for clues as to character. Who is the more sensible man? Who seems stronger? Who has better judgement? Pundits like us would like the campaign to turn on issues, but here we are, right back to the eternal question in presidential politics: character.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:19:15 pm ET)

Bush has a vaguely disgusted look on his face. Unseemly.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:20:09 pm ET)

Interesting. Bush is almost more comfortable when he's on the attack. His competitive instincts are coming into play pretty effectively.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:21:01 pm ET)

Homeland security? In my view, Bush has all kinds of weaknesses here. Let's see how Kerry handles it.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:21:26 pm ET)

Bush is not only seeing different facts and factors leading to the war in Iraq...look at all the information coming out as to no WMD, insufficient forces in Iraq, and increased turmoil after the turnover in June. And to add to the madness of this situation, the Brits are talking about reducing their presence by one third by the end of Oct.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:23:55 pm ET)

Bush could not keep an eye on Afghanistan after we began the war in Iraq and he could not keep focused on homeland security. Suddenly Bush is worried about spending money. This from the man who is spending $5 billion dollars a month on Iraq and asking for billions for reconstruction that can't even find its way into reconstruction because of the security problems.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:25:02 pm ET)

On homeland security, Bush can only list this or that program, not an overall strategy. That's a weakness. But Kerry seems unable to take advantage of it, attacking the tax cuts, for goodness's sake, instead of outlining a strategy of his own.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:25:40 pm ET)

"You'd better have a president who chases these terrorists down." That's Bush's best line tonight – and, in my judgement, the best line so far by either.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:26:24 pm ET)

I thought we were bringing the troops home when the Iraqi people ask us to leave.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:27:17 pm ET)

Uh, well, when the freely elected representatives of the Iraqi people ask us to leave. That formulation OK?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:27:32 pm ET)

If we are truly liberators, then we need to accept the decision made after elections, even if they include the decision to leave.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:27:58 pm ET)

Yup, I'm with you there.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:28:44 pm ET)

I love Kerry quoting President Bush's dad, who predicted the mess we are in today. Part of the problem may be that the son doesn't like to read, even books of the father.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:30:11 pm ET)

I was waiting for Kerry to mention the $87 billion dollars. Kerry was brilliant in his defense by saying he made a mistake talking about the war but Bush made a mistake taking us to war. He nailed him.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:30:41 pm ET)

Interesting. Just can't tell whether people will find Kerry persuasive when he says, again and again, that the war was a mistake.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:31:19 pm ET)

Do you think he really nailed him? Maybe. But it didn't seem obvious to me. More of an ambiguous than a triumphal moment.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:32:10 pm ET)

Here's the problem, I think: Kerry has chapter-and-verse on the mistakes Bush has made, but that was then. And now? What will Kerry do now? He has no clear, concise message or vision.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:32:53 pm ET)

Kerry is bringing up his support team, Shinseki and Clarke. Not only is he foundationing his arguments with people from within the administration but he reminded everyone that the go it alone strategy did not work.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 9:33:59 pm ET)

This entire 90 minute debate is devoted to security issues. Do either of you sense that most voters will ultimately choose their candidate based on who presents the superior foreign policy vision?

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:34:17 pm ET)

Bush is actually being very effective here, I think. In different ways, he keeps refocusing the debate, turning from the past, where Kerry likes to be, cataloging Bush's mistakes, to the future, which of course highlights Kerry's failure to present a strategy.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:34:19 pm ET)

Mistakes matter. In politics, you have to fire someone first and then move to the hire. His difference will be based on the people he trusts. I have a feeling they will not include Richard Perle and Chalabi.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 9:35:02 pm ET)

Or do voters still "vote their pocketbooks" – even after 9/11?

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:36:17 pm ET)

Most voters aren't going to do what Arnie and I are doing, Josh, which is to say, most voters aren't going to score the debate for points. What voters will tend to do instead, I think, is to look for strength, determination, resourcefulness. We've had four wartime presidential elections in which an antiwar candidate faced a prowar candidate (1812, 1860, 1868, and 1972). In each instance, the antiwar candidate lost. Now, as then, voters will look for a candidate who can truly lead us to some sort of victory.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:37:29 pm ET)

I think that is not only on a superior foreign policy vision that people will focus on, but an approach that the American people feel more comfortable with. In the end, we see Kerry talking about working with the world and the UN, finding solutions together. Frankly, just looking at the two men, Kerry looks more secure and more comfortable.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:37:38 pm ET)

You're quite right, Josh, that the economy is ordinarily the dominant issue. Not this time. The economy is too tentative for Bush to take much credit for it, but growing too smartly for Kerry to denounce Bush's economic management. The economy strikes me, in short, as a kind of gigantic neutral.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:39:32 pm ET)

Kerry is being effective here, ticking down the contributions, all minor, from our allies. But again – again, again – Kerry is talking about what went wrong in the past, not what he'll do in the future. This is truly astonishing. Failing to talk about the future amounts to a rookie's mistake.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:39:33 pm ET)

