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The economy took center stage during tonight's town hall-style presidential debate at Nashville's Belmont University. Republican candidate John McCain offered a $300 billion plan to buy bad residential mortgages "and renegotiate at the new value of those homes, at the diminished value of those homes and let people make those, be able to make those payments and stay in their homes. Is it expensive? Yes.” Democratic candidate Barack Obama, who blamed President Bush and McCain for the economic problems, called his plan to cut taxes for households making less $250,000 a "rescue package."
Both candidates said they understood the public was upset the turn in the economy--the NY Times noted how McCain called Americans "innocent bystanders" while Obama said, "I understand your frustration and your cynicism. There’s a lot of blame to go around.” As for energy, McCain continued to talk about off-shore drilling, while Obama said the U.S. couldn't drill its way out of a problem. They also discussed foreign policy: McCain used the time to emphasis his experience, while Obama questioned the focus on Iraq and not Afghanistan.
McCain, whose campaign claims he excels in the town hall format, made efforts to connect with the audience, referring to members by names and touching them on the shoulder, while Obama came across as poised. In their closing remarks, Obama said, "We need fundamental change. That's what's at stake in this election. That's the reason I decided to run for president, and I'm hopeful that all of you are prepared to continue this extraordinary journey that we call America," while McCain said, "I'm asking the American people to give me another opportunity and I'll rest on my record, but I'll also tell you, when times are tough, we need a steady hand at the tiller and the great honor of my life was to always put my country first."
You can read the transcript here. The third and final debate is next Wednesday, October 15, 2008, at Hofstra University.
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McCain definitely won the debate hands down! The brain dead Obama supporters probably had the volume down during the debate! McCain slammed Obama just like Palin did to Biden!!
He's a true patriot and war hero who will be the tough and experienced leader we need! Obama and his wife are ashame to be Americans and tend to "talk down" to us. We don't need a tax raising, weak on defense liberal elitist to lecture us on how bad Americans are! Palin and McCain will take on the Washington special interests and the Wall Street fat cats, and bring us out of our dark times!
We need 8 years of Palin/McCain!! Join and vote for the true Mavericks!!!
'that guy' won
I can't wait for the new poll numbers after tonight's debate! Palin/McCain will retake the leads in Michigan, Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania! In one month's time we will have the Palin/McCain administration we need to put the Pelosi and her liberal cronies in Congress in their place!
dude69: bwahahahaha!
#4 - hipster why don't you go back to Ohio and do America a favor and cast your vote for Palin/McCain!
Yep.. That Guy/Biden '08
sorry... That One/Biden '08 :)
Got to love those Republican shills. Desperation has a way of sweating out the oldies. But they ain't goodies. Sorry, Dude. Time's up.
Obama is really starting to pull away from McCain. Republicans and Democrats alike are both scumbags and corrupt. We had eight years of a Republican president and look where American is today? It's time for a change and that change is letting a Democrat be the president.
I really hope Obama will fix up Bush's mess and help out the middle class.
Yay, Belmont University. Nashville is a great city, go Nashville. It's the a mixed city too, sometimes it goes red in the election and sometimes blue. Memphis on the other hand is almost always blue while Knoxville goes red. Nashville almost always goes blue with the presidential election these days.
McCain went around in the same familiar circles and did not once mention Sarah Palin, but mentioned Joe Lieberman, his first choice for Veep, several times. Obviously he considers her just another mealy-mouth surrogate while he's old enough (and stupid enough) to think that his "bipartisan" association with Lieberman proves anything about him. Lieberman has absolutely no currency with any democrat and only panders to the assisted living crowd with his flea-bitten '70s pro-Israel blather. McCain is just creaky and awful. His moment came and went and now he's like a Wal-Mart greeter who's just had another stroke and thinks he's moving into management.
It's taking Ides of March a long time to comment on the debate.
I guess typing a long, but misguided, post about how McCain owned the debate with one hand behind your back so you can cross your fingers does take a long time.
McCain was a nuclear douche tonight. What a lying, creepy prick.
Obama didn't even attempt to answer the first question, he just launched right into a prepared lecture. The man is lost without a teleprompter.
McCain needed to be more aggressive: he had opportunities to hang the Fannie Mae mess around Obama and the democrats' necks where it belongs. Franklin Raines anyone? He's one of those greedy, rich CEO's Obama kept moaning about: thing is, Raines helped wreck Fannie Mae and is now on Obama's staff as an economic advisor! McCain needed to expose this.
Obama brought the baloney, McCain forgot the knife.
Why does McCain show his HATE for Obama so much?
Why is the GOP the party of fear, ignorance, and anger?
If the Dems are 'liberal' and 'intellectual', how is that bad?
