Third Presidential Debate

[HashiriyaS14]

Best Debate Yet.

I honestly thought McCain was winning until Lewis got brought up. McCain was visually engaging Obama, speaking in detailed terms on the economy, and connecting with viewers.

Unfortunately, he had to go and ruin it with all the talk about Lewis, Ayers, ACORN, and the like. He could've mentioned this stuff in passing, but he PRESSED it, and that looks bad, because outside of his most ardent supporters, no one cares about any of this shxt. No one cares about the Keating Five or McCain's first marriage either. They care about schools, jobs, and their kid in Iraq.

He got baited by Obama into bringing this stuff up during the debate and it did him a huge disservice. I think he would have won handily if he hadn't mentioned any of it.

Otherwise, who watched it on CNN? Did anyone else think Gergen was asleep with his analyst feedback counter? It would sit idle for like 20 minutes on end and then all of a sudden it was like Gergen would wake up and just start pressing random buttons, LOL.

I only heard one "My Friends" out of McCain, and I think I only saw one lizard-like tongue-jut. Obama smiled a little too much this time, IMO. McCain's best performance and Obama's 2nd best/worst.

Best moderated debate by far, I might add.

EDIT: At least Clean Coal got an endorsement from Obama publicly. Let's hope he means it. If the charcoal-filter vent hood on my stove can capture all those carcinogens and crap, there's no reason we can't do it on a coal power plant. We've got tons of the stuff, let's burn it, make electricity, and power some electric cars!

[telcoman]

I watched on MSNBC and listened again on the CNN replay while I drove to work this morning. McCain sounds angry, refuses to talk about was is really important ie economy, jobs, healthcare but keeps attacking Obama.

IMHO, McCain did not do himself any good and is the loser. Joe the Plumber may vote for him along with Gayle Quinnell but thats about it.

[Jesda]

I zoned out a few times. Bob Barr was interviewed on CNN this morning and of course talked about how these two clowns have little to offer.

Obama explained Ayers but lied about a couple things. Obama is no longer in contact with Bill Ayers and made it clear that Ayers would not be a part of his administration and is not a part of his campaign. He lied about not launching his political career in Ayers' living room.

Again, I don't understand why it matters that Obama was 8 when Ayers was a terrorlst. The holocaust was before I was born but I wouldn't hang out with any nazis.

As for the rest of it, Obama offered more government and everyone in the audience approved [because they're morons]. McCain was completely pathetic at defining and explaining his policies. He sort of stood there and grunted.

If this election is even close, I will be surprised. Gallup today has the candidates apart by only 2% -- WTF.

[Bubba1]

I zoned out a few times. Bob Barr was interviewed on CNN this morning and of course talked about how these two clowns have little to offer.

Obama explained Ayers but lied about a couple things. Obama is no longer in contact with Bill Ayers and made it clear that Ayers would not be a part of his administration and is not a part of his campaign. He lied about not launching his political career in Ayers' living room.

Again, I don't understand why it matters that Obama was 8 when Ayers was a terrorlst. The holocaust was before I was born but I wouldn't hang out with any nazis.

As for the rest of it, Obama offered more government and everyone in the audience approved [because they're morons]. McCain was completely pathetic at defining and explaining his policies. He sort of stood there and grunted.

If this election is even close, I will be surprised. Gallup today has the candidates apart by only 2% -- WTF.

I tried to stay awake too. There is an obvious hard press on the Republican's part to emphasize a relationship with Ayers amd Obama. But I'm curious why there seems to be a lack of outrage with the University of Illinois who is employing this same domestic terrorlst as a professor.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

I tried to stay awake too. There is an obvious hard press on the Republican's part to emphasize a relationship with Ayers amd Obama. But I'm curious why there seems to be a lack of outrage with the University of Illinois who is employing this same domestic terrorlst as a professor.

Been out of college long, friend?

[AZhitman]

I turned it off.

More of the same from both, and I actually found my irritation with BO's blather turning into anger at McCain.

While I don't think public speaking amounts to a damn thing relevant to the Presidency, I couldn't listen to JM perform poorly.

Three debates and we've learned nothing new about either candidates' positions on critical matters.

I'm disappointed in JM - I though he had more piss and vinegar in him.

I'm disappointed in BO for "taking a knee" and letting the clock run out while so many questions remain unanswered.

The MSM sure as hell won't get any answers for us.

[smockers83]

I unfortunately had to watch Project Runway because it was the season finale. So I just made fun of everything I could find on that show. Can someone explain to me how people who are supposed to lead the direction of fashion dress so poorly?

