1:13 – Question 9 for Fisher: What’s wrong with being a political insider? Aren’t you an insider, yourself?

1:14 – Fisher says people are angry about Washington insiders and the filibuster. Hoo boy. “It’s not about whether you serve, it’s who you serve.” Says Portman’s serving lobbyists, the US Chamber, Wall Street, and all these other people. Boo hoo he has so much money. Says it makes some sense to spend a little time out of the legislature. Says you want people who aren’t career politicians in DC.

1:16 – Portman says Fisher is a career politician who ran for office when Disco was still cool and gets laughs. Fisher interjects that it’s still cool, and also gets laughs. Portman says Fisher’s run for about every office in Ohio. He chuckles about how Fisher is accusing him of being a career politician. Says Fisher has a record of failure, and says Fisher hasn’t talked about how successful any of his chosen policies are.

1:17 – Question 10 for Portman: You say you don’t support privatizing Social Security, yet in the past you’ve supported private accounts. Have you changed your position?

1:18 – Portman says that it’s time to stop scaring seniors. Nobody believes that the Social Security system in its present form is sustainable. Says Social Security won’t be there for other generations, and says he doesn’t support touching peoples’ benefits, but there needs to be a way to make it solvent. Says it’s all about politics and some clever lines on one side, and serious policy considerations on the other side. Hits Fisher for fear mongering, then quotes him saying that his solution was simply to elect him. “That’s not a response.”

1:20 – Fisher says “Let’s talk about the political consultants.” Then says Portman was George W. Bush’s best friend. Says he has TV clips of Portman saying it’s safe to put money in the stock market. Says no one heard an answer. Says Portman’s put on a costume, and if he saw Portman’s ads, he’d think he’s a Democrat. “You never see the words Bush, Cheney or trade adviser on his website.”

1:21 – Closing remarks begin. Portman starts. “Given the discussion today, I’m going to change my closing.” This’ll be interesting. Decides to tell a story instead of giving his original closing remarks. Talks about a company in Northeast Ohio that went to a business conference, and said Fisher promised to help them at that conference, and then never did help, but did send them an email…a fundraising email. Portman visited the plant and said he did learn about what the people at the plant are concerned about. He says you can’t continue to raise taxes, raise costs of doing business. Says Ohio’s a great state and can be fixed, but it will take new leadership. Gets applause from the audience. LOUD applause.

1:24 – Fisher gets his closing remarks. Starts whining about Portman’s attack ads, saying they’re insulting and insult the audience’s intelligence. “This is a national recession that has hit every Republican and Democrat in the entire country.” Says Portman won’t blame Republicans who’ve lost jobs. Says that if you’re in a crisis, you can either go in the basement and pray or go in the front yard and plant and plough. Tells Portman to go to businesses that were convinced to stay by his Department. Says you save jobs one job at a time, one business at a time. He sounds angry…really angry. Says there are still too many people hurting because of Portman’s policies. “You want to see the jobs I’ve saved, go anywhere in Ohio?” Fisher gets applause too, but not as loud.