Well, I'd have to give it to Barack Obama on points..
It was a kind of lifeless, robotic affair--both of the candidates playing it pretty safe. Even McCain, with his barely controlled temper, was relatively subdued and mature-seeming--maybe he does have that in him when he needs it-- maybe he took a little something before the debate to calm him down a bit...
Even the frame of this dull, predictable, slowly-moving picture, was lifeless.
A real town-hall meeting might have people speaking passionately... frowning, laughing, making sounds of approval or disapproval, asking follow-up questions if they didn't get a real answer the first time around.
This group--supposedly screened by the Gallup poll to be independents (how that can really be determined so clearly is hard to know)--sat there like cardboard cut-outs. After getting to ask their one question, their microphone was apparently shut off (or removed). They were clearly instructed by the TV producers of the debate to sit still and shut up, like good little citizens should.
God forbid they got irritated or interrupted the candidate to require a little specificity or plain truth.
With only one or two exceptions, and those were short and without real punch, both the candidates were predictable, repetitive and boring... And, in a race where Obama is ahead (Thank God) a dull, predictable debate was all he needed to stay ahead.
It doesn't matter so much that McCain is a liar about his record and his sleazy associations--and about some of Obama's plans and programs--- Or that that he (McCain) seems very unstable and deluded; twisted by the horrible things that happened to him in Vietnam and suffering all sorts of humiliations and defeats before (at the hands of the very Reuplican lizards who now run his campaign!)
And it doesn't matter if both candidates exaggerate or twist things around or ignore uncomfortable facts about their voting records or backgrounds...
What really mattered last night--again, with Obama ahead in the polls in most places-- is that he seemed calm, collected, authoritative; in short, "Presdidential." That much, despite his usual talking points, Obama certainly achieved.
As I said, McCain, crazy and angry as he clearly is most of the time--came off pretty controlled and somewhat Presidential himself.
What you have to look for is those little odd, jerky, disconnected flares that suddenly come out of him... Standing, suddenly, a little too close to audience members, telling strange, disconnected jokes that nobody gets (in order to be a funny, joe-six-pack kinda dude)-- that nutty twinkle he gets in his eye sometimes and that bizarre, scary smile that appears out of nowhere--especially when he's really angry.
Last night, McCain did his best-- And he didn't do what some people thought he might do-- And, incidentally, what I fervently hoped he might do-- Bring up Bill Ayers and Obama "palling around" with terrorists.
I wish McCain had brought that up-- It would have sunk him irretrievably. Maybe, if he keeps slipping in the polls, he'll bring it up at next week's debate.
I guess we just have to expect Sarah Barracuda to keep bringing all that up--until her adoring mobs go from cries of "He's a terrorist! (about Obama) or even, at one of her recent rallies, "Kill him!" (Obama) to actually doing something violent (God forbid).
This woman gets to be a nazi thug urging the masses to hate and commit violence while old Uncle John gets to be the kind, honest, decent old man.
Dishonest of course, and also very dishonorable....
Country first... what utter bullshit!
Anyway, I'm really tired of hearing all the same old words, phrases, plans and figures (5 million jobs! 300 million in tax cuts, blah blah blah) that don't seem to mean anything anymore--from both the candidates.
It would be nice if we had a Franklin Roosevelt now-- seems like the only man who could bring us through this horrible crisis we're in... Obama, whatever his strong points and whatever his hidden depths of ability and strength is still too much the party politician for me... Too much a man who plays it safe.
Who knows-- maybe he will surprise us all-- Maybe he has a Roosevelt in him and it will emerge once he wins the election. After all, Roosevelt was the consumate party politician but, after taking office, saw that the regular fixes and slogans wouldn't work--and set about saving America.
I hope that next week's debate is livelier and has elements of passion and anger and demands from the moderator (though it seems unlikely) and that the candidates stop spouting either robotic phrases and figures or plain lies.
But that's just because I want to be inspired and even feel some real hope in this dire time.
On the other hand, if Obama is still gaining in the polls, let him be boring and Presidential again-- that will be good enough.
Maybe a desparate McCain will accuse Obama of being a terrorist-- Then Obama could wrap it all up with a couple of sentences.
