Holy crap, old grumpy grandpa McCain said “my friends” about 100 times – each sentence!
There’s lots still to criticize in Obama’s performance, both on substance and on style. But this was an enormous improvement, as far as this Joe Six-Pack can tell.
Also, I can’t believe what McCain is willing to say about the “surge” in Iraq. His description of Iraq today is just mind-boggling.
Neither of them had any interest in answering most of the questions that they were asked.
DC | 08-Oct-08 at 6:53 am | Permalink
In terms of substantial criticism of Obama: I find it worrying that in the midst of the greatest crisis of “free market” ideology in our lifetime, perhaps the most left-wing Democratic presidential candidate in 40 years still pledges to cut overall government spending.
Now would have seemed a propitous moment for a dose of forthright social democracy, no?
Chris | 08-Oct-08 at 7:31 am | Permalink
If I were president I would find it incredibly easy to put a pony in every garage and still cut overall government spending. The trick is just to slash defense spending.
But yeah, Obama isn’t going to be talking about social democracy any time soon, lest the press start frothing about his gay Islamo-Communist agenda.
It drives me insane every time Obama talks as though the main advantage of getting out of Iraq is simply to transfer troops to Afghanistan.
Chris | 08-Oct-08 at 8:10 am | Permalink
Also, I think people are being silly about the handshake thing. It’s pretty obvious to me from the video that McCain was tapping Obama on the back to make him aware that Cindy McCain was waiting to shake his hand.
DC | 08-Oct-08 at 9:13 am | Permalink
Oh I certainly wouldn’t advise Obama to speak about “social democracy”, I’d just like him to promote a social democratic programme, which he basically does when he says “tax the rich and have the government to good stuff” (albeit this is undermined by “tax cuts for everyone else”). For one giddy moment I did think his cuts might come from military spending but obviously I quickly realised how ludicrous it would be to propose cuts there.
Actually it doesn’t look to me like Cindy was waiting to shake Obama’s hand when McCain taps his back (she’s quite far away from Obama) – actually it looks to me like the old schoolboy prank of tapping someone on the far shoulder and blaming someone else (in this case Cindy) when they turn around.
upyernoz | 08-Oct-08 at 10:17 am | Permalink
Neither of them had any interest in answering most of the questions that they were asked.
i think that’s because the VP debate taught them both that there is no penalty at all for not answering the question–the moderator won’t chew them out or try to hold their feet to the fire–and there is everything to be gained to answer the imagined question that you have a carefully prepared canned response ready instead.
when can we stop pretending that these things are “debates”?
Spaz | 08-Oct-08 at 12:01 pm | Permalink
As much as I was amused by McCain’s grumpiness and genuinely disgusted by his “that one” comment, I continue to be underwhelmed by Obama. There was one moment near the end that he started talking about change, but I keep waiting for him to say something inspirational and he hasn’t. He’s got a tragic and bad war that the administration lied to the public about, he’s got brutal budget deficit and now the worst economic crisis in 80 years and he hasn’t said anything of inspirational quality; which is what I thought he was all about.
Chris, I agree with you that there’s more to say about pulling out of Iraq than sending troups to Afghanistan, but I think that’s the central problem here. Like the situation with saying “social democracy” Obama can’t say things like that without risking loss of votes. Which is also why neither answer the questions, if they did they’d say something unpalatable.
Upyernoz is right, these aren’t debates, they’re just staged performances. I think the only way it could possibly change is if the press actually gets into the tussle and presses the candidates and if in a townhall style debate, the people posing questions get to follow up at least twice. The later solution will never happen and the former should have happened long ago, but for some reason doesn’t.
Chris | 08-Oct-08 at 1:44 pm | Permalink
Spaz, my friend, I think that Obama needs to avoid freaking out the political class. Actual voters probably wouldn’t mind hearing a lot of things, but the political class freaks out at things outside their comfort zone, my friend.
Spaz | 08-Oct-08 at 2:06 pm | Permalink
LOL
Did you notice how angry McCain looked most of the time. In particular with the “that one” comment.
I’m not sure actual voters want to hear: yes it’s going to get worse before it gets better, actually you are the problem because you keep buying SUVs and homes you know you can’t afford, and by the way if you really want universal health care we’re going to have to raise taxes or cut funds to our men and women in harms way.
I agree that voters would rather hear the truth, but if one tells the truth, particularly if its harsh, the other will just use it as an opportunity to score points. Again, the press has a role here that is not being pursued aggresively enough.
DC | 08-Oct-08 at 5:58 pm | Permalink
Apart from anything else I thought McCain looked old and stiff moving about the floor.
Have to admit, at the time “that one” sounded odd but not offensive to me – perhaps because I thought he was going to refer to himself as “this one”.
Chris | 08-Oct-08 at 6:27 pm | Permalink
Yes indeed, my fellow prisoners. I thought McCain was only a little rude with the “that one.” On the other hand, I can’t believe how old and crotchety he looks. Of course, I fall apart when I get less than 8 hours of sleep, so at that point on the campaign trail I’m sure I would look 90.