Notes from the debate

Blue Mallard train, National Railway Museum, York, England. One of the best lines of the debate was when Barack Obama corrected one of John McCain's false assertions, then quipped, "The Straight Talk Express lost a wheel on that one."

All the insta-polls showed Sen. Barack Obama clearly won last night's presidential debate in Nashville, providing precise, detailed answers and maintaining a calm, serious demeanor. Sen. John McCain seemed cranky, irritable and unfocused, looking to attack and blame, in lieu of solutions. He also lied - again - about the differences between his and Obama's tax plans. He repeated himself a few times and just generally failed to inspire confidence for voters worried about the tanking economy.

Below are a few notes scribbled during last night's presidential debate. Admittedly, I am an Obama supporter, but I didn't set out to find so many faults with McCain and so few with Obama. That's just the way the debate played out:

• McCain reminds everyone of his publicity stunt in which he "suspended" his campaign (he did not).
• He tries to link Obama with Fannie and Freddie, when his own campaign manager was a paid lobbyist for Fannie and Freddie through August 2008.
  
• McCain is attacking and blaming, rather than offering solutions.
• Obama reminds voters McCain is a deregulator and deregulation is what got our economy into this mess.
• In response to at least four questions in the debate, McCain says, "I know how to fix this" or "I know how to do that." But he offers no plans to back up his claims.
• McCain says he is a consistent reformer, against special interests and for bipartisanship. Yet lobbyists for special interests are running - and funding - his campaign. I'm just thankful he doesn't use the word "maverick."
• Twice McCain uses the America needs a "steady hand at the tiller" expression, yet he looks anything but steady. And his behaviour in the last two weeks has been decidedly erratic.
• Why does McCain keep using the term "Americans?" As in "We're Americans." Does he think any of us have forgotten where we came from?
• And why does he keep going on about earmarks? One would think since his running mate is the earmark queen, McCain would steer well clear of this subject.
• Obama talks about expanding the Peace Corps and encouraging young people to get involved in community service.
• Why does McCain keep wandering around the stage, even when Obama is speaking? And what are those hand gestures behind Obama's back supposed to mean?
• McCain claims sorting out Social Security "is not that hard." (Of course his previous idea was to privitize social security. Look how well that worked out for Wall Street).
  
• McCain keeps repeating himself. Three times he's said "Obama has not taken his party on." Maybe that's because the Democratic party doesn't need corraling, as much as the Republican party.
• McCain brings up Lieberman twice. It's obvious he was his first choice for a running mate.
• McCain tries to talk about energy sources as though he is an advocate, but Obama rightly points out that in McCain's 26 years in the Senate, he voted against alternative fuels 23 times.

On health care, McCain clearly thinks he's doing us all a favor with a $5000 payment "to go out and buy any health plan we want." Another example of how out of touch he is, thinking $5000 will get any kind of decent health insurance. Obama has a good retort: "With one hand he's giving, with the other, he's taking away." Sen. McCain would tax our health insurance "for the first time in history." Obama says the US Chamber of Commerce - which tends to favor Republicans - said taxing health insurance would lead to the unravelling of our health care.

Taxes

Why does John McCain keep misrepresenting not only Sen. Obama's tax plan, but his own?

He says: "I am not in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy."

The Tax Policy Center, in a report last month: The two candidates' tax plans would have sharply different distributional effects. Senator McCain's tax cuts would primarily benefit those with very high incomes, almost all of whom would receive large tax cuts that would, on average, raise their after-tax incomes by more than twice the average for all households. Many fewer households at the bottom of the income distribution would get tax cuts and those tax cuts would be small as a share of after-tax income.

In marked contrast, Senator Obama offers much larger tax breaks to low- and middle-income taxpayers and would increase taxes on high-income taxpayers. The largest tax cuts, as a share of income, would go to those at the bottom of the income distribution, while taxpayers with the highest income would see their taxes rise significantly.

McCain is going on again about "victory in Iraq." Still clueless about how to achieve it.

McCain clearly has a bee in his bonnet about Russia, although he denies the cold war will be revived.

He pronounces Taliban "Tally-ban." "I know I'll get Osama bin Laden," McCain says. "I'll get him no matter what. I'll do it." If McCain really knows where bin Laden is, as he has claimed on more than one occasion, isn't it treason if he won't tell the president?

McCain's disdain for Obama is obvious, especially with his condescending phrase, "That one," pointing at Obama. Obama doesn't like him either, but behaves more diplomatically than McCain.

McCain has said "my friends" at least 12 times in this debate. So annoying.

Once again, McCain fails to mention the middle class.

Obama and McCain shake hands onstage; later, when mingling with the crowd after the debate, Obama tries to shake McCain's hand. Instead, McCain directs him to shake his wife Cindy's hand. She looks like she has swallowed something particularly distasteful - especially after her statement earlier in the day that Obama was running the "dirtiest campaign in history." Ha ha.