"It's taking Ides of March a long time to comment on the debate"
Your fixation on me is creepy. Besides ad hominem attacks, have you anything of substance to say?
"Obama brought the baloney, McCain forgot the knife."
McCain brought his tumor face. Obama forgot his knife.
Nice lavender tie Obama. I wonder if Larry Sinclair picked it out for him.
so town hall debates were mcccain's strengths?
maybe all that standing and sitting got him all tired and arthritic.
and stop getting so close to the questioners! we see you fine.
I want a gold-plated cadillac health plan.
McCain is too old and too creepy. He had no plans and most of his responses were "my friends" and "sit across the table with each other". Obama is young and intelligent and speaks to working class. That one '08
@qwerty, yes, I might need some hair plugs some day.
I wonder if McCalin's plan paid for all his plastic surgery or did his wife pay for him? Damn, he looks creepy.
But Mr. McCain neglected to say that some of his closest advisers and campaign staff members have also benefited from the largesse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Over a five year period, for example, campaign manager Rick Davis was paid nearly $2 million by the mortgage giants to help defend them against stricter regulations
Raines released a statement denying any role as an advisor in the Obama campaign. Raines had told a Washington Post reporter in July, however, that he did receive phone calls from Obama's campaign asking for advice on housing policy.
That one/Biden 08
Did anyone notice at the end of the debate the Obama (and Michelle) were out talking with people and shaking hands but McCain and Cindy just sort of stood there and then disappeared? That was odd.
McCain kick big ears ass.
Today's Guardian UK says it best with an article titled "It's President 'That One' to you."
McCain go take your seat in the senate.
And Palin, please get on your damned broomstick and fly away back home.
@14: Incorrect.
http://snopes.com/politics/obama/fanniemae.asp
Check your sources before you spout erroneous information.
Who cares about McCain or Obama? It's not about them. the party of George Bush must be punished and flogged and dragged into the street and beaten. and that's what's gonna happen come november. You know how bad a president George Bush is? regardless of the economy or the war, George Bush is SOOO bad that he's opened the door for a african american to become president. You know how absolutely fucked up that is for white people to even consider a black dude as an alternative? think about that. George Bush gave us the first African american president.
We do need fundamental change. However none of these two clowns will deliver. We'll just get the same old same old. The system is fundamentally broken. That is the only thing that this election and manufactured in Washington economic crisis seems to really bring about.
NannyState: Yeah I was amused when McCain said "I've worked across the aisle.. with Joe Lieberman" (He went on to list others)
Ides: Franklin Raines is not and has never been on the Obama staff. This has been an issue for the past few weeks so I can only conclude that you are a liar.
My friends, listen to me my friends, Obama will raise your taxes and fine you. Vote for me I've faced tougher guys and I've faced down these types of issues my friends. Obama is going to fine you did you hear me? For no reason, my friends. I will make sure as an American that you do not get fined. Actually I am going to give you $5,000 my friends. I've faced down these things before. Now how does that sound my friends?
Boy the Repubs are getting desperate. It's fun to watch them sweat.
OBAMA 08!
That was a pretty damn white crowd. The dudes looked like they just walked off the enactment battlefield. I could have sworn one had a grey coat draped over the back of his chair.
Both parties are tainted by the financial bust...the Dems for encouraging debt for the poor and the GOP for magnifying it corrupting the global economy to get rich.
One party laid the first turd, the other built a factory to lay them by the millions and efficiently package and ship them all over the world.
The red states will vote for the dumbest candidate they can get their hands on, in this case Palin, if only to spite the blue state smartypants. This is tribalism at its worst.
Neither has a health care plan that addresses real problems in the system.
Did anyone notice at the end of the debate the Obama (and Michelle) were out talking with people and shaking hands but McCain and Cindy just sort of stood there and then disappeared? That was odd.
Yes, I noticed that too. I watched the debate on the NY Times website (don't have a tv) and they kept for camera rolling for a good half-hour after the debate. John and Cindy McCain quickly left the building, but Obama and Michelle stuck around shaking people's hands and taking photographs. The people in the audience really seemed to like him. Anyway, that's minor stuff, just an observation.
I don't really know who "won the debate" since the two candidates are so fundamentally different and neither really discussed why their policies are better for America. Actually, now that I think of it, Obama did explain why Democratic policies are better by comparing the Clinton years (and the budget surplus) with the last 8 years of Bush. I do wish that we could hear the two debate the fundamental differences between Democratic and Republican policies and back up their claims wih facts and figures. I wish this would occur not only to enlighten us, but also because, as the old saying goes: the truth has a liberal bias.
good my vote will cancel out your vote.