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3 comments:
Hi Mike! Congrats on your blog!
Btw, check out this site:
http://electoral-vote.com/
Terrific site for tracking the candidates, keeping somewhat sane (Obama's ahead!, lots of interesting info (I esp. like the electoral college graphs.) Anyway, take a look.
xxo- Seena
Mike, I couldn't have said it better myself. I was so hyped up about the Vice Presidential debate and that was somewhat of a dud. Now this debate comes along and I could have napped through it. I said so to my significant other and he disagreed with me. I thought I was missing something, or perhaps not understanding something. Turns out I wasn't the only one who was bored to death. If I hear "maverick" or "my friends" one more time, my head is going to blow off. I thought the same things about McSame standing too close to the crowd, the "Stepford Wife" people, the absolutely no emotions coming from anyone and, last but not least, the horrible, dull questions that Tom Brokaw asked. I am totally convinced that McSame has Agent Orange floating around his brain. Please let this thing be over and let Obama begin his presidency.
Mike
This was a draw, as you suggest. One would have loved to have seen the question of the war (McCain seemed comfortable using the 'success' of the surge, not the war itself) posed this way "Senators, would you agree that this war was started from a false pretext (i.e. lie), that is was declared victorious 6 or so years ago and thousands have died or lost limbs/eyesight since then, that more terrorists have taken root in Iraq since the war, and that Halliburton has made a fortune each year of the war while the deficit's trillions have increased?.....Gentlemen, can we agree on that part of this experience in Iraq. Senator McCain, you first"
It's obscene that McCain would have the so called barracuda defaming his opponent, yet he has difficulty (good for him!). But McCain's temper, my goodness, what will happen if N. Korea or Russia or whomever, pisses him off at a time of crisis?....
McCain's relationship with his surroundings was very odd and disturbing. Besides the smile that serves as pleasure, anger, and uncertainty for him, his comment to Brokaw was bizarre (passively aggressive for what reason?) and his comment to the black gentleman that he, the questioner, certainly had not heard of Fanny and Freddies before (how did he know that?....the man asked him a question on economics, why would he not know Fred/Fannie?).
I am pleased that it seems the country (and esp. right wing media) does see that a momentum is going for Obama, rather than the usual spin.....(do people really think Palin held her own last week?...She is a mean, divisive, denigrating, mendacious individual who knows as much about the issues and history as Feder does; nay, even less!!!!
But this much I will say in closing, as I've said to Mike in emails; should Obama win, we must hold him to certain changes.....it is obscene the amount of money he has raised, NO ONE should have that money in a campaign; it only allows the candidate to spend millions on negative campaigns, it must end. A cap has to be agreed upon. And the campaigning cannot go on for 2 plus years. You announce a year before, and if you want to spend the next few months in primaries, and then a shortened presidential campaign, throwing mud at your opponent, you will be transparent to most of the electorate. Now, there is so much time that the electorate is lulled into accepting this garbage. And most of all, the 24/7 news outlets, who NEED to have this mud, the fights, the denigration, the avoidance of issues (they're boring, they will assert), so they can have viewership, this protracted election serves their pockets and nothing more. And if Olberman (he's too biased) goes toe to toe with O'Reilly (he's horrible, but it's for ratings!), they are cross promoting, so they both enjoy it. They fan the flames of confronation, they do not promote civil discourse. The Right does it all the time, the Left does it as well, to a lesser degree, I agree.
I did not support Obama thru the primaries. He was my 4th choice. I liked Richardson for many reasons. I liked Edwards for a few less. I liked Hillary, and voted for her against Obama, but I felt America would vote Republican as a statement against her husband. I have issues with Obama, but I'm no Ralph Nader. As Gore and Bush were not the same, nor are Obama and any of the Republican aspirants. It's not Obama I revere, it's who I feel will have access to him, and those folks will have to stay on him. There's too much work to be done. (Had Nader a normal ego, he would have realized that even if he felt Gore and Bush were similar, each party sleeping with corporations, he, Nader, would have had access to Gore, big time. When was the last time Bush asked for his input?)
I do trust Obama will call in, for counsel, people of substance. I pray for that, and for those of you so very confident in Obama, I hope you're on target.
Barry
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