Friday, September 26, 2008

The Debate: First Thoughts

McCain simply pushed me over the edge tonight. I can hardly stand to listen to the dishonest, cantankerous old SOB anymore. Unable to win on points, McCain elected to rely--as has become his M.O.--on lies and nastiness. The guy has become a despicable piece of crap. If it weren't so infuriating, it'd be sad.

We already knew that Obama was smarter, more knowledgeable and more intellectually honest than McCain, and that certainly came across again tonight. Unfortunately, I think Obama needed to punch back harder, especially at the end. McCain took the gloves off and flat-out said that he didn't think that Obama was qualifed for the Presidency. Obama responded with some fluffy feel-good stuff--the kind of stuff of which I normally approve. But I think it was a mistake tonight. I believe that what he needed to do was respond in kind--it's easy enough to do. He should have said that McCain simply doesn't have the judgment or the temperament to be President.

I have a hard time figuring out what normal folks think about these things. It seemed to me that Obama won on substance--but who knows how the rhetorical battle for votes shook out. I fear that McCain's nastiness will pay off...but maybe it will, instead, turn people off.

Note: CNN just showed the Kissinger tape, and it certainly looks like Obama was right on that point.

2 Comments:

Blogger Rook said...

What gets me is any man who begs off appearing on Letterman because he has to suspend his campaign and get to Washington, then ends up doing an interview, then ends up at the Clinton Global Initiative rally, than goes to bed, all after he claims how important it is to go to Washington has little room passing judgment on anyone else.

11:41 PM  
Blogger Aa said...

My reaction was much as the same as yours WS...he was definitely agitated, almost angry, and was letting forth with half-truths/spins most of the time.

My 11-year old thought McCain was 'confused' (not in content, just in the way he answered or didn't seem to answer).

FWIW

12:58 PM  

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