Posted on 10/16/2008 6:03:20 AM PDT by IbJensen
The stage is set at Hofstra University for the third and final presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama.
John McCain threw the kitchen sink - and "Joe the Plumber," too - at Barack Obama during Wednesday night's final, in-your-face presidential debate.
Hours after Wall Street saw the Dow's steepest percentage drop since 1987, each candidate claimed to have the better cures for the sick economy.
And each did his best to pummel the other's ideas as bad for Joe the Plumber - a mythical-sounding but very real Ohio man who had an impromptu encounter with Obama on the campaign trail earlier this week. ANALYSIS: FEISTY McCAIN WORKS HARD, CAN'T SCORE
"He looked at your tax plan and he saw that he was going to pay much higher taxes," McCain said of Joe Wurzelbacher, who is thinking of buying the company where he works but fears his taxes would rise under Obama's plan.
Obama's answer that day was, in part, that although he didn't want to "punish" Wurzelbacher for becoming more successful, "When you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
McCain seized on the comment last night as proof that "the whole premise behind Sen. Obama's plans are class warfare."
"Joe," McCain said, "I want to tell you ... I'll keep your taxes low."
Obama argued that Joe would still prosper more under his overall economic blueprint, adding, "I would prefer that none of us had to pay taxes, including myself."
The tangle was just the first in a wide-ranging debate at Hofstra University on Long Island that was in many ways the most personal, lively and freewheeling of the three presidential faceoffs.
It was also the whiniest, particularly from McCain, who cast himself early on as the victim of unfair attacks despite weeks of slashing Obama for assorted past associations.
When asked about his tough ads, McCain groused that Obama had not slapped down a supporter, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), for accusing the GOP ticket of stirring up racist passions at rallies in ways reminiscent of former Alabama governor and segregationist George Wallace. "That, to me, was so hurtful," McCain said.
Obama said Lewis' comparison was wrong. But he stood by complaints about McCain supporters who have called Obama a "terrorist" and yelled "kill him!" at rallies.
The Secret Service is now investigating at least one of those incidents.
Then Obama, mindful of polls showing voters weary of mudslinging, artfully switched gears:
"The important point here is, though, the American people have become so cynical about our politics because all they see is a tit for tat and back and forth.
"And what they want is the ability to just focus on some really big challenges that we face right now," he added.
Most of the time, McCain played the aggressor, challenging Obama on everything from tax policy to health care and education. Obama played the cool defender, often parrying McCain's jabs with a shake of his head and then a calm, sometimes flat recitation of his talking points.
As he often does on the campaign trail, Obama drew a direct link between McCain and the unpopular President Bush, arguing that McCain's economic policies promised "eight more years of the same thing."
Shot back McCain: "Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."
But Obama also scored some points when the topic turned to William Ayers, a violent, Vietnam-era radical who is now a Chicago educator.
After a round of sparring over McCain's negative ads on Ayers and other associations in Obama's past, Obama turned the tables against McCain.
"I think the fact that this has become such an important part of your campaign, Sen. McCain, says more about your campaign than it says about me," Obama chided.
Afterward, many observers said McCain probably did a better job of rallying his base while Obama was more effective in reaching out to undecided moderates and independents.
A CBS poll of 500 uncommitted voters found 53% said Obama won; only 22% said McCain did.
McCain likely hurt his chances with many moderates when he called Roe vs. Wade, the landmark court case protecting abortion rights, a "bad decision" that should be overturned.
"He wasted his time preaching to the choir while Obama targeted into the persuadables," said one Democratic operative.
When is someone, other than myself, going to state that a major reason for the tanking of our investments is the fear that the Obamanation is going to be elected Ruler?
Intelligent Americans see an Obama in the White House as an end to building for their future. There will be no future and eventually America will look like Russia. Or Kenya.
Obama is running for his special interest groups. He will make the rich richer and the middle class poorer
"Rights should be subject to popular vote"
WHAT??? The Constitution exists to prevent exactly that!!! Eff all Obama supporters!
“Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago”
...laughed beer through my nose on that one!
out
standing
Channel surfing and caught a guy on CNBC who said he had remarked in passing that some of the angst in the market could very well be Obama’s plans on taxation.
He said he has gotten tons of insulting emails calling him every name in the book.
That’s what the left does, intimidate, insult, and LIE LIE LIE.
Not sure but I think the man speaking was Gasparino..?
“New York Daily News ^ | October 16th 2008 | MICHAEL SAUL, CELESTE KATZ, MICHAEL McAULIFF and DAVID SALTONSTALL “
It only took 4 idiots at the NY Daily Snooze to write this trash. They must be job splitting to avoid layoffs at the fish wrap.
Obama was using lawyer tactics in this debate. He laughed strategically, and he manipulated the topics masterfully. If I was an undecided voter without concrete views on issues, I would vote for the guy. That is the truth.
The main thing I saw in that debate is that sh— eating smirk on Baracks face which I would have like to smack off. What a arrogant a-hole he is.
I think it’ll be like Zimbabwe.
Since my expectations for McCain were so low, I was absolutely giddy at he confidence McCain exuded, and we really could see the twinkle in his eye when Obama would throw his whoppers out there. There's just not enough time to scrape those lies off the debate winshield, and Obambi knows it.
I saw on one side, the talker, and the other side the doer. For Obama to have to stick to his talking points (running against Bush; worse financial crisis since the Great Depression), means he just needed to keep his base, and his cool.
I think he was on the defensive, and relied on the limited time to protect him.
Senator Government! Whew!
We observed and we think alike!
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