Posted on 09/26/2008 8:46:47 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
At the end of the day, those two oft-repeated phrases sum up tonight's debate. McCain was the teacher; Obama was the promising but somewhat disappointing student -- the one who knows lots of facts but ultimtely doesn't quite get the big picture
In reaching this verdict, I don't want to give the impression did Obama did badly. To the contrary, I think he debated quite well for the most past. Certainly, his performance should end the mantra of certain critics that Obama can't handle himself without a tele-prompter. The problem for Obama was not his performance; his problem was that once McCain got past his dreadful first "round" of the debate, he excelled. McCain was more knowledgeable, more to the point, keener on the attack, and (above all) deeper than Obama.
The reality is that, when he's in form, McCain is deeper than just about anyone. Recall his debates with Mitt Romney (and a cast of thousands). Romney was articulate (probably more so than Obama) and knowledgeable. But McCain had an octave that Romney just couldn't reach (though Giuliani did at times). McCain hit those notes frequently tonight; Obama couldn't reach them any more than Romney could.
Recall too how, in those Republican debates, the other leading candidates kept praising McCain, figuring that he was finished as a contender and that they could get some reflected glory by speaking well of him. But voters kept noticing that McCain was the guy everyone else commended.
Obama didn't praise McCain very much tonight, but he sure "seconded" him on multiple occasions. Let's hope the voters noticed.
UPDATE: John Hindraker has a very different take below. He sees the debate as a draw at best for McCain. I agree with John on one thing (which is implied in my assessment) -- Obama looked like a plausible president. So, voters who are too disgusted to vote for a Republican probably got enough reassurance from Obama tonight to take the plunge. But to the extent voters are still comparing the two candidates, rather than voting up or down on Obama, I think it was a good night for McCain.
Obama lied several times directly or by implication (re. Kissenger).
Obama always lies. That is what he does.
I don’t know who these pundits were watching.
I thought he looked foolish and rehearsed.
Like a dumb student.
Good choice of words if this shady character wins the presidency...
McCain was so much better than 0 ... it’s unbelievable...
“Shady character” is right ~ that’s who he is and that’s exactly the type he attracts.
They already have.
I saw only half the debate. I thought McPain did not necessarily fail, but he certainly did not KO Oprah’s Obama, who made the socialist agenda seem appealing to middle-of-the-road uninformed voters.
The American people or sheeple, I am afraid, wouldn’t recognize a “shady character” unless he is so labeled by their media representatives, who do their thinking for them.
Oprah’s Obama cannot lie because he is a “compassionate” socialist, and socialists don’t lie, so think so many Americans.
I liked the “can’t tell a tactic from a strategy” line.
Neither can the American people tell a strategy from a tactic.
McCain far exceeded my expectations. He came across as presidential, sincere, and wise. Obama came across as an angry, vacuous hack.
Quite a few of McCain’s eloquent responses (yes, McCain was eloquent) left Obama at a loss for words. Obama constantly agreed with McCain out of self-preservation, else Obama risk planting his foot firmly down his own throat.
Very well played, Senator McCain. Bravo!
McCain demolished Obama. That one moment when he asserted that Obama’s saying he’d meet with enemy leaders without preconditions was worse than naive, it had far reaching implications, none of them good. And when he called Obama out for saying he’d attack Pakistan! McCain’s eyes almost popped out of his head, hearing that, and he said, You’d never say that publicly. Pakistan’s an important ally. Then McCain went on to detail the politics of the region going back some years. Of course, and it was painfully obvious, Obama didn’t have a clue. McCain did point this out in a polite, but deadly fashion. Obama babbled all night. Simply babbled. He’s an empty suit.
I’m going DU for a second “ I HATE HIS GUTS AND MAY HE ROT IN HELL ;-)
Okay all better .
Obama always claims to have “Warned the administration two years ago” about everything, like he wasthe wise and all-seeing one.
McCain should ask him to state the time and place he did so, because he never did.
Obama uses Bush against McCain so why not use Clinton and the good ole 90’s that ended in a recession. Tie Carter, Clinton & the Dems failed policies to Fannie & Freddie.
Dems are good at buying votes housing, welfare, & so forth. Now Pelosi wants to send out stimulus checks before Bill Bailout bend us over backwards and we the slaves can't even smoke afterwards.
Obama went to wo Ivy League institutions, but he just isn’t very bright. he can’t see th forest for the trees.
As my dad would say, Obama is educated beyond his capacity to learn.
You're forgetting the liberal/Democrat definition of truth and lies. Lying is stating a fact that contradicts the liberal ideology, such as the fact that Saddam Hussein pursued yellowcake or that he was harboring terrorists prior to the war. Bu truth is whatever serves The Party. And if you rpeat something often enough, it BECOMES true. That's how liberals view it, anyway. So by that definition, Obama couldn't lie. Neither could the Klintoons. But Bush lied to get us into war. It all makes sense if you look at it from their viewpoint.
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