People care about the economy, but what economy do you have when fear and insecurity dominate your thoughts?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:41:40 pm ET)

Fresh start and new credibility is not a policy, but frankly what can Kerry say now that we are in Iraq? Powell is right, you break it you own it. The challenge is how.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:42:20 pm ET)

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Perhaps 35 percent of the American electorate – at most – is as angry and worked up about Bush's errors as is Kerry. Yet all that Kerry has done so far is to rehearse their arguments and exasperation. What does that get Kerry? About 35 percent of the vote. Does this guy want to win? If he's serious about this race, he has to start reaching about beyond the 35 percent of voters who represent his angry, antiwar base.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:43:43 pm ET)

Wow. Kerry is spending about twice as much time on the defensive as is Bush. Bush is practicing jiu-jitsu here. Whenever Kerry comes at him, Bush flips it around, attacking Kerry.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:43:49 pm ET)

Bush is making a great point about the intelligence he looked at is the same as the intelligence Kerry looked at. But it is not about intelligence alone, it is as Kerry says is how do we disarm Saddam. Bush made a mistake.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:45:14 pm ET)

Do armies spread freedom?

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:45:20 pm ET)

"Her husband's sacrifice was noble, and worthy." The first moment of high sentiment – of authentic emotion – tonight.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:46:54 pm ET)

Are we fighting terror or is our job to change the world? I hope Kerry asks the American people. Kerry's reference to Vietnam right now is perfect, the lesson learned from Vietnam, honor the soldiers, challenge the mistakes of the leaders.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:47:09 pm ET)

Do armies spread freedom? Gee. It worked in World War II.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:48:29 pm ET)

"The troops would wonder, 'How can I follow this guy?'" Bush aced that one.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:49:31 pm ET)

Clinton said that it was better to be strong and wrong than weak and right. Kerry is nailing it, he is reminding people that he will accept the wrong but bring strength to the office, to make the necessary change.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:51:04 pm ET)

Bush has made mistakes, Kerry is the change we need to correct the mistakes, bring in our allies and refocus our efforts.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:54:06 pm ET)

There's a real shrewdness in Bush's approach here. By attacking Kerry's treatment of Allawi, he's in effect calling Kerry high-handed. And that in turn gets to Kerry's whole demeanor and presentation, which is very, well, prep-school superior. Kerry seems to be talking down to people. Bush does not.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:54:23 pm ET)

It is not only terrorists crossing over the border. According to Time magazine, the number of Iraqi insurgents has quadrupled over the last year.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:56:13 pm ET)

Kerry is in a box. Bush does (in my judgement at least) have all kinds of weaknesses here. But the only reasonable, compelling direction of attack is from the right, to suggest we act more forcefully in Iraq, not less so – cleaning out Falluja, Najaf, and so on. But Kerry? Attack Bush from the right? Impossible.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:57:10 pm ET)

"We have affected the world in a positive way by speaking clearly"? Bush should talk to Musharraf...to quote: "The world is more dangerous because of the Iraq war...it has aroused the passions of the Muslims more."

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:57:42 pm ET)

Kerry is finally onto something here – by saying he'd be more persistent, and, indeed, more fierce, in pursuing Osama. He is, in effect, attacking Bush from the right.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 9:59:14 pm ET)

Very powerful point from Kerry: North Korea has developed nuclear weapons under Bush's watch. But – I'm starting to feel exasperated about this – but what would Kerry *do* about it?

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 9:59:23 pm ET)

Kerry nailed Bush on the weapons issue – he is absolutely right. If dangerous weapons are the issue, what about the growing list of nations who have the capacity and ambition to use them (Iran and N. Korea for example).

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:00:59 pm ET)

Kerry does not need to talk about what he would do here. Kerry needs to point out that the choices Bush made were a mistake, not premised on sound thought, or informed intelligence.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:01:00 pm ET)

"I'll never take my eye off the ball." Kerry has been repeating that phrase so much in recent weeks that he must think it's especially effective. Truth to say, it strikes me as especially insipid.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:01:33 pm ET)

You don't take preemptive action to pass the global test but to protect the American people. Pow.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:03:29 pm ET)

Do you think Bush scores points when he says we do not need to be subject to the International Criminal Court? It reminds me of how the American people felt when we found out that Rumsfeld said we did not have to comply with the Geneva Conventions.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:04:35 pm ET)

On the International Criminal Court, Arnie, I do indeed think Bush scored points. Not in the Northeast, and not here in Northern California. But in the upper Midwest? The plains? The mountains and the South? You bet.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:06:47 pm ET)

Yes. Kerry scored big points by bringing up Colin Powell being reversed publicly by the President on North Korea. Powell has more political cachet than both men up there.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:08:04 pm ET)

Nobody can follow the detailed back-and-forth on Korea and Iran, I don't suppose. But the subtext? Kerry says Bush is stupid, and Bush says, Oh yeah? Well take this. On strength – on sheer animal spirits, if you will – Dubya wins.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:09:05 pm ET)

Kerry is showing that the go it alone strategy is destined to fail, the sanctions on Iran prove the failure since Iran is moving ahead with their nuclear plans.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:09:12 pm ET)

There it comes: the accusation that Bush is re-instituting the draft. Bush can't permit that to stand.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:11:16 pm ET)

$200,000,000 dollars to Sudan, compared to $5 billion a month in Iraq and the need to move an addition $3 billion from reconstruction to security. Darfur could clearly use more and it appears we have the capacity to cut those checks.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 10:11:52 pm ET)

A question from a diablog reader: "It appears to me that Kerry has his thoughts much more organized than Bush. Bush seems to be regurgitating information ... Do you agree with this?"

