1st Debate, Who Won?

[Bob Hubbard]

Simple poll.

 

[arnisador]

Both met expectations. Negligible info. was produced. A truly dead tie.

 

[FearlessFreep]

Forgot the option of "Neither...I was training"

 

[terryl965]

All I know this country is in big trouble.

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

Don't have TV...gotta wait for the youtube re-caps.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

So, some things I saw.

Neither McCain or Obama were willing to face the other despite several attempts by Lehrer to get them to do so.

McCain is worried about $3M to study bears? Ok, guess that was important to mention. Not.

McCain wants to decrease taxes on corporations to encourage them to setup shop in the US. Sounds good to me. Corporations now are taxed at around 40%. Lowering that would make it more appealing to setup here as opposed to overseas, resulting in more jobs, more taxes collected (property, personal income, FICA, SS, etc).
http://www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/22917.html

I saw alot of double speak and business as usual.

Interesting comment.

MCCAIN: Look, we are sending $700 billion a year overseas to countries that don't like us very much.

Ok, stop sending that money overseas and use that for your $700 Billion Bail Out. Simple.

So Obama wants more troops for Afghanistan? Someone want to tell him that actic didn't work for the Russians?

How nice, they have braclets. I have another pair I'd like them both to wear, connected by this cute little chain.....

McCain "I have proposed a league of democracies,"
Hmm, I think that was tried.....result was WW1. The sequel isn't doing too hot now either. Third time the charm?

Obama "I was the first to say that we have to rebuild the Georgian economy "
Iraq, Afghanistan and now Georgia???? **** the Georgian economy. **** em all.
Fix ours dumb****.


After reading the transcript on CNN, these 2 scare me. There's a good amount of "wrong" data in their comments, some seriously wrong focuses in where they are looking, and so many issues weren't addressed. Obama's answer is tax the rich and corporations more and fund all these programs that the government has no business doing. McCain seems focused on a more Pattonish approach "attack attack attack".

 

[shesulsa]

Is it over? Will they let the third party candidates debate now?

*check avatar*

 

[Bob Hubbard]

No. I would have loved to sneak that question in though.

 

[jarrod]

i was considering giving a begrudging, choose-the-lesser-evil vote to obama before the debates. now i'm torn between striving for enlightened apathy or scrambling for a suitable 3rd party. i like nader on almost everything except gun control, which happens to be a big issue for me.

jf

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I so want for our political situation to start involving more candidates from other groups. I think in the end this is essential for the well being of our country.

As to who won this debate? I think it was a tie and a tie favors the person leading which is Obama. (so he kind've won then)

 

[jks9199]

I think it's ******** that any party other than the Republicans and Democrats has to scramble and beg and fight to get any recognition and coverage... and even then, it's almost as a "nut fringe" and not given real attention.

I respect McCain more than Obama for numerous reasons -- but that doesn't mean I think he's the best choice for president. He's better than Obama, in my opinion, but that's a little like saying a Snickers bar is good for you 'cause it's got nuts in it.

I listened to the debates, but was busy with work, too, so I wasn't listening really closely. I did note one thing; Jim Lehrer at one point asked something to the effect of "how would you rule the country." His word was RULE. I've got major issues with that; the President doesn't rule the US; he's simply the head of the executive branch. He can't do anything without the Congress. He doesn't even have a budget to spend unless Congress gives it to him... Anyone remember the government shutdows about 10 years ago?

 

[tshadowchaser]

not the American public that’s for sure.
Little was gained by the public as to what these two could or I should say want to do and why they feel they are the best for the position. We need straight answers not the given standard answers . We need someone with a mind that can be truthful and honest about what will occur if they are elected and how they will benefit us as leader

 

[Mark L]

Tiny edge to McCain, he came across (to me) as more attuned than Obama to foreign affairs. And Obama, on several occasions conceded McCain was right. That's not a bad thing, they don't have to be polar opposites on all issues. Could be just timing, the first responder to the question puts out the common position, but it tips the scales a little.

They both presented themselves well, spoke well. McCain, on a few occasions, showed just a little emotion/passion on his positions.

I'm really disappointed in both of them that they didn't significantly address the impact on their Presidency of the financial market debacle. McCain's spending freeze and Obama's spend on blah, blah, blah programs 'cause we have to are knee jerk reactions, apparently without forethought. Did they think this question wouldn't be asked?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

They knew exactly what quetions would be asked weeks in advance so that they could prepare theirwell rehersed replies.

