Everything you ever wanted to know about tonight's presidential debate (but were afraid to ask): a brief Q and A

Q: I heard John McCain has agreed to participate in tonight's presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi. Does this mean that the financial crisis has been resolved and a bailout plan agreed upon?

A: Financial crisis? What financial crisis? The fundamentals of our economy are strong! Oops. That was last week. Today's answer is "no." But the McCain camp acknowledged significant progress had been made on the bailout plan -- since McCain left the Capitol.

Q: Who is moderating tonight's debate?

A: The McCain campaign -- I mean, Jim Lehrer, the executive editor and anchor of PBS's NewsHour.

Q: What is the focus of tonight's debate?

A: How many times McCain can contradict or reverse himself -- I mean, foreign policy and national security, though moderator Jim Lehrer has said he is free to ask questions about the current financial market/mortgage crisis.

Q: Do you think a lot of people will be watching tonight's debate?

A: Depends on how many baseball and college football games get rained out. But I will go out on a limb here and say "a lot."

Q: What does Barack Obama have to do in order to "win" tonight's debate and convince working class and the wealthiest Americans that they should vote for him?

A: Change his skin color -- or perhaps have a pastor from the Wasilla Assembly of God Church perform a blessing over him beforehand. Seriously? (Though actually, I was being serious. Just ask Former-Tennessee-Congressman-Couldn't-Get-Elected-as-Senator Harold Ford about the skin color thing.) Okay, seriously, Obama needs to keep saying what he's been saying but say it with some emotion or "fire."

Q: Does tonight's debate even matter?

A: Probably not, according to at least one political scientist who's researched the subject. But it could be entertaining and informative nonetheless.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for how to make tonight's debate more entertaining?

A: Just in time (before the liquor stores close), I received this suggestion from blog reader "Lietzy": "I think I am going to play a drinking game during the debate -- and drink every time McCain says 'my friends.' That will ensure that I will be good and wasted by the time it is mercifully over." Excellent advice, Lietzy.

Got a question re tonight's presidential debate? Post it as a comment here and I will do my best to answer it.

NEW Q: Blog reader Dave S. asks, What time is tonight's debate?

A: Good question! It begins at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, Dave. And *bonus answer* you can catch it on all three networks as well as on FOX, CNN, and MSNBC.

ANOTHER NEW Q: Blog reader TommyMac71 asks, "If I cannot watch the debate... from which media source [can] I get a reliable recap?"

A: Much as you would like me to say "The Daily Show," Tommy, it won't be on until Monday night, though I am sure Jon Stewart will have something (many somethings) to say. In the meantime, if you wish to catch a replay of the debate, for those of you outside the U.S., CNN will be replaying the debate at 9 a.m. GMT Saturday. And no matter where you are, you can catch the debate on www.mydebates.org, a collaboration between MySpace.com and the Commission on Presidential Debates, both as the debate is airing and afterwards for several days.