$5,000 for my health insurance, yeah that's going to help a lot. someone should call him out on that but then the rich views health insurance differently than the poor. It's all about choices for them for the poor it's about survival.
C-Span said that the McCains had left, so that's why they only showed the Obamas (it was suggested that the McCains left pretty much after the debate ended).
@VanessaNYC--I agree, the debate left me a bit unsatisfied (like most do), because I felt like both candidates weren't answering the questions at times. There were sparks of interesting things, but not enough overall.
How does one get tickets/admittance to these debates? I'm sure they've already been distributed but just what is the system for these things?
At the very least this time they didn't blatantly state that they weren't going to answer the question before they went into their prepared talking points.
5k for health insurance? In New York if you are uninsured and try to buy a family of four a policy, your monthly premium averages $1200. So McCain's idea will pay for 4 months. Big deal... Why hasn't Obama challenged that 5k number????
The audience was apparently comprised of undecided voters. Now- how that select group of undecideds got in, I'm not sure.
I love how McCain said he knows how to catch Osama Bin Laden. I guess he won't tell anyone until he's elected President.
I also love how McCain said fixing Social Security was easy. I guess that's another secret he won't tell American until he's elected.
Why have we barely once heard the word "Democratic" or "Republican" by any of the candidates in the 3 debates (er, bullet point summaries) so far? Check the transcripts.
I would have expected to hear a few times about how "Democrats will raise taxes" or "Republicans have led us down this path to ruin" but none of the candidates are criticizing the other party - just the other candidates.
Why that? Perhaps they are both under instructions not to remind viewers and voters that this is a 2-party get-together -- and that no other parties are invited (even though you will have the option to vote for other political parties on election day).
Also it seems that some subject are off-limits as questions. I would have like to see the prisoner situation at Guantanamo Bay brought up. A very politically sticky situation that might have revealed more of the true character of these two candidates. But tough questions, and straight answers, seem to have no place in these info-mercials.
"I love how McCain said he knows how to catch Osama Bin Laden. I guess he won't tell anyone until he's elected President."
I was really hoping that Obama would pounce on that.. Ever since I heard McCain make this statement months ago, I've been waiting for the obvious response:
"Well, Senator McCain.. if you know how to catch bin Laden, do you mind slipping President Bush a note?"
I don't know what's worse, Like or My Friends, I almost started muting the TV when McCain with all that My Friends crap, especially as he says it with that crazed look in his eye, that reminds me of a serial killer being put in a room full of new victims to choose from. Anyone else get the feeling this guy wants to be Pres for the simple fact he can start wars??
And this was the knockout blow.
question for the McCain shills:
so his plan is to give 5K to everyone.... and buy up mortgages of houses that are worth less than the mortgage (which you have to admit is fucking madness)... and continue the war in Iraq.... and invest gov't money in green initiatives... and decrease borrowing from foreign countries... AND decrease the national debt....
ALL OF THIS without raising any new taxes??
i call bull.
"Also it seems that some subject are off-limits as questions. I would have like to see the prisoner situation at Guantanamo Bay brought up."
I'd love to hear a question about that too, but let's face it, that is not an issue that has a direct impact on, well, almost anyone.
Furthermore, both candidates have said they would close the facility. I'm not sure what additional insight we could have gotten from a question on this subject.
"But tough questions, and straight answers, seem to have no place in these info-mercials."
I called the 800 line and gave my credit card#...where are my Ginsu knives?
hungryghoast: He doesn't just plan to not raise any taxes, he plans to continue cutting them.
Here's the best graphic on the issue, imo:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/06/09/ST2008060900950.html
One thing is for sure, Cindy, is getting her money's worth. She is still in almost every photograph. There's even a shot of him making a speech at one of his phony Town Hall meetings. He's out on a runway preaching, and she's standing, also on the runway a few feet behind him. Maybe she is there to try and catch him if he falls.
The audience was selected by Gallup, the polling organization, and was split three ways among voters leaning toward McCain, those leaning toward Obama and those undecided.
I can't wait for the ultimate gaffe by McCain or Palin to occur in the next few weeks
It would be nice if this is just a layup for Obama
We don't need any more excitement
Lets just end this republican reign of terror
We can throw them all in prison as traitors to our country later
everybody do themselves a favor. pick up a copy of this weeks economist and get the facts on the plans for both candidates from one of the most brutally honest bi-partisan media outlets around. there is a fantastic section that breaks down each candidate issue by issue. these debates are worthless and filled with nothing but talking points and opponent bashing.
CELLAR DWELLER
In calling Obama "that one,"
A vile and insolent bash,
McCain gives vocal proof
He's palin' around with white trash.
I feel more at ease now after last night Obama-bots will soon be shut down.