 

[arnisador]

The commentators said that one had 23 practice debates and the other 14 (may not have those numbers exactly right but it was 20+ and 10+).

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I listened to the debates, but was busy with work, too, so I wasn't listening really closely. I did note one thing; Jim Lehrer at one point asked something to the effect of "how would you rule the country." His word was RULE. I've got major issues with that; the President doesn't rule the US; he's simply the head of the executive branch. He can't do anything without the Congress. He doesn't even have a budget to spend unless Congress gives it to him... Anyone remember the government shutdows about 10 years ago?

Yes that really piqued my interest and pissed me off as we have no rulers here in the United States. I have no idea what Lehrer was thinking by saying that.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Maybe he read some of those SuperSekret executivee orders?

 

[Brian King]

Bob Hubbard wrote:

“They knew exactly what quetions would be asked weeks in advance so that they could prepare theirwell rehersed replies.”

So are you saying that Jim L gave the candidates the questions in advance or are you saying that they are professionals and know that there will be questions that address the issues of the day, questions that will address their opponents’ strengths and their own weaknesses and they prepared or tried to prepare in advance? I myself called in advance that the Democrat would try to talk about Afghanistan and failure of our troops in Iraq, does that mean that I was in the loop LOL

Regards
Brian King

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I'm saying that these "Debates" are well planned infomercials, with both sides knowing what questions will be asked in advance.

In the upcoming "Open" format debate, I bet that no questions about Barr, Nader, or 3rd parties come into play. Open Q&A's are carefully screened to prevent the choosen ones from looking completely lost.

The VP debate format is specially choosen to protect Palin who is lost without her very careful handling.

At the insistence of the McCain campaign, the Oct. 2 debate between the Republican nominee for vice president, Gov. Sarah Palin, and her Democratic rival, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees, the advisers said. There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates.

McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive.

Debate Rules
The format for the debates will be as follows:

* Each debate will have a single moderator and last for 90 minutes.
* In the first and third presidential debates and the vice presidential debate, the candidates will be seated with the moderator at a table.
* One presidential debate will focus primarily on domestic policy and one presidential debate will focus primarily on foreign policy. The second presidential debate will be held as a town meeting in which citizens will pose questions to the candidates. The vice presidential debate will cover both foreign and domestic topics.
* During the first and third presidential debates, and the vice presidential debate, the time will be divided into eight 10-minute segments. The moderator will introduce each segment with an issue on which each candidate will comment, after which the moderator will facilitate further discussion of the issue, including direct exchange between the candidates for the balance of that segment.
* The participants in the town meeting will pose their questions to the candidates after reviewing their questions with the moderator for the sole purpose of avoiding duplication. The participants will be chosen by the Gallup Organization and will be undecided voters from the Nashville, Tenn., standard metropolitan statistical area. During the town meeting, the moderator has discretion to use questions submitted by Internet.
* Time at the end of the final presidential debate will be reserved for closing statements.

 

[grydth]

Tiny edge to McCain, he came across (to me) as more attuned than Obama to foreign affairs. And Obama, on several occasions conceded McCain was right. That's not a bad thing, they don't have to be polar opposites on all issues. Could be just timing, the first responder to the question puts out the common position, but it tips the scales a little.

They both presented themselves well, spoke well. McCain, on a few occasions, showed just a little emotion/passion on his positions.

I'm really disappointed in both of them that they didn't significantly address the impact on their Presidency of the financial market debacle. McCain's spending freeze and Obama's spend on blah, blah, blah programs 'cause we have to are knee jerk reactions, apparently without forethought. Did they think this question wouldn't be asked?

We must be the only two on the forum who were at all pleased with last night.

I voted "tie". I thought Obama was pretty good in fending off some of McCain's attacks, and I was impressed with his crediting McCain and agreeing with him on a number of occasions - bravo on that, (and to all on the family handshakes after the debate. Maybe we can move beyond the Clinton-Bush polarization.) Obana did a good job countering McCain's freeze idea. Obama needed to look presidential and in control - he did so.

McCain did a good job countering allegations he's only a Bush puppet. I'd commend him on highlighting the ongoing murders of our troops in Iraq by the gd Iranians and on the wastage of foreign aid money. He partially turned the unpopular Iraq war back on Obama with the "surge" issue. He needed to show what he's been doing for years, and why that experience is relevant, He did that.

I agree both were vague on what effect the Wall Street train wreck will have - but I don't think anyone really knows.

The moderator I thought did well, and was fair.