I'll have to download the debate from iTunes. I've seen parts of the transcript when I asked my friend about it, we started talking about the two. I commented on their tax policies and said that if we mushed their policies together, we'd have a decent one. So I've come to the conclusion that if we combine Obama and McCain together, we'd actually have a decent candidate. Get rid of Biden and Palin and make an Obama/McCain ticket. Maybe we'd have one good ticket then, a bipartisan ticket, and then I wouldn't have to choose who to vote for unless some amazing 3rd party candidate came up.

We debated slightly on the health care issues that were talked about, how McCain wants his taxes and tax credit and Obama wants to get everyone insured. First, we don't really know if 20 million people will lose their health insurance, which I'd also like to add is less than 10% of Americans. Second, when will McCain stop insisting Obama will fine small businesses for not having insurance? So I offered my own idea. The problem isn't insurance, the problem is the medical system. Fix the medical system in a way that it is accessible financially and the insurance premiums will follow. This means part of McCain's plan. Preventative measures, increase walk-in clinics so we aren't using up hospital resources in the ER. But most of all, increase the number of doctors and nurses. The issue is the low supply of doctors/nurses and the high demand on the system. Again, fix the system and the rest will follow.

[themadscientist]

I had trouble watching it, it was 1am at the time true but it was the same old ****. McCain cannot deliver a knockout blow, he is not an eloquent speaker. Obama is definitely a persuasive speaker and that is the only reason McCain was not looking across the table at Hillary Clinton.

McCain needs one of us to write his speeches because we have some real bards here on both sides who can write some good stuff.

The two have similar but different problems

McCain has some good ideas but he cannot communicate them effectively.

Obama can communicate effectively but he is lying the whole time.

Whoever wins this election will owe a certain percentage of their vote to their opponent.

If Obama wins it is because McCain could not communicate his ideas effectively and people did not see him as a good candidate as a result.

If McCain wins it is because Obama was transparent to enough of us that in spite of his flowery speech we knew what he really was and didn't go for it. McCain has run a limp-wristed confused campaign.

[Bubba1]

Been out of college long, friend?

Evidently too long....

[HashiriyaS14]

Obama can communicate effectively but he is lying the whole time..

What, precisely, are we guessing that Obama is lying about? I'm not insinuating that there isn't anything, but I'd like to know specifically.

I'm disappointed in BO for "taking a knee" and letting the clock run out while so many questions remain unanswered.

The MSM sure as hell won't get any answers for us.

I've heard this from a number of conservatives, both publicly and personally, in recent months. What "answers", specifically, are you looking for?

On Ayers, the details are fairly easy to look up. They served on a board together, and it *does* appear that Ayers hosted some kind of event in his home for Obama. I wish they didn't have an association, but he appears to be a tough guy to avoid for any Democratic Chicago Politician ("citizen of the year" in Chicago in 1997). It seems that numerous Democrats and Republicans have had passing associations with the guy as he's apparently a fairly prominent Chicago figure, but no one's accusing any of these people of being bombers. Barack condemned the acts in question, and IMO this is really all he can do.

On Wright, Obama is quite plainly indifferent in regards to religion. In his books, it is obvious to all but the most oblivious readers that his religious affiliations are purely political in motivation, much like John McCain's. Neither man is ardently religious but both know that religious indifference is not electable in these United States. Obama's association with Wright is also quite plainly not for religious reasons but rather political ones. Black politics is still largely centralized in churches, and Wrights church was apparently the place to be in Chicago. Obama, with his lack of any ties to the once-enslaved US black population, was in danger of being "not black enough" unless he allied himself with a few traditional bastions of black political power. Wright is indisputably a nut, but so is Rod Parsley. People keep strange allies to get themselves elected, that's the American way. I can't think of one successful politician who doesn't do this. I'm not going to rate politicians on their associations unless there's credible evidence that they've personally said or done something objectionable.

Both of these answers, as you can see, are just guesses at Obama's motivation and circumstances. They do not present any new facts. This is because, at this stage, all we can do is guess at motivations. There are no new facts and there will be no new facts. If you are waiting for some kind of incriminating bombshell you will be disappointed, as if there were any the McCain campaign would have surely unearthed them by now.

We're not going to hear that Obama wrote some secret letter to Wright condemning the United States or that Obama was a regular golf buddy of Ayers. The information is already out there, don't hold your breath for anything else.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Evidently too long....

Colleges these days would be overjoyed to have Charlie Manson as a Criminal Justice professor...