Posted on 10/07/2008 9:42:16 PM PDT by andrew roman
Two words kept popping in and out of my head during the second Presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain – disappointing and tedious. Setting aside the fact that the proceedings seemed to drag and on at an agonizingly tortuous pace with little more than eye-watering yawns from my end to disrupt the monotony, this debate had the personality of a lima bean can. Add to it the fact that there seemed to be more passion exuded by Tom Brokaw, the moderator, when asking the candidates to step aside from blocking his view of the teleprompter than anything either of them said on stage, and you’ve got a first-class, bona-fide dud.
Specifically – and perhaps most important – tonight’s “non-debate” debate was not, to quote a phrase, a “game changer” from Senator McCain – and frankly, I was hoping it would be. While I certainly don’t think Senator Obama as the next President of the United States is a foregone conclusion yet, he clearly took another step closer to the Oval Office on Tuesday. If the poll numbers are to be believed, neither candidate will do much in the way of movement as a result of this debate. In short, it was not a great night for the Republicans – and it really needed to be.
There was one moment, I would have to assume, meant to serve as that “game changer” for Senator McCain early in the debate – a grenade lobbed in from left field that, honestly, stunned me and fell well short of its intended target (at least for now). McCain, seemingly from whole cloth, said that when he is President, the federal government would help stabilize the housing market by buying up bad mortgages and refinancing them for home owners at market value – to the tune of $300 billion.
What?
I’ll need more information on that one before I blow a bazooka through it.
My frustration with this particular presentation was that I found myself disenchanted on two fronts. First, early in the debate, I found myself screaming at the television even more so than I had during their first debate, probably because I was yelling at both Obama and McCain, and often for the same things. It seemed to me, primarily, that they were differing on the finer points of similarly held positions.
Despite an all-too-quick and truncated attack by McCain on the Democratic involvement in the current financial crisis – which, by the way, started off promisingly enough and had me thinking this was going to be a feisty performance by him - there was yet again more McCain pandering with fuzzy-middle non-speak about corruption on Wall Street, blah, blah, blah …
Huge mistake.
Entirely too much time was spent on selling bi-partisanship and extending arms across the aisle. It came across as weak and contrived and surely did nothing to endear McCain to anyone.
Second, the number of missed opportunities by McCain to slap back hard at Senator Obama was staggering. My slowly building disgust was fuelled not only by the lack of substance coming from the lips of Senator Obama – which is a given - but in the fact that Senator McCain was profoundly ineffective in countering him as I wanted him to be – and as I felt he needed to be to turn the tide.
Perhaps I’m in a minority here, but I am sick of listening to Senator Obama and the Democratic Party demonize those who provide jobs to a large portion of the American public. I am also annoyed that no one – especially Senator McCain – calls out Senator Obama and his ridiculous assertion that 95% of Americans will get a tax cut under his “save the middle class” tax plan. How on earth is it possible to get a tax cut when you don’t pay income taxes? A little more than 45% of Americans do not – repeat, do not – pay income tax. That means Senator Obama’s “tax breaks” will amount to a welfare payment to those who don’t deserve it.
Senator McCain, are you home?
Can someone also inform Senator Obama that to raise taxes on corporations, as he wants to do and says is somehow “fair,” results in customers and workers bearing the ultimate burden?
I know you’re in there, Senator McCain! Can someone (figuratively only) just slap Senator Obama across the kisser – or anyone else for that matter – who has the utter audacity to call the attacks of 9/11 a "tragedy?" They were an act of war. Period.
This must anger you, Senator McCain! Show it!
Is there anyone with even a remedial knowledge of how budgets work willing to spare an afternoon (or perhaps a weekend) with Senator Obama to explain to him that the ten billion dollars a month being spent on funding the war in Iraq is not – repeat not – being taken away from anyone or anything domestically? It is not being diverted from, say, emergency food and clothing needed for naked, emaciated children in our inner cities. That’s not how it works, Senator Obama.
Answer the door, Senator McCain! The bottom line is … John McCain wasn’t horrifically bad. True, he had me biting my bottom lip when he went on about the conspicuousness of global warming; He had me shaking my head when he once again hoisted his arrows at the “greed” of Wall Street; He induced stomach gurgles when he kept reminding us how much of a maverick he is, pulling names like Feingold and Kennedy out of his hat. (I kept a bottle of Tums next to my cream soda as I watched).
However, let me say, without reservation, that substantively, Senator McCain was the clear winner of this debate. The problem was … he just wasn’t as good as he should have been … and frankly, could have been.
