A depressing start to the 20th debate. Anderson Cooper thinks he’s being original by asking the candidates, “are we better off now than we were eight years ago?”

When Romney talks about his record, Cooper snidely asks Romney “are you running for governor or for president?”

McCain gives a detailed, complex, nuanced answer that brings the response from Cooper, “So it sounds like you’re saying we’re worse off.”

Ah. The former host of ABC’s reality show The Mole is going to be simultaneously pugnacious and obtuse.

Huckabee says Bush isn’t responsible, and takes shots at Congress for out of control spending.