The Debate
Oct. 16th, 2008 12:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smofbabeI think this one will be scored slightly for McCain, who certainly was more eloquent than in past debates. Personally, I thought he kept dragging every issue back to his talking points regardless of whether they were appropriate, and he kept bringing up Obama's "eloquence" as if the fact that he spoke well was some sort of trick. Obviously I was watching as a partisan, but I think Obama won on relevance and on going less negative. (McCain's quip at the end of the education segment was just gratuitously nasty.) However, I'm not sure what impression his outright laughing from time to time when McCain distorted his record gave.
As for the debate itself, I thought Schieffer's questions were hugely better than any of the debates so far.
I think that McCain's debate coaches wrote "hurt" and "angry" on his wrist as his key words during the debate, as he dragged them out over and over. McCain definitely learned his talking points: Obama wants to raise taxes, Obama doesn't want free trade, Obama is screwing Joe the Plumber.
Tax cuts - One of Obama's best lines: "The notion that I voted for a tax increase for people making $42,000 a year has been disputed by everybody who has looked at this claim that Senator McCain keeps on making. Even Fox News disputes it, and that doesn't happen very often when it comes to accusations about me."
Negative campaigning - I was disappointed in Obama's first measured answer, but then in his second response he finally did directly mention the McCain/Palin audiences and the lack of response from the candidates. I thought the answer that they had obviously prepared about Ayers and ACORN was delivered well. I frankly was a bit surprised that McCain actually brought them up yet again instead of just dropping it. And it seemed completely bizarre that McCain opened by saying that if Obama had agreed to more town hall meetings, the campaigns wouldn't have been as negative. Huh?
VP Choices - I was disappointed in Obama's answer here. I was hoping he'd say something about the BS claim about executive experience and foreign policy experience. At least he was gracious, unlike McCain's dragging up Biden's vote on the Gulf War.
Health care - I think Obama won this one, and the dials seemed to agree with me.
Supreme Court - McCain once again used his answer to attack Obama, and Schieffer tried to pin him down on the Roe v Wade question but he managed to waffle by talking about qualifications. He might have lost some of his base's loyalty on that one which is, of course, one of the reasons he chose Palin. But then he might have gotten them back by bringing up the partial-birth abortion issue. Once again, Obama was much more positive in his answer than attacking McCain.
Education - A draw, although I think Obama provided more specifics. McCain first says that throwing money at a problem isn't always the answer, but then when he drags Palin's interest in special needs says that he's going to make sure to fund programs for them.
Closing statements - McCain's was rather flat and spoke more about his personal desire to serve than about what his administration would be like. Obama's was surprisingly more negative than I would have expected to start but then started rolling on policies and got more eloquent at the end.
Too bad there wasn't a new drinking game featuring "Joe the Plumber" - McCain and his coaches had obviously decided that mentioning him was a way for him to seem compassionate and identify with the middle class but after a while I thought it was such an obvious ploy that it was ridiculously labored and awkward. When McCain brought Joe up yet again during the health care discussion, I swear Obama was biting his lip to avoid laughing out loud.
I think McCain will come out of this with slightly more positive press, I don't think it was a game-changer for him. At least I certainly hope not!
As for the debate itself, I thought Schieffer's questions were hugely better than any of the debates so far.
I think that McCain's debate coaches wrote "hurt" and "angry" on his wrist as his key words during the debate, as he dragged them out over and over. McCain definitely learned his talking points: Obama wants to raise taxes, Obama doesn't want free trade, Obama is screwing Joe the Plumber.
Tax cuts - One of Obama's best lines: "The notion that I voted for a tax increase for people making $42,000 a year has been disputed by everybody who has looked at this claim that Senator McCain keeps on making. Even Fox News disputes it, and that doesn't happen very often when it comes to accusations about me."
Negative campaigning - I was disappointed in Obama's first measured answer, but then in his second response he finally did directly mention the McCain/Palin audiences and the lack of response from the candidates. I thought the answer that they had obviously prepared about Ayers and ACORN was delivered well. I frankly was a bit surprised that McCain actually brought them up yet again instead of just dropping it. And it seemed completely bizarre that McCain opened by saying that if Obama had agreed to more town hall meetings, the campaigns wouldn't have been as negative. Huh?
VP Choices - I was disappointed in Obama's answer here. I was hoping he'd say something about the BS claim about executive experience and foreign policy experience. At least he was gracious, unlike McCain's dragging up Biden's vote on the Gulf War.
Health care - I think Obama won this one, and the dials seemed to agree with me.
Supreme Court - McCain once again used his answer to attack Obama, and Schieffer tried to pin him down on the Roe v Wade question but he managed to waffle by talking about qualifications. He might have lost some of his base's loyalty on that one which is, of course, one of the reasons he chose Palin. But then he might have gotten them back by bringing up the partial-birth abortion issue. Once again, Obama was much more positive in his answer than attacking McCain.
Education - A draw, although I think Obama provided more specifics. McCain first says that throwing money at a problem isn't always the answer, but then when he drags Palin's interest in special needs says that he's going to make sure to fund programs for them.
Closing statements - McCain's was rather flat and spoke more about his personal desire to serve than about what his administration would be like. Obama's was surprisingly more negative than I would have expected to start but then started rolling on policies and got more eloquent at the end.
Too bad there wasn't a new drinking game featuring "Joe the Plumber" - McCain and his coaches had obviously decided that mentioning him was a way for him to seem compassionate and identify with the middle class but after a while I thought it was such an obvious ploy that it was ridiculously labored and awkward. When McCain brought Joe up yet again during the health care discussion, I swear Obama was biting his lip to avoid laughing out loud.
I think McCain will come out of this with slightly more positive press, I don't think it was a game-changer for him. At least I certainly hope not!
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 03:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 03:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 01:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 02:22 pm (UTC)On Roe v. Wade, I wonder how many people caught that even though he said there was no litmus test for Supreme Court judges, he then later said that because in his opinion Roe v Wade was not a correct constitutional decision any judge who thought it was would not meet his (McCain's) idea of a qualified judge and would not be put up for consideration (I paraphrase but it was at the end of that discussion).
Oh and health care: I was bothered by the implication that McCain made about more comprehensive health care plans that cover some of the more expensive procedures like transplants - that somehow those plans are for the privileged who can afford those plans but that the rest of us should be happy with our $5000 for health care (and be happy to pay taxes on that, which I would NOT be happy to do BTW) for el cheapo health care that probably covers very little. I believe they call those HMOs.
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Date: 2008-10-16 09:01 pm (UTC)I've seen this pointed out in several news stories - the Boston Globe had it as the final quote in their debate coverage story (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/10/16/mccain_attacks_obama_digs_in_during_freewheeling_final_debate/?page=2): "I would consider anyone in their qualifications," McCain said. "I do not believe someone who had supported Roe v. Wade would be part of those qualifications, but I would not impose any litmus test."
no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 09:04 pm (UTC)