10:30 - Obama debated as a frontrunner and kept his lead for sure. McCain attacked more I think because he had to but he didn't land any punches and therefore didn't do anything to help himself get out ahead of Obama. For that reason I think he lost. I doubt people will want to tune into anymore debates. There were no real fireworks and nothing really exciting. Two guys being themselves, like I said. McCain equates Obama with Bush - they're both stubborn and Obama laughs.
10:21 - Obama has points and ideas, McCain talks about where he's been and what he's done.
10:16 - I'll say it again. If ou like how smart Obama is and want a 'smart' president Obama's winning. If you want the tough guy, the regular guy, the funny wise-ass (although he just made a joke that no one got about Obama's pretend seal), you'll think McCain "kicked ass - HEEEEEEE-HAH!!!!"
10:08 - "We cannot allow another holocaust??" Pander much? Oy vey...
10:04 - McCain's babbling. But then Obama says "I've got a bracelet too!!" That was realllllllly girly sounding. Me no like. Either way though he's sounding more presidential and he's making points consistently. He's sounding more generally that he's thoughtful and focused on what needs to be done. McCain wants to say he's more presidential because he WENT to Iraq and Obama didn't.
10:00 - This debate isn't going to change anyone's mind. These are who these two guys are. They're being themselves; they're both preaching to the choir.
9:57 - McCain for all his simplicity comes off as more decisive some how - more like he knows what he wants and knows what he's talking about---and that he's tougher...I don't know why.
9:53 - Obama blew the Iraq argument a little. he was all over the place and not finishing his sentences and sounding unsure of himself. Even now talking about Afganistan he's not hammering his points home. He needs to say that he actually wants to win. It's OK to explain it all but you also have to sound like you want to win - McCain will always appeal to the RAH-RAH element and I think Obama just has to try to connect with them a little.
9:45 - Obama's attacking directly now. How will McCain respond.
9:41 - I think this might be a better way to do it.
I don't know how Obama can lose on the Iraq argument.
9:35 - "We gotta know what our values are," that was a brilliant, focused answer to the question Obama gave to where to start when you're figuring out how to spend money in an economy post-bailout.
And Obama just nailed McCain to a Bush tree on spending. McCain says Miss Congeniality again and claims maverick status.
Obama's winning now...
9:27 - Obama's answer to what the effect the bailout will have on his presidency is excellent. A bunch of concrete things that people will understand he's saying are the things we're going to have to do if there are some things we can't do.
McCain's going on about getting spending under control which is somewhat disingenuous when we're spending what we're spending on the Iraq war - and actually talking about how vital defense spending is...
9:23 - I think they're both remarkably good debaters but very very different debaters. I think in the end this debate won't change anyone's mind. Obama is coming off as smart and agile but studious. McCain, smart quick on his feet but more folksy.
9:13 - They're both taking credit for warning us about the coming crises. Obama says he wrote a letter which PROVES it - he's such a lawyer...
McCain get a WWII reference in. But he has morphed it nicely into a statement about accountability that I think will connect with people.
Obama is sounding studious. He know what he's talking about but McCain so far is winning on the regular guy front. He just got off a nice quip at Lehrer for weirdly trying to get Obama to talk to McCain ala Marriage Counseling.
9:06 - Obama was OK in his opening. He looks and is speaking hard...forcefully but hard somehow.
McCain is thinking of Kennedy - that was weird...he hasn't been feeling great lately but he's feeling better...
9:00 - Cindy's hair looks fabulous!
8:55 - C-Span 2 is showing Jim Lehrer addressing the crowd - this is much better than CNN.
8:54 - Wolf just asked Bill Bennett how excited he was - WHO CARES!!!!!!
In honor of my many, many readers. I know you all want to know what I'm thinking as the debate progresses. So I'm there for you. Here for you...
1 comment:
I don't know, I don't think either one of them said much of anything. I thought Lehrer was getting a bit exasperated at the beginning because of that. Obama said that thing about alternative energy that panders to his base, but for someone like me who knows that we don't have the technology to do what he says, it just sounded like b.s. I don't see how you thought Obama made a lot of specific points about what he's going to do. All I really heard him say was "I'm going to change things" (paraphrasing). I thought McCain scored a few points with the foreign policy stuff, and if anything will pull some independent votes, that will. And I thought that Obama made some tactical errors by saying "Senator McCain is right" an awful lot. All in all, scoring out here on the West Coast, I gave McCain an ever-so-slight edge.
Oh, and as for the drinking, Lehrer mentioned Vietnam, McCain referred to it once, Obama didn't come out and say "more of the same" but he alluded to it, and McCain got the chugger in there with a passing mention of "Senator Clinton." I can't wait for the VP debate. The chug words will be if/when Biden refers to Palin as "sweatheart/honey" or if Palin says "snow machine."
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