It’s not over by any means … I just wanted more of a “Hell yeah!” taste in my mouth at the end of that day.
I walked away with an “Uh, okay.”
Hussein is still a sneaky Marxist.
________________
The word “sneaky” was the word I’ve been looking for to explain a surprising development when Soledad O’Brien questioned the CNN focus group. They rated Obama higher in most all fields and better responses during the debate, but when asked who they would vote for 14 would vote McCain and 11 for Obama.
The MSM may be missing a subtle but powerful distinction that is quietly working on the electorate. Obama is a celebrity, but may be too polished leaving an aftertaste of sneakiness in the mouths of the viewers, not transparency. McCain is worn, but leaves and aftertaste of tested, transparent, in other words, not sneaky.
Watching was at least tolerable, but when McCain started throwing his buddies, Leiberman & Kennedy into the mix - it got almost unbearable..
The housing bailout sent a tingle down my leg!!!
Absolutely Principles matter. Which is not to say that doing the work of the people is anything less of a principle!
You forget, the view doesn’t look the same from the “other side.” (ie. mr. o’s associates.)
That alone reveals true heart of the man, he DOESN’T AND CANNOT FEEL THE SAME ABOUT IT.
A SOUL FOR AMERICA IS LACKING!!!
Was it a win? No. I think you can see by the reaction on here that a lot in the base were disappointed. Was it a loss? Not really in the sense that I don’t think Obama did any better and don’t think he will gain any momentum. In the sense that McCain missed a huge opportunity to reverse recent trends then I guess it is a little loss. The Obama camp is probably fine with the idea of just holding serve. Heaven knows though that BHO left himself open to attack a lot of times and for whatever reason McCain didn’t nail him.
And they are panicking.
Their ears are RIPE for cult like talk.
Down and outers are most susceptible to charismatic cult type figures, either in religion (Jim Jones/Koresh), politics (Hitler), or other (Manson).
The unfortunate, cold, TRUTH of the matter in 2008 is that the People do not want a President, they want a SAVIOUR.
This is the mentality of millions of Americans. They are ripe for it. These times in history occur from time to time. We are in one of them right now. Not much can be done to stop it.
You are so right on!
Glad to read your post. For a minute there I thought I was on a DU forum!
They couldn’t instigate a violent overthrow of the US....but could use our own laws to destroy it. Obama’s thoughts, plans and inspiration doesn’t come from this country. The shadow of Obama is dangerous...
Well, that’s kinda pathetic because we haven’t even begun to see “hard times” yet...
I agree with you 100%. Obambi peaked too early and the Ayers stuff is just starting in earnest...I think it will be fine, just watch and see.
“
That format was terrible. There was no energy. There was no way for either guy to get into a rhythm, unless they wanted to get scolded by Tom Brokaw.”
It stunk. Neither could engage each other in a real debate. This was a soundbite contest. McCain is much better in a debate than he is in a soundbite contest. He just isn’t a great soundbite guy. Barrack’s whole game is being king of the nice sounding but empty soundbite. He is not as good when it comes to having to defend himself and think quickly. Because of a combination of format and McCain not being aggressive, he didn’t have to do much defending.
The last question of the debate was idiotic. What don’t know and how do you find out? McCain should have answered, I don’t know where Obama’s birth certificate is. I’ll just ask him right now.
McCain showed us he’s a socialist. We already knew Obama was. McCain’s just less so. I’m not voting for either.
Love it! Great answer, and I wish he would have used that!!!!!!
Format, MSM moderator, MSM question selection, were puposeful to keep O in “safe-zone” and M’s new topics out of play.
They KNEW WHERE M WAS LIKELY TO HEAD, BAD FOR MSM PRETTY BOY.
We are way beyond that point. Those people already lost there homes. Now facing foreclosure are small business people whose business has dried up, few who were irresponsible when they bought a home, just no business now.
What you may be funding with your tax dollars soon is soup lines. It is a very, very serious situation out there now. I've seen three friends lose their businesses, all conservative and very hard working. They are all facing losing their homes.
Wake up!
Dumb move, if you have any inkling of fighting MARXISM of LEFT AND Obambi for the country as a whole.
OR maybe you’d just like to kiss your free A## goodbye now.
Non-committals who think their pious on “principle,” make me sick.
“I am not paying for people who make bad mortgage decisions!
two hours later and nothing has changed. my sentiments exactly. “
McCain is stuck on stupid.
House wife #2 agrees with you 100%
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