First, this was the most boring debate so far. It was really boring.
Second, John McCain gave the most substantive answers to the questions. Obama patently refused to answer some of the questions, including the last question. He couldn’t bring himself to admit there are things he does not know.
Third, Obama’s holocaust answer is just astounding. Absolutely astounding that he’d say that.
Fourth, there was nothing new in this debate. McCain really set himself up for new attacks on Obama. Obama did nothing to set anything up. But at the end of the debate McCain really stood out with his answer on what he did not know. It was an absolutely brilliant answer from McCain.
The media will say it went Obama’s way because there was no no change. But I suspect that McCain actually will pick up a bit from here. His answers were common sense answers and steady.
He did well.
Obama came across as a whiner. Like with the “me too teacher” answer to the bracelets in the last debate, his begging to respond because he couldn’t use his time effectively, came across poorly, as did his crass use of 9/11.
Overall though, this debate was boring.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
With all due respect...
udtiger Tuesday, October 7th at 9:53PM EST (link)…you are whistling past the graveyard.
I am going to vote for McCain (and have been a grudging McCain voter for some time), but he gave NO “undecided” voter a reason to vote for him.
There’s a large bloc of voters that’s not particularly enamoured with either candidate…looking for a reason to vote for one (or against the other). McCain had the chance to appeal to BOTH of these motivations with the proper performance tonight. Instead, he likely gave many of those voters a reason NOT to vote for him.
The table was set for McCain tonight, and he sh*t the bed. The media was buzzing all day about Ayers. The last weekend has been percolating with the Dem/Fannie connection (including Barney Frank calling the GOP racist for bringing it up). McCain had so many opportunities to really stick Obama in the ribs and he did NOTHING!!!!! He took a few jabs, but he essentially backed off.
I honor the man’s service, but he was gutless in not drilling Obama between the eyes considering the plethora of opportunities he gave him. Obama stuck his chin out all night and McCain wiffed.
McCain’s performance tonight was terrible considering the stakes and the opportunity. Maverick my arse…
“Everybody needs money! That’s why they call it money!”
I hope you're right.
Jill1066 Tuesday, October 7th at 9:57PM EST (link)“But I suspect that McCain actually will pick up a bit from here. His answers were common sense answers and steady.”
From your mouth to God’s ear, Erick. Sen. McCain needs to win this. The USA does not deserve to have an unprepared left-wing neophyte leading the nation with a completely out of control left-wing Congress.
McCain
blueteapot Tuesday, October 7th at 10:04PM EST (link)would have lost more than he would have gained to have pursued that course in this setting. Best to hammer on that tact via ads and stump speeches. Tonight, folks were looking for a leader on the economy. The buy up/re-work the bad loans idea will at least give them something to chew on. Obama had nothing, as usual.
I am sorry...
udtiger Tuesday, October 7th at 10:07PM EST (link)…but I don’t agree. Let me trot out a few trrite cliches :
1) “You dance with the one that brung ya.”
2) “A craftsman doesn’t blame his tools.”
It does not matter how crappy the questions are or whether your opponent fails to adhere to the Marquis of Queensbury rules, you go in with a clear idea of what you want to say, how you want to say it, and the circumstances when your opportunity to say it appears. McCain should have walked onto that stage with his *rhetorical *knife in hand, ready to carve Obama up at every opening. Those openings were there (I was screaming at my television when they appeared) and McCain did NOTHING!
“Everybody needs money! That’s why they call it money!”
A stump speech...
udtiger Tuesday, October 7th at 10:10PM EST (link)…is heard by the people that attend, and by the people watching the news broadcast through the filter that is NBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, etc.
This was his chance to hammer his opponent in front of 50 million *plus *viewers with NO ONE to tell them what you said/did (because they were watching it with their own eyes).
“Everybody needs money! That’s why they call it money!”
It sucked. Hard.
Dukeboy01 (Diary) Tuesday, October 7th at 10:26PM EST (link)This debate just sucked. The questions sucked. The moderator sucked. Both candidates sucked. It’s 90 minutes of our lives gone. I should have turned over to “The Shield” at 10, but I kept waiting for there to be a good question from A REGULAR PERSON and it didn’t happen.
If you compare this debate to the first debate, 85% of the questions and answers were covering the exact same ground. We got to hear Barry say “POCK-i-stahn” a bajillion times too many. McCain grumbled about pork barrel projects.
SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK, SUCK!
You mean to tell me that out of the alleged thousands of questions Brokaw was supposed to be going through, they were all about the same issues we heard about in the first debate? What about guns, gay marriage, abortion, the Supreme Court, the impending release of radical jihadists into our midsts on Friday, emminent domain, or anything else that should be on the table and that I would expect regular folks to have asked.
Look, I understand that the economy sucks and is a huge issue and would have had to come up, but we heard all of that during the first debate. At this rate none of the other things are going to be mentioned at all, unless the final debate is going to turn into the “Potpourri” category on Jeopardy.
