I almost fell asleep during the debate, but then I ate a piece of cake and the sugar helped me get through it.
They should just let them write all of this down on paper and publish it on the internet, and then use the television time to let them both drive monster trucks and crush some cars. Whoever gets the most air wins the debate, and you get extra points if one of your monster truck wheels comes off and you can still drive around on just three wheels and crush a car.
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What are you pretending not to know ?
Shakesphere said it best, Much Ado About Nothing. I seriously doubt if they changed anybody's mind, or convinced anyone that is undecided.
I didn't really care for the format. I don't know why they call them debates, since they don't really debate anything, just recite their stump speeches. I'd rather see something more like the Saddleback deal, which I thought was better suited to giving answers, instead of speeches.
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John
Ontario 32 - Aria
Free, is the heart, that lives not, in fear.
Full, is the spirit, that thinks not, of falling.
True, is the soul, that hesitates not, to give.
Alive, is the one, that believes, in love. JCP
Current poll on Drudge from 64K responses is McCain 72% Obama 25%
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John
Ontario 32 - Aria
Free, is the heart, that lives not, in fear.
Full, is the spirit, that thinks not, of falling.
True, is the soul, that hesitates not, to give.
Alive, is the one, that believes, in love. JCP
As much as I can I tried to score the debate objectively. I'm pretty well aware of each candidate's positions so I was not expecting a lot of new information. I'm not sure that I succeeded at the objectivity part but I tried my darnedest.
I scored it 3 to 2 for McCain. McCain started out very shaky and seemed old and a bit discombobulated but he soon caught his stride. Obama was consistent throughout and came across, as always, as a genuinely nice guy. Although nice guy status is not high on my list of presidential qualifications.
I actually scored McCain ahead significantly on the inevitable economic issues. He had a simple message of cutting spending and he stuck to it, to good effect. Obama, on the other hand, tried a laundry list of essential services that he'd still support even given the shortage of funds foreseen. I thought it particularly damning that he chose pre-school education as an essential priority. I'm not sure that anyone who does not make their living at pre-K education regards it as an educational necessity. McCain's jabs on earmarks and his call for a spending freeze were effective points. I was surprised to find that I thought McCain did better in the econ segment than Obama. I think it was more Obama weakness than McCain strength displayed.
I thought Obama's efforts to tie McCain to the Bush administration were largely ineffective as McCain came prepared to answer part and parcel where he's opposed the Bush administration. I did think that if McCain cited General Petraeus one more time I was going to initiate a paternity action to decipher whether the General parentage has Arizona roots!
McCain deftly handled the question of Pakistan, leaving the impression that he sure go after al-Qaeda within their borders but wouldn't throw it in the Paki's face. Obama sounded somewhat cowboy like compared to McCain's citing of Pakistani history and the need to continue to support democracy there. No matter how small the country, you don't just announce as POTUS that you'll not respect their borders...even when you know that you may be not quite as respectful as you're implying.
McCain missed a great opportunity on veteran's affairs although he answered the question quite well. He should have said something like, I know veterans, I am a veteran. When it got down to Russia and other foreign affairs I think he fairly dusted Obama. McCain knew the leader's names, he knew the issues, and-more importantly-he knew the history of the US and her relations with those nations. The comment on looking in Putin's eyes and seeing his soul was a gaffe on Obama's part...another lame effort to conflate McCain with Bush. McCain's response in saying he saw KGB in his eyes was not only accurate but pointed out the fact that McCain was busy fighting the Cold War while Obama was chasing co-eds in college.
McCain also made an excellent point in mentioning that we're talking about the next presidency and not the last one. Obama did not realize he'd been wounded and continued to attempt to damn McCain with events seven years old. Obama seemed to think that McCain had to somehow explain, or was responsible for, the administrations actions many days past.
McCain's efforts to channel Reagan were largely ham-handed and did not impress this Reaganite, though his anecdote on opposing RWR on troops in Lebanon was well delivered in service of his maverick status.
Another dark alley that Obama went down that he might rethink was the status of America in the world's eyes. In my opinion, most Americans don't give a damn what the rest of the world thinks of us. McCain missed an opportunity to say that the world always goes with a winner in the end and that he'd ensure that America was a winner, in Iraq and elsewhere.
Obama likewise fumbled the diplomacy question, coming across as a naif once again. On the other hand, McCain cited Madeleine Albright's efforts in North Korea to what appeared to be a reference to Madame Chou for all Obama could respond.
Obama was definitely smoother and the more polished speaker but McCain dominated in the short and succinct turns of phrase that clearly communicated his positions. Obama spoke well but failed to make much of a point or, more tellingly, that he had an actual position on the matter at hand.
Make that 3 to1 for McCain. But then, by the morning, I'll have it McCain going away. So much for objectivity! I'll add that, while I'm lukewarm about McCain based on past history, he made some progress with me tonight. I'm conveniently overlooking his support for efforts to combat climate change which irked me. Perhaps because he followed them up immediately by opposing ethanol subsidies.
Yeah...well msnbc has it 75-20 for Obama ... with about 40k votes. It all depends on who ya listen to.
I was afraid JMac would get killed in this format but was pleasently surprised that he was on offense most of the time. Still...overall...probably no one changed any minds or got a bigger share of the independents. As the one with the lead right now...Obama gets a win since a draw was good enough for him.
JMac needs to get with the house Repubs program and WIN some vote for standing tall on the "bailout/economy in time for the next debate.
After some ruminating, I think if anything comes out of this it will be these two things:
While McCain was saying Obama just didn't get it, Obama kept saying McCain was right. Not right about Obama not getting it, but the juxposition of the two phrase might stick.
On the economy, McCain kept pushing spending cuts, while Obama called for more spending. And when is Obama going to stop saying he's giving 95% of the people tax cuts, when 30% of them don't even pay any taxes?
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John
Ontario 32 - Aria
Free, is the heart, that lives not, in fear.
Full, is the spirit, that thinks not, of falling.
True, is the soul, that hesitates not, to give.
Alive, is the one, that believes, in love. JCP
Free, is the heart, that lives not, in fear.
Full, is the spirit, that thinks not, of falling.
True, is the soul, that hesitates not, to give.
Alive, is the one, that believes, in love. JCP
Yeah...well msnbc has it 75-20 for Obama ... with about 40k votes. It all depends on who ya listen to.
I was afraid JMac would get killed in this format but was pleasently surprised that he was on offense most of the time. Still...overall...probably no one changed any minds or got a bigger share of the independents. As the one with the lead right now...Obama gets a win since a draw was good enough for him.
JMac needs to get with the house Repubs program and WIN some vote for standing tall on the "bailout/economy in time for the next debate.
I think he tried to allude to the House Rep's efforts but fumbled it. He would have scored big points with me, and the American people, had he handled that better and allied himself with that minority position. It's not necessarily rational but, screw Wall Street and screw the bailout resonate with most voters.
No but I am interested..back home they are already assuming Obama as the winner.
However, the majority of us is Social democratic (republican)...so I am just curious, what each has to say in regards to the poor state the COuntry is now...and how hey will get it out...
