This is a great first answer by Obama. Not filled with lots of specifics, but he's surprisingly good at this down-to-earth talking-to-the-people thing.
McCain sneaks in a burn on Obama's refusal to attend town hall debates with him over the summer. 1 minute in, and he's already a jerk.
McCain is getting awfully close to Alan, the questioner. I'd be intimidated.
9:07 McCain declares, unnecessarily bitterly, that Tom Brokaw will not be his Treasury Secretary. Does he know what Ebay actually is?
Obama repeats the "fundamentals" comment again. I think it's falling flatter every time he uses it - it's time to move on. You gotta give him credit, though: he's on message. "95% of you get a tax cut."
9:14 McCain accuses the African-American questioner of not having any knowledge of the economy before this crisis. Maybe that's not what he meant it as, but McCain certainly seems feisty tonight.
Oh snap. "Now I've got to correct a little bit of Senator McCain's history (not surprisingly)." Buuuurrrrn. As Obama attacks McCain's deregulation stance, McCain gets up and starts aimlessly wandering the hall. Now he's sitting again, and what looks like doodling.
Phrases where Obama sneaks in "21st century" are a subtle reference towards him being a man of this century, and McCain being more knowledgable about the 1920s. Then again, I suppose McCain could use that to his advantage. "I know how to avert the Great Depression because I was there!"
9:18 McCain, apparently angry about Obama's "I too have a bracelet" comment from last time, announces, "I too wrote a letter."
The next question...was that English, or just Sarah Palin's mom?
Obama claims "a net spending cut." Fact checkers, sharpen your axes.
McCain knows that the system in Washington is broken. He knows this because he has been there doing the breaking for 26 years.
The peanut gallery in my apartment affirms that McCain walks like "a mechanical teddy bear."
Whoa, both of these guys are left handed.
9:26 Tom Brokaw is not taking any shit from either of these guys. And he gives a hilarious one-liner about their time deficit.
McCain is stuck on Obama's "overhead projector," clearly harkening back to his boyhood school days. I don't think those existed when McCain was in middle school, but the point remains.
Good answer from McCain about "getting to work right away."
9:31 Obama talks about leadership, which of course is my big issue in this election. This country needs a leader, and that's what he gives us. McCain continues to wander around the background. Also a solid answer. Good work.
Obama hits on burden sharing, continuing his theme from his last answer. It's tough to win an election by telling people to do things they don't want to do, but this idea of everyone pitching in to make America better will probably resonate quite well.
9:35 McCain accuses Obama of "wanting to raise taxes." Apparently, McCain sees all liberals as wild animals who have this unstoppable craving/hunger for higher taxes.
Then he acts like a HUUUUUUGE condescending ass and says, "I've got from news for you Senator Obama." Where does McCain come off accusing Obama of being out of touch??
Obama can't let the McCain tax-lies go, and ignores the question for about a minute. Good for him, because I hate when candidates try to hide behind the rules in order to lie.
9:41 McCain laughs at his own joke far longer than anyone else in the room. Then, after answering the question (like Obama did), McCain does exactly what he made fun of Obama for doing - going back to the earlier question.
Brokaw seems very uncomfortable with Section C. It's probably because they're behind him, so he hasn't gotten the chance to stare deep into their soul, as he has with every other member of the audience.
According to McCain, we need to alert the American people to the "danger that climate change opposes." McCain then repeats his favorite line of the night, "We can do it, we can build it." And now, I just realized who John McCain is channeling in this debate:
9:46 Tom Brokaw is being a complete asshole to both candidates, making fun of their inability to stay under time. Then he asks if we should develop a nuclear bomb to fight climate change...
McCain is sooooo condescending in this debate. I hope it doesn't play well with undecideds. He points at Obama and refers to him as "this one"? This isn't the Bozo the Clown Show!
9:51 McCain is absolutely lurking now, with a weird smile on his face. Is he just trying to buy extra screen time in a really creepy way?
McCain wants to reduce "medical errors...as they call them." He is so frickin stupid. I can't stand this man anymore.
McCain makes a joke about his need for hair transplants. It was really awkward. No one in the audience even smirked.
Government mandates scare Senator McCain. Kind of like dark rooms, rectal exams, and loud noises.
Obama now clarifies his position on healthcare, cutting through McCain's web of lies.
9:59 America - better than Jesus? Senator McCain think so.
McCain has a "record that he's willing to stand on." Personally, I'd like to stand next to my record, and not stomp on it. Then again, I don't have McCain's record. If I were him, I'd want to get it out of sight, too.
10:04 Brokaw asks a legitimately interesting question about policy on stopping genocide when it has nothing to do with national security. Obama thinks we are diminished by ignoring cruelty and ethnic cleansing, and although we "can't be everywhere all the time," we can "mobilize the international community."
McCain suggests a "cool hand at the tiller." Then he screams, "You'll get my tiller when you pry it from my cold, dead hands!"
The welfare of our troops is McCain's first priority...right after that other thing. For those of you keeping score, that makes it his "second" priority.
10:10 Obama says no to coddling dictators. I would make fun of this "bold stance," if it wasn't actually contrary to current policy...
McCain quotes Petraeus so much, I think he might just give in and make him his new running mate.
Obama sarcastically compliments McCain for a little too long, and McCain thanks him for the kind remarks.
10:18 Unfortunately, Obama isn't wrong about the surge. It didn't, and still hasn't, worked.
We're now on to Russia, and advocating for including Eastern European countries in NATO.
Obama criticizes our "mischief" overseas. Odd term to say the least.
10:25 McCain gives a hearty handshake to a fellow veteran. Then goes hard on Iran, defending Israel from those extremists who want to "wipe them off the map."
He also strongly advocates joining with our allies, in his proposed "League of Democracies" (not sure how formalized that would be).
And once more, he declares, pointedly, "I am anti-Holocaust." He and Palin keep repeating that line, and it's starting to unnerve me that there might be some question about that issue.
Obama talks about alternative energy as one way to decrease revenues in Iran (and thus hurt them). It's a pretty sideways (but effective) way to make his argument about alternative energy being a national security issue.
10:30 The final question is, as Brokaw notes, really weird. Obama is able to answer it using the word "scrimpin'," so I'm pretty sure he's just the outright winner of the debate.
McCain, like all of us, doesn't know the future. Neither does Obama, but I still think McCain's phrasing is funnier. His dad was away "doing our country's business." He manages to use the strangest phrasing this side of Sarah Palin.
Both candidates give really awkward waves, and the debate concludes.
1 comment:
Did you just make a linguistic joke involving Sarah Palin's mother?
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