Look at him, Senator McCain
It’s true that every other blogger who cares even the teeniest bit will be blogging about the debate tonight…but that’s because there’s so much for a blogger to work with! Now I might be a little biased in my analysis, but I love Obama even more now. I do have to give it to the CNN team, there is no clear winner here, but through my blue-colored glasses, there was a lot to ridicule McCain for here. I’ll get that out of my system.
So let’s compare…
OBAMA:
Stressed his plans to help working and middle class families (I believe 95% is close to the percentage of people in the United States who own fewer than seven houses)
MCCAIN:
Has seven houses.
OBAMA:
Is not afraid to try to contact world leaders the US has been giving the cold shoulder to.
MCCAIN:
Does not negotiate. Period.
OBAMA:
Did not hesitate to actually debate when McCain said something he disagreed with.
MCCAIN:
Said, “I don’t need to go back and forth.” Um, isn’t that the point of a debate, Senator?
OBAMA:
Wants to utilize renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources like wind and solar energy.
MCCAIN:
Wants to add 45 new nuclear power plants (but freaks out at the idea of anyone else having nuclear anything) and keeps pushing the idea of off-shore drilling (which would only prolong our dependency on oil).
OBAMA:
Looks at his opponent when addressing him.
MCCAIN:
Determinedly avoids Obama’s gaze.
And a few other notes I took:
Lehrer: “Are you going to vote for the plan?” (Referring to the financial bail-out plan McCain wanted to postpone the debate to work on)
McCain: “Sure” (very nonchalantly, and after implying he’s waiting to see the final product…you just bit yourself in the armpit, sir)
McCain: “Are you afraid I can’t hear him?” in response to Lehrer asking Obama to address McCain directly.
McCain needed to remind us (more than once) that he has not won the Miss Congeniality award. Well, that’s ok, you have her as your runningmate.
“We’ve succeeded” in Iraq. First of all, and this is kind of a serious question, how do you win a war against insurgencies as opposed to organized national/political organizations? Second of all, “success” is defined as “the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.” So I will consider this war a “success” when it has been terminated.
Ok, now we have 30 seconds left…obviously a great time for you to break out with the POW/veteran reference, Johnny boy.
And Anderson Cooper is a creeper. I don’t know why I think that, just every time I see his face I think creeper.
OK, in all seriousness, this was not a deciding event by any means. Despite my relentless ridicule, I do think that McCain put up a good enough presentation to make up for points he may have lost with wanting to suspend the campaign and the crap he’s been getting about the financial crisis. Is he a strong debater? No, Obama kicked his ass as far as delivery and eloquence. I’ll even go so far as to say that he let himself look a bit like a idiot by allowing Obama to talk over him. But on certain topics, McCain did a better job as far as content in his preliminary addresses. Obama has been attacked for his lack of foreign relations experience, something McCain considers his strong suit (because he was a POW? sorry), and that was highlighted a couple times tonight. However, Obama is very confident as far as domestic issues, and something I admire about him is that he acknowledges his weaknesses and tries to become stronger in those areas. McCain’s views sometimes seemed dated; Obama’s arguments were all about change. And, because Obama is the better debater and speaker, while you were watching, you had the impression that Obama was dominating the debate.
Another important thing to remember about the presidential race is that the vice-presidential candidate is an important part of the package, and Biden is still the better choice. I really hope that he crushes Palin in next week’s vice-presidential debate. I’m going to be very biased and belittle Palin ruthlessly in anticipation. I mean, can you imagine what her responses would be to the same questions Obama and McCain were asked tonight?
LEHRER: Gentlemen, at this very moment tonight, where do you stand on the financial recovery plan?
PALIN: Right on top of it, Jim!
LEHRER: Much has been said about the lessons of Vietnam. What do you see as the lessons of Iraq?
PALIN: Well, seeing as how I have family over there, just like thousands of other Americans, I would have to say that the most important lesson I’ve learned is how to properly apply lipstick over my pitbull teeth. Because you know what they say about hockey moms and pitbulls…
Now, I can’t go on and on about this forever. But everyone should be keeping up with CNN because they’re actually doing a pretty good job of doing a mostly unbiased analysis of the debate.
Oh, one more thing: Spending freezes? Are you serious, John? So basically you don’t want the government to pay for anything except for the military and its retired personnel?
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