Debate #3

[GameMaster]

And the CNN analyst scorecards have been tallied.

According to the score, McCain wiped the floor with Obama's ass.

He shattered the glass roof tonight. And the general consensus states that Obama was 'flat' and 'lackluster'.

[Teuthida]

I actually watched most of this one. Came in about 15 min in and missed another 20 min later on. From when I started I thought McCain was doing rather well...but then Obama made some much better points. Nice to finally be done with the Ayers issue. And who are all these fictional people? You got Joe Sixpack, and Joe the Plumber, and Joe Cool, and the Red Baron. Felt like Obama very much won this debate. The only thing "flat" or "lackluster" would have to had been his closing statement.

[Jason1]

Mcain just looks old and stiff. He's the angry old guy next door who yells at the kids riding their newfangled roller blades.

[BreakABone]

I actually saw the whole debate for once (the wonders of having to work two shifts) and I thought Obama "won" but honestly hate the term in relations to a debate.

I think he did a better job of getting across his message and his policy. McCain did a decent job, but I felt he spent too much time criticizing or trying to attack Obama. Not to say Obama didn't either, but he nailed some of it with specific examples like when he explained his economic plan and the differences for small businesses and big businesses as well as who gets tax raises and who doesn't.

I also liked who neither candidate refuted if they would use the same words as some as their ads have used but danced around the subject. I mean I guess its one thing to smile in someone's face and stab them in the back its another to stab them while they are looking.

[GameMaster]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v449/synthoid/1224112644059.jpg

[The Germanator]

McCain has as good of a chance against Obama as the Dodgers do against the Phillies.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/

[Professor S]

The main problem I see with the debates last night was that McCain did come off as a bit fidgety and exasperated at times, but Obama made some big mistakes if McCain can take advantage of them.

1) Obama denied raising taxes on citizens making $42 a year. That is a lie, and a PURE lie, a rarity in politics. He did vote for that bill and it shows on FactCheck.org. McCain should have ads that jump on that immediately.

2) Obama did a horrible job of explaining the "Joe the Plumber" exchange from his town hall meeting. Joe is a real person, and Obama did state he wanted to spread Joe's wealth around, even after Joe said he'd never be able to buy the business and be wealthy if Obama's taxes were in place. This is a huge opportunity for McCain, and he needs to jump on it.

3) William Ayers. Wow, did Obama leave himself wide open, even going as far to try and paint the former terrorist as a benign Professor and ignored the fact that he is unapologetic and supportive of terroristic acts against the US to this day. The problem for McCain is that he hesitated on the issue when he should have pressed Obama on it. That could have been a game changer, but I don't believe McCain will force the issue.

4) Spending - McCain did a better job of pointing out how Obama says he will cut taxes for 95% and cut spending "with a scalpel", but then on every issue seems to mention increasing spending s a method to fix it. McCain did a better job, but he needs to hammer Obama on that.

5) McCain needs to do a better job of explaining his own tax plan, and the reasons why inreased taxes on large corporations are paid by their consumers, not the wealthy. Example: The Universal Service Fee on every telephone bill. That was a fee handed down to telephone companies, not their consumers, we it is passed on to us in cost and name.

6) The Illinois abortion issue with failed abortions was a treasure trove of misinformation from Obama. If McCain doesn't address it, he has missed the boat.

Overall, Obama was much smoother in the debate and in that aspect "won" it, but he left himself extraordinarily vulnerbale for the final few weeks. But McCain's camp needs to show they are capable of jumping on issues that favor McCain, and so far they haven't shown the ability to do so.

If McCain doesn't jump on any of these items, and in a convincing manner, expect Obama's lead to widen going into the election. I've stated before that Obama needs a 10 point lead to win, and if the status quo remains, he'll have that and more.

[Jason1]

Obama needs a 10 percent lead to win? Are you still basing this on the fact that young people and black people arent going to vote?

Let me tell you something, we are going to vote and we will. While not as amazing of a statement now as it was when I said it months ago (and dont you worry I'll make sure everyone knows I was right all along), Obama is going to win, and he will win very big.

[BlueFire]

Obama needs a 10 percent lead to win? Are you still basing this on the fact that young people and black people arent going to vote?

Let me tell you something, we are going to vote and we will. While not as amazing of a statement now as it was when I said it months ago (and dont you worry I'll make sure everyone knows I was right all along), Obama is going to win, and he will win very big.


...


Anyhoo, the Joe the Plumber bit was popular in my classes today. Everyone was poking fun at it.

[KillerGremlin]

I think McCain had passion for the first time in all 3 debates. I think he easily won the first part, and was about even with Obama during the second part. At least in terms of posture and pose.

But Obama kept bringing up the failed economic policy and big spending of the Bush administration, and I think that really hurt McCain. Also, Joe douche bag wasn't a very convincing argument.

Who "won" the debate? Obama...because he seems to be getting the most positive reaction.

[Bond]

This was McCain's best debate by far. Economics is always a funny subject in debates. How well do politicians truly understand economic theory and implementation? Hard to say.

If McCain has a chance to win, he needs to capitalize on this point:

"A while back I chatted with a University of Chicago professor who was a frequent lunch companion of Obama's. This professor said that Obama was as close to a full-out Marxist as anyone who has ever run for president of the United States. Now, I tend to quickly dismiss that kind of talk as way over the top. My working assumption is that Obama is firmly within the mainstream of Democratic politics. But if he is as free with that sort of redistributive philosophy in private as he was on the campaign trail this week, I have no doubt that U of C professor really does figure him as a radical. And after last night's debate, a few more Americans might think that way, too. McCain's best line: "Now, of all times in America, we need to cut people's taxes. We need to encourage business, create jobs, not spread the wealth around."

And by the way, I just noticed that the IBD/TIPP poll, the most accurate in 2004, has McCain down by just 3 points. If the contest is perceived by the voters as a contest between a wealth redistributor and a wealth creator, then it could be a long night come Nov. 4. This is still a center-right country, gang. Note this Gallup poll from June:

When given a choice about how government should address the numerous economic difficulties facing today's consumer, Americans overwhelmingly—by 84% to 13%—prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Americans.

There you go."

Source: US News (http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2008/10/16/did-barack-spread-the-wealth-obama-just-blow-the-election.html)

[Teuthida]

Had no idea Joe was real. What I get for not watching the news I guess.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/10/16/joe_the_plumber_not_a_licensed.html?hpid=topnews

[Swan]

Too bad they canceled the next debate....

http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/dan/10-15-08/pintamicera1.jpg

[flamb]

if i vote mccain/palin maybe they'll sleep with me
mainly palin but mccain would be cool too i guess if he doesnt get tired
*cross fingers*

[Jason1]

OH MY YES!!!!

http://www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O'Brien/video/clips/triumph-at-the-presidential-debate-101708/769823/

[Professor S]

Obama needs a 10 percent lead to win? Are you still basing this on the fact that young people and black people arent going to vote?

Let me tell you something, we are going to vote and we will. While not as amazing of a statement now as it was when I said it months ago (and dont you worry I'll make sure everyone knows I was right all along), Obama is going to win, and he will win very big.

I've never made the assertion that black and young people won't vote in this election. Ever. Thats just something that you have made up in that special little brain of yours. My contention has been that historically polling numbers for elections with mixed candidates have been skewed to favor the black candidate more than they should. Its called the "Bradley Effect".

Essentially white voters when polled answer affirmative for the minority candidate because they have a fear of being viewed as racist. This used to be much more prevalent, but has remained a valid concern to this day.