• The second presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain was held at Belmont University on October 7, 2008. It was conducted in a town hall meeting format, with candidates answering questions either posed by the audience or submitted earlier via the Internet or other channels.BelmontDebate09: Belmont Debate08

  Moderator Tom Brokaw repeatedly implored candidates to keep their answers short. Obama and McCain discussed and traded barbs on subjects including the financial crisis, energy policy and the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and South Ossetia.

• 1. Location: Nashville, TennesseeBelmontDebate09: Belmont Debate08
  2. The debate began at 8: 00 p.m. CDTBelmontDebate09: Belmont Debate08
  3. Scheduled to last 90 minutesBelmontDebate09: Belmont Debate08
  4. Candidates answered questions submitted by the audienceBelmontDebate09: Belmont Debate08
  5. Main audience of 100 people selected by Gallup--consisted of local undecided voters
  6. Up to 3,000 reporters covered the event.Commercial Appeal: Belmont, Nashville prepare for presidential debate (October 6, 2008)

• Quotes

  • "Nailing down Senator Obama's various tax proposals is like nailing Jello to the wall. There's been five or six of them, and if you wait long enough, there will probably be another one."--John McCain

  • "Sen. McCain... suggested that I don't understand. It's true. There are some things I don't understand. I don't understand how we ended up invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, while Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are setting up base camps and safe havens to train terrorists to attack us. That was Sen. McCain's judgment and it was the wrong judgment."--Barack Obama

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