Presidential Debate: Round 1

[Cedars]

I just heard a talking head mention that it might be interesting to hear what Ralph Nader and Bob Barr could add to this debate (with their always ranting about corporate welfare, etc.).

 

Yea, geee; that might be interesting. ...You think?

 

...and maybe also add the Green Party's, Cynthia McKinney.

 

:)

 

Ralph sure has aged alot.

[Racoon]

I can't wait for the Biden - Palin debates

 

:hihi::hyper:

 

(Both VP candidates have a high probability of inheriting the WhiteHouse for obvious reasons)

[Racoon]

I only watched part of it. I feel asleep because I had to work in the morning. Like get up at 4am to get to work by 5am.

 

 

2. Obama mentioned McCain being right way too many times. He should not have said it at all, instead he should have focused on where he is right. Call it what you want, being polite, being objective, whatever. Doesnt matter when your trying to sell your side.

 

.

 

 

Excellent point.

 

Why spend money attacking McCain in ads if you're agreeing with him on TV?

 

Just call the spade a spade, and do Obamas 'thang', which is spellbinding an audience with optimisim of a brilliant future ahead of the country without a George Jr. or Jeb Bush .

[REASON]

I just watched the debate McCain bats his eyes like a toad in a hail storm.

 

And he whistles too, like Gopher on Winnie the Pooh. Once I picked up on it, it started grating on my nerves.

 

I have respected and appreciated John McCain in the past, but his pandering to the conservative base for the sake of getting elected has left me questioning his integrity and his willingness to be true to his character. He has reversed his position on numerous issues over the course of his campaign and I can't help but think he is doing so strictly for political reasons. It is this mentality that I think we as informed citizens need to reject more often.

 

I thought Obama did a thorough job of demonstrating why McCain's positions on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan are non-sensical and have proven to be ineffectual, with the mild exception of the "Surge" which has assisted in the reduction of violence. McCain is hanging on to Iraq as the primary focus in the so called "War on Terrorism," while it has become clear that we invaded Iraq on false pretenses, and are avoiding dealing with the primary al Qaida threat in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Continuing on our current path in the region is not properly dealing with the terrorist threat (in fact it is only inflaming it further), and represents a staggering cost that is helping to cripple our economy. While I don't completely agree with Obama's approach either, at least his goals represent a shift in policy which can move us in a better direction, and hopefully lead to an end to our military presence in the region.

 

Another reason I believe Obama performed better is because he demonstrated a complete understanding of all of the issues at hand and appeared very presidential in his demeanor which addressed the criticism of his lack of experience IMHO. I predict that a true lack of knowledge and experience will reveal itself in the VP debate on Thursday.

 

Also, I found it downright childish that McCain wouldn't even look at Obama throughout the entire debate. That's a very condecending and disrespectful attitude, and not very appealing if you ask me. :hihi:

[Buffy]

Yep. It was the Straight Talk Express all right....

 

YouTube - John McCain Says HORSESH*T During the 9/26 Debate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1rZBmk0DYU

 

Ruffian, let go that rude uncivil touch, thou friend of an ill fashion, :)

Buffy

[Spiked Blood]

Before watching this, a lot of what I have seen from McCain has just not shown him in a good light. He seems to contradict himself often, and on occasion I have seen him tell flat out lies (or intentionally avoid to answer a question that will contradict his position). Almost like he doesn't realise that in this day and age, pretty much everything you say, gets in some capacity, recorded. And will come back to bite you in the ***.

 

It has been well recorded that Obama has impeccable oratorical skills. I think, with a bit more experience, this guy could give Billyboy Clinton a run for his money. Damn trained lawyers. I have to say though, for a person who has been taught law, sometimes (perhaps this is just a subtle ploy) some of the things he says seem to be a little naive. Almost like he doesn't realise that everything he says, will be almost neurotically analysed, and will be used against him to expose some weakness, real or imagined.

 

As for the debate, McCain actually impressed me, during the first half. He's not some gibbering idiot - Bush mark 2. But he completely ruined the first half with the second half of the debate, where he repeatedly tried, and failed, to undermine Obama. Attacking Obama with every question, which just completely backfired and made him look petty and at times utterly condascending towards Obama. Taking this in his stride, with a charming smile, all the attacks did was improve Obamas standing.

 

I do wish Obama would, without resorting to such petty, pathetic tactics that McCain employed, be a bit more direct, and passionate with his rebuttals. I think he needs to be more aggressive at times, and show that he doesn't shy from confrontation, but is willing to meet it head on when the situation requires. Otherwise it gives Republications ammunition to claim that Obama is the epitomy of the liberal softy steriotype.

[HydrogenBond]

Going into the debate I thought Omaba was going to kill McCain. But McCain did better than I thought. To me, going into the debate, the media successfully inflated Obama and deflated McCain, even for a McCain semi-supporter. There is a bias, with the media support not included as being a campaign contribution. Who did they lobby to get this exemption?

 

Obama talked a good talk and made good points, but McCain appeared to be more in the know. I was surprise by the nearly $billion of pork barrel a junior senator was lobbying to get. Who did he know to expect that much? Why did he drop the pork if it was valid?

 

I also notice Obama did not seem to remember John McCains first name. I starting to count but lost count at about 5. Was this staged or was it due to being too self absorbed to remember? McCain is known to have a temper. If this was tactical and not the onset of senility, was the idea was to get McCain mad or cheat to win? During first half McCain kept his cool, even with this juvenile name calling; "Jim McCain, George McCain, Obama McCain, Sally McCain, haha". By the second half it worked and McCain was on the offensive. McCain should have called Obama, Osama, in the spirit of the game, and then a good food fight could have broken out.

[Spiked Blood]

I also notice Obama did not seem to remember John McCains first name. I starting to count but lost count at about 5. Was this staged or was it due to being too self absorbed to remember? McCain is known to have a temper. If this was tactical and not the onset of senility, was the idea was to get McCain mad or cheat to win? During first half McCain kept his cool, even with this juvenile name calling; "Jim McCain, George McCain, Obama McCain, Sally McCain, haha". By the second half it worked and McCain was on the offensive. McCain should have called Obama, Osama, in the spirit of the game, and then a good food fight could have broken out.

 

I noticed Obama accidently call McCain by the wrong name because he was thinking about another person at the time, the other person who he referred to at the end of the sentence where he clearly accidently called John, jim, or james, or something similar.

 

I only watched the debate once, but this is the only time I saw Obama mistakingly call John the wrong name, and it was obviously accidental. Maybe I'm wrong but I really don't trust what you've said in your post. It just seems like a petty attempt by a republican/McCain supporter to rationalise the contempt McCain was showing for Obama during the second half of the debate. If there is an online transcript to the debate, I'd like to see these times where he called John by the wrong name, because I just did not see it. And for the record, I am not a democrat, or American.

 

I also completely disagree with McCain being more in the know, other than his juvenile attempts to belittle Obama to make it appear that Obama didn't know what he was talking about, continually trying to correct Obama, when Obama hadn't made any errors. Obama easily held his own on McCains strong point.. Not sure why foreign policy is supposed to be McCains strong point, other than he fought in Vietnam...