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:13:29 pm ET)

Not surprised that Bush would see a character flaw is changing positions. I hope that Kerry points out that if one changes positions based on new information, it is called intelligence and informed decision making.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:14:03 pm ET)

It's the hedgehog and the fox, Josh, to refer to a famous essay by Isaiah Berlin. Kerry is the fox, the man who has mastered lots and lots of information. But Bush is the hedgehog, the man who knows, and insists, and small number of absolutely central matters. Kerry can go on and on about this, that, and the other international organization. But Bush goes to the center of the matter, talking about the important of defending the nation and standing up for freedom.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:14:53 pm ET)

Kerry puts things into context and adds content. Maybe this debate setting is not an asset for Bush.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:15:39 pm ET)

"What I won't do is change my core values." That's what it comes down to.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:17:40 pm ET)

Kerry is correct about all this: On the threat of nuclear terrorism, Bush has done much, much too little. Let's see how Dubya responds.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:18:29 pm ET)

The core values of Bush and Kerry are about ensuring the safety and security of the American people, they make different choices. The question is whether the American people approve Bush's choices that have lost the support of the world.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:21:22 pm ET)

The loose nukes in Russia are such an important issue. If terrorists are looking for WMD, the Russian black market was the place, never Iraq.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:22:13 pm ET)

Yup. The loose nukes in Russia represent a major threat.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 10:22:16 pm ET)

Another reader comment: "It seems that Kerry is making good points, but that his delivery is so rapid-fire – especially when compared to Bush's rote repetition of catch phrases – that viewers won't be able to follow his argumentation." Is Kerry speaking too rapidly? Will debate viewers be able to recall his essential points tomorrow morning?

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:23:29 pm ET)

Kerry is speaking both too rapidly and too smoothly, I think, Josh. There's nothing there for listeners to latch onto – no organizing central statement, no compelling, memorable, simple formulation. He's talking like a professor, not a president.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:25:33 pm ET)

There was a great article in the Globe and Mail, it was entitled: Has Kerry the brains to act dumb? I hope that Kerry's knowledge and his response style makes people proud and frankly comes across as Presidential.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:27:17 pm ET)

Look at how folks reacted to Tony Blair and Bush speaking together. We all winced when Bush spoke and tried to figure out how we could elect a Brit to the office of President. Tonight Kerry came across as a Blair: focused, intelligent, and coherent.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:28:00 pm ET)

I am not talking about leaving, I am talking about winning. That is the keeper. That is the message they will take with them from this debate.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:28:46 pm ET)

I'd have to disagree there, Arnie. Blair is immensely eloquent; Kerry simply ponderous. And whereas Blair seems to speak to people on the level, man-to-man, Kerry seems to be talking down – not overtly, not even intentionally, but talking down all the same.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:30:04 pm ET)

Kerry has finally found his bumper sticker...his pithy line that can be remembered and evokes strength.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:30:32 pm ET)

"Steadfast, resolute, strong." Those are the words that sum up Bush's stand – and the best moments of his performance tonight.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:31:07 pm ET)

Thanks for the wild night. It was not a parallel press conference, it was a debate.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 10:31:51 pm ET)

Jim Lehrer offered Kerry and Bush a closing statement. I'd like to offer you both a short closing remark, based on this completely unoriginal question: Who won?

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:32:11 pm ET)

You're right – it was indeed a debate. Both men put their differences, profound differences, to the people. A credit to democracy.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:33:10 pm ET)

Kerry won and C-SPAN won. Their split screened showed a presidential-secure Kerry and a pained Bush. Yes!

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:33:46 pm ET)

To revert to sheer politics, Josh, it's not so clear that Bush won as that Kerry failed to win. Kerry has been trailing in the race for a good three weeks. It was utterly imperative for him to break through tonight, to shine so dramatically that he shook up the race, in effect starting the presidential contest all over again. That, I am afraid, Arnie, John Forbes Kerry failed to do.

Josh Burek (Thu. 9/30, 10:34:08 pm ET)

Peter and Arnie, thank you for your thoughtful commentary on tonight's debate. We look forward to another diablog session at the next presidential debate.

Peter Robinson (Thu. 9/30, 10:34:38 pm ET)

Arnie, Josh: Until Monday, G'night.

Arnie Arnesen (Thu. 9/30, 10:35:31 pm ET)

Bonne nuit. Notice the language...