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Debate reaction

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

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By MICHAEL HALEY

Daily Napablogger

McCain is in real trouble after this debate and I feel he is handling his campaign all wrong. Tonight he was snarly and snide, and seemed frantic the whole time. Obama was smooth, relaxed and empathic and fairly specific in his proposals. He imparted the feeling that we know what he is about, like it or not.

McCain's worse moment was on the question of seeking out and taking military action in Pakistan in order to chase down Osama bin Laden if we had solid evidence he was there. Obama says yes, and McCain tried to turn that into invading Pakistan, as if Obama was implying invading a foreign country.

It was clear that Obama meant going after bin Laden, not the country and government of Pakistan. Yes, it would involve going into Pakistani soil which the Pakistanis wouldn't be happy with, but like Sarah Palin I would be happy with it. But come on, he is not talking invading Pakistan, the country and government, which is how McCain portrayed it.

With Obama right there to point out the obvious lie McCain was telling, it didn't work at all. It just made McCain seem like a liar because, well, he was. How in the world he thinks he can get away with that in that context is beyond me. His whole performance smacked of that kind of desperation.

McCain would do far better to go positive and start telling us more specifically what he favors and what he would do. He needs to lose the condescension and snideness, fast. Maybe that is what the guy is really like, for sure this is how he responds under pressure, not good. He is only three points down, all is not lost but he is digging a hole as fast as he can.

Obama scored a lot of points I believe when he said the economic plans we have in place have led us to this and we can't keep doing the same things we have been doing. He is right. We can't keep borrowing money, increasing spending, and lowering taxes at the same time. We have to reduce deficits, and McCain's health plan alone increases the deficit by billions.

It appears that the indepedent/undecided voters went for Obama as well.

Here is a round up of the various stations focus groups:

8 comment(s)

ampsthelena wrote on Oct 8, 2008 1:46 PM:

" I feel that McCain's adherence to the doctrine of "American exceptionalism" is very dangerous. If one believes, as he said, that the US is the "greatest force for good the world has ever known", then one simply cannot make sense out of the world we live in. A distorted view of one's own country, and the country's actions in the world, can only lead to mistaken foreign policy. For example, Obama, having a more moderate view of America's "greatness", is able to recognize that we have often "coddled" dictators (e.g. Musharif), thereby tarnishing our reputation in the eyes of the populaces of those countries. Obama is thus able to understand, and therefore realistically deal with, the antipathy felt toward the US throughout so much of the world. McCain, on the other hand, because of the lense of American exceptionalism through which he sees the world, cannot admit anti-democratic actions on the part of the US, and thus can not truly repent of them, let alone change course. If we want to be a safer nation, we need to define our "greatness" more honestly, more realistically, and open the door to more goodwill from the people of the world, by honestly recognizing our faults, eschewing national self-righteousness, and pursuing a foreign policy that reflects our ideals, and not merely our hidden geopolitical interests. McCain is dangerous. Obama has the better vision. "

NVGal wrote on Oct 8, 2008 8:21 PM:

" Although I will not be voting for Senator Obama, during the first debate I was beginning to feel a bit more comfortable with him. That all changed last night. Senator Obama has a unique way of crafting himself to what the crowd wants and what he feels people need, that was clear to me. His economic plan to get us out of this crisis is chanting over and over again that we can’t keep doing the same things we have been doing, seems to be very popular, but it’s not a plan. And no plan is no leadership. His foreign policy of chasing Osama Bin Laden relentlessly through Afghanistan and Pakistan reminds me of the cartoon of the coyote and the road runner. And did I really hear him say that he would finance Eastern European countries economies? No, he probably really didn’t mean that either.

Senator Obama is more suited for the VP of Marketing and PR. McCain, he’s old, he comes with so much baggage, his idea to buy up home mortgages not altogether his own as he claims. Senator Clinton outlined her plan to buy back mortgages in a WSJ op-ed on 9/25. But no one likes her either. Maybe the two of them can work together after Obama is elected, since he’ll be busy saving other countries’ economies, and making sure that Iran like us after all. "

Ruff Limblog wrote on Oct 8, 2008 8:45 PM:

" NB- McCain is down by a whole lot more than 3 points unless you are only speaking of the recent 3 point deterioration of McCain's base of support.

On today's Daily Gallup Obama was up by +11 and for the last several days McCain's support has dropped by 3 points from 44% to 41%.

Watching McCain lose may be painful, but Republicans must be defeated in detail for the economic slump to be addressed realistically.

I am going to make a deal with you, NB, when I start seeing Republican proposals that contain ways to get spending power without more consumer debt into the hands of the middle class (as in wages, or keeping more of their wages) then I'll post what I found and where I found it first on your blog.

Until then I am supporting proposals made by Barack Obama to cut middle class taxes...

We need to build the 'demand-side' of the economy after so many years of 'supply-side' economics.

You style yourself as a tax cut guy, NB, so let's hear it for tax cuts for the middle class, eh?

You know you want tax cuts for the little guy, so how about crossing over from 'the dark side of the Force' and come out supporting tax cuts for the middle class?

You can even stay a Republican-sympathizer and support tax cuts for the middle class!

~Ruff "

Dwayne wrote on Oct 9, 2008 8:09 AM:

" I have made up my mind.....

I will not watch the third debate... "

Ruff Limblog wrote on Oct 9, 2008 2:54 PM:

" Dwayne - You're not trying to convince anybody that your mind was NOT made-up already are you?

You've been very repetitively re-cycling debunked Republican lies about Obama for months now.

Soooo, who'ja pick? Lemme guess...

~Ruff "

freeport56 wrote on Oct 9, 2008 3:29 PM:

" If only the middle class generated jobs in the market place.......

Too bad B. Hussein Obama will crush the economy with his tax proposals, foreign aid package, and start WWIII with his invasion of Pakistan. "

Raven wrote on Oct 9, 2008 7:23 PM:

" it must be a very sad place for you right now freeport, with Obama gaining every day and McCain left to hurl invectives as a means to frighten people into voting for him..... "

Bill wrote on Oct 11, 2008 6:43 PM:

" Debate reaction, oh!!!...zzzzzzzzzzz "

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