The only bright spot I see is that McCain’s announcement of the mortgage buyout plan or whatever (I don’t understand it and I’m not sure John does either) it is seems to be the one thing that the media is taking away from the debate. It’s generating “buzz” for McCain, at least among the talking heads on Fox.
Government is evil.
It’s a necessary evil, but it is an evil. Any application of government should be done in a somber fashion, as it is a failure of our humanity that we couldn’t handle it as individual citizens. Deciding whether to apply government to solve a problem should be considered on the same level as burning down an orphanage full of children to solve a problem. Deciding to tax should be thought of like deciding to stab an innocent man for our own gain. Anyone who celebrates government is a ghoulish wretch who must be ostracized from polite society.
-Frank J.
Clinging to my religion; CLEANING my guns.
That Little Chin Sticking Out Thing
Mary_Contrary (Diary) Tuesday, October 7th at 10:30PM EST (link)The more I see of Obama, the more I am offended by his arrogance. That little thing with sticking out his chin is what may do him in.
People can’t stand arrogance, and Obama is the epitome of arrogance.
And that sashaying around the platform was a total turn off.
The other 2 debates were much better.
acasilaco Tuesday, October 7th at 10:49PM EST (link)Both in that McCain/Palin performed better in the previous two, and those debates themselves were just all around better than this one. You are right.
And as much as I hate to say it — because I really don’t want a Chicago liberal running the executive branch with a San Francisco liberal running the legislative branch — I don’t think McCain had a very good night. Perhaps my expectations were too high after all the “gloves come off” and “he excells at town halls” talk.
I just hope tonight’s debate will prove generally forgetable for everyone.
Now, for the next twenty-whatever days McCain needs to put Palin in front of as many voters as possible, and they need to have a clear and consistent explanation of why they can fix the economy and Obama’s ideas won’t work.
McCain Does Not Inspire
edward_cropper Tuesday, October 7th at 10:50PM EST (link)John is what he is. He is not a debater or a good speaker. He is stiff and uninspiring. He will not go for the juggler and tries too hard to convince people who would cut his throat in a minute he is a good guy and reconciler.
He can only win by using true conservative rhetoric and issues, but since he is not a true conservative he can not make the transition believable
I have not given up but it is not looking very encouraging for the moment.
Edward Cropper
40 million American households that Don't watch McCain are generally 'Happier' than those people in households that Do watch McCain
speciallist (Diary) Tuesday, October 7th at 11:02PM EST (link)n/p
TRUTH!
dbecraft Tuesday, October 7th at 11:04PM EST (link)Formally known as Deagle… “Golf is a way of life…”
You owe me about 6 keyboards now. ;)
stang (Diary) Tuesday, October 7th at 11:06PM EST (link)I gotta keep the fluids away when you’re around. Heh.
“Whenever the legislators endeavor to take away and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any farther obedience, and are left to the common refuge which God hath provided for all men against force and violence.”
John Locke
Seems like McCain came across as the whiner in this debate.
Chris_B Tuesday, October 7th at 11:25PM EST (link)When he insisted on the follow-up question he looked like a little kid pleading his case for his turn to go down the slide before recess is over.
So now they’ve both come off looking like whiners. They both had valid points to make but handled it like little kids. We’re going to have a whiny 47-year-old or a whiny 72-year-old as our next president.
"nothing new?" Are you mad?
Jay_Cee Tuesday, October 7th at 11:44PM EST (link)Except an economic proposal that reveals McCain to be a socialist?
Refinance every underwater mortgage in the country by picking my pocket?
Bah! I’m done with him. I’m going to write in Ron Paul (who I despise).
300 billion more for mortgages..
oldmom Wednesday, October 8th at 12:02AM EST (link)this really BURNS me.
Buying and renegotiating mortgages directly from homeowners is NOT governments job. Adjusting the loans to the ‘new’ lower market prices? Give me a break!
So-my neighbor who went for broke and purchased at $375,000 will get a new government loan/fixed rate for $290,000 because the market has tanked here? He gets to write off 85 grand AND keep his house?
How about MY house? With $100,000 down and a mortgage I could afford ($240,000)and now down in market value to $285,000 I’m down 55 grand.
Tell me how this is even fair or legal?
I do the responsible thing and end up losing money. My neighbor doesn’t and gets bailed out?
The worst thing-it is the McCain’s (Republican?) plan.
Are we in the twilight zone?
I ♥ Oregon.
Openings?
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Wednesday, October 8th at 12:44AM EST (link)Mentioning Ayers when Obama is trying to be compassionate to the people but mean to McCain and the Rules of the Debate?
It would only infuriate the Independents.
Obama is fluent in the language of lies!
Scope (Diary) Wednesday, October 8th at 8:32AM EST (link)Not to speak of his leaning on his stool like he was modeling for a men’s suit commercial.
Lefties
WalterSobchak Wednesday, October 8th at 8:52AM EST (link)Well, we’re used to it. We’ve had a lefty in the White House for the past 8 years.
Congress on the other hand needs a wholesale gutting. A bunch of bean counters should replace them IMO.