The McCains don't linger, although Barack and Michelle Obama spend several minutes chatting with audience members and answering their questions.

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John McCain's 17 lies during the debate are refuted here. And I'm voting for "That One!"

Comments

[Sharyl]

Brava!

[ainelivia]

If I was American I could not possibly vote for Mr McCain, because I have been listening to Obama for months and he seems to offer America, hope, integrity and self-respect.

And I certainly could not vote for Mr McCain since he introduced Mrs Palin as his running mate!! Out of the frying pan into the fire!*! The woman speaks in "understoods", she is attempting to appeal to "people like us" a lot, yet she is a millionaire or near enough, I believe. And if ever there was woman who thought she could get by on her looks - high heels, lipstick, and those sickeningly sweet smiles - this is one.

[Colette]

I didn't watch (I was watching The Tudors on CBC). But I caught up later. McCain has absolutely no self-control, unless he considers being rude and mean and erratic some kind of a strategy. No one that angry should be allowed to run for the presidency.

[amber]

Actually, I read that he said "my friends" 28 times during that debate. LOL! *sigh*

He is trying his best, but each time I think people see how logical and mellow Obama is. And he is more direct.

:)

[Karyn Entzion]

Did anyone else notice that at the very beginning of the debate, Tom Brokaw asked each candidate to identify in rank order which they would focus on first: health care, the economy or ending the war in Iraq. McCain had to ask for the question to be repeated because he couldn't remember the 3 items, and then he wrote them down while Obama provided his answer. I also thought he looked quite frail and elderly. Which means that we would stuck with 'her' as President.

During the most important and historic election of our lifetime, how sad that it may be remembered more by future generations as an lesson in rudeness, unfounded personal charecter attacks and general classlessness. I never thought even we Americans could stoop this low. Please let it go quickly and put us all out of our misery and leave us with someone who demonstrates level-headedness, maturity and leadership moving us forward out of this disastrous legacy that Bush has left.

[Christina]

I think McCain needed his diaper changed! What the hell was he so hateful for last night. I think he is getting desperate because he is realizing he is behind.

I saw how he didn't want to shake Obama's hand and directed Cindy to do it. Sad, they acted like Obama was going to going to start snatching purses!! WTF?? I really felt that McCain had more than dislike for sen Obama, that was sad.

I loved the moment when McCain told the brother who asked the question about the bail out plans. "you probably never heard of Fannie mae or freddie Mac before this." I was dying! Way to go John, you got yourself a vote there for sure.

LOL

[Brenda Kula]

Firstly, I think McCain was up past his bedtime and far too cranky and befuddled because of that. Secondly, that remark: "that one" likely lost him any momentum he might have had with anyone who has respect and sensibilities. His condescending attitude toward Obama is so obvious it would sway me away from him even if I had favored him. Did his elderly mother not teach him any manners? He's out of touch. He needs to give some of those homes he owns (though he can't recall how many he has) to people who have lost theirs. He needs to give some of those cars he owns (in the double digits) to others for shelter. THEN I might have a tiny bit of respect for him and that trophy wife who looks like she just tasted something bitter.

[tangobaby]

BTW, the photo of that train is spectacular!

[tangobaby]

You know, this time I think I was at a big disadvantage just listening to it on the radio. Not having the benefit of seeing the non-verbal visuals would have made it a more complete debate for me. Thank you for recapping this event so completely for us.

On the radio alone, although I thought Obama sounded like he had the necessary information, he was too slow in bringing it out sometimes and it frustrated me. But hearing McCain spout "my friends" like 10,000 times and "that one" (which did jump out from the radio like a firecracker of hatred, where I said to myself, did he just call Obama "that one?!") made the debate seem to drag on forever. I was also very frustrated that there were no follow-up remarks. I should watch it now that it's on video and see what I was not able to see before.

I am grateful that the overall consensus is that Obama won and that this whole tortuous election is one day closer to its end.

[My Mélange]

Yeah, I didn't like that *that one* comment. His disdain and general dislike for Obama is so evident. It is painful to watch. Should we really pick someone that has that much disdain. Image the disdain he has for certain world leaders and what might he do with that disdain?????? And I appreciated Obama's tone as opposed to McCain. I thought he was snide, condescending and rude at times.

I thought the debate was a bit flat. Of course, my vote on who won goes to Obama- all CNN polls of folks who watched support our candidate. Especially the one that asked who would make the better leader. Obama won almost 2 to 1.

And if that is McCain's idea of *taking the gloves off*, I think he is a typical bully- all talk- no action!!!

I hope we continue on this path for the next month- Obama is ahead in polls and I have to hope and pray