Debate night

In honor of the Presidential Debate to be held in less than an hour from now, I have decided to post some links to some of my favorite political Web sites and blogs. Some are from the right, some are from the left, some are just funny. So while the heat is on in Miami tonight, check out these fun spots.

Instapundit.com
Glenn Reynolds, law professor at the University of Tennessee, is a well educated political pundit with no credentials other than the record he has set for himself. He leans right, but he's not afraid to say it like it is when both sides goof up. This site is a recent find of mine.

The Shape of Days
The Shape of Days will be doing a live blogcast of the debate tonight. This guy is also a recent discovery, but he's okay. He has some pretty funny one-liners, and his talk of the "pajamahadeen" blogging community makes me laugh. The current comments about John Kerry's tan making him look like an Oompa Loompa are hilarious.

Mallard Filmore
Mallard Filmore is one of the few conservative political cartoons around. It's not vicious and it usually just pokes fun at society. The political statements it makes are gentle, as is the humor.

The Boondocks
Oh, man, I love The Boondocks. I really don't agree with cartoonist Aaron McGruder's political and social views very often. But this strip is funny. There was one a few weeks ago that made fun of the anti-piracy ads they run before movies that made me bust out laughing so loud that my cubicle neighbors at work were alarmed. I probably lean right, so I read the left to balance me out.

The Drudge Report
I really started watching the Drudge Report when Matt Drudge had the video of Howard Dean's "scream heard 'round the world". His blend of politics and random trivia interest me.

Fackcheck.org
The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that checks all the numbers, statistics, and facts that are thrown out there in the political scene. They analyze each ad run on TV and every statement made by both presidential candidates. You'd be surprised how many numbers you hear are exaggerated or plain false. I found this site after hearing an interview on NPR with the director, Brooks Jackson.

The New York Times Online
Last, but certainly not least, is the best newspaper (in my opinion) on the web. I really do think the Times' Web site is superior to all other papers, especially because it's free with registration. Of particular interest this political season is the 2004 Election Guide, an interactive graphic that lets you see past elections, current trends, etc. You can even predict the outcome of Nov. 2, find information on House, Senate, and Governor races. It puts politics in its correct perspective: just a big game.