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Thank God for a much better debate than last week's! This was partly because other than the tax bracket and health care plan cost questions, we really didn't hear too many repeat questions like we did in the first two debates. Earlier this week, McCain promised he would "take it to Obama" and "whoop his you-know-what" in response to Obama's stating that McCain was afraid to bring up Ayers and other controversial subjects to his face. Of course, that's pretty much the same thing McCain said prior to the 2nd Presidential Debate in which he again managed to look old and out-of-place next to a Presidential, charismatic Obama. Anyway, for all the false bravado, it didn't happen for McCain. No matter how many times McCain attacked Obama in the debate format which featured both candidates seated around a table, Obama parried each attack with facts while McCain made generalizations. Obama was as calm as always while McCain seemed to have the attitude of someone who doesn't think his opponent is worthy to share the stage with him. This final debate was held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY and moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News with with the Jr. Senator from NY and former Presidential aspirant, Hillary Clinton in attendance along with Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Caroline Kennedy, Michelle Obama, Cindy McCain & Governor Mitt Romney in attendance.
At this point though, whether called out by Obama or not, McCain had no way to rescue his flagging numbers and improve the election outlook unless he won the third Presidential Debate of 2008 by a convincing margin. Having lost the debate by his greatest margin to date, he must find some other way to close the polling gap with Obama who currently has a 10-14-point advantage over McCain. Of course, there is always the possibility of an "October Surprise" by the Republican party. Having rehashed all of Hillary Clinton's primary attacks (Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright/Father Pfleger, the 3AM call, the in-experience factor, etc.) to none effect, at this point the only thing McCain can hope for is either a terrorist attack or the Republican election machine discounting or mis-counting millions of new Democratic votes on election day.
OUTTAKES & IMPRESSIONS:
The major reaction groups (surveying partisan and independent viewers of the debate) say that Obama again won the debate by even larger margins than he won the Second Presidential Debate (NBC: 65-29% as of 10:00am, 10/16/08 (41,033 polled), SurveyUSA: 56-28, Fox News: 82-18% as of 10:00am, 10/16/08 (373,943 polled), CNN: 58-31, CBS: 53-22).
CNN also ran a number of polling questions to viewers of the debate. Obama won on all measures, and debate watchers believed Obama would do a better job handling the economy by 59-24%.
Both candidates were given the opportunity to talk about their running mates as reflections of the kind of people they would bring into the government and to address whether the opposing VP candidate has Presidential qualifications. McCain took the opportunity to build up Palin but also to attack Biden. Not once did Obama attack Palin during the debate but instead praised her work with special needs children.
I was glad that Obama took the time to lay out exactly who Bill Ayers is and the fact that Ayers has never been associated with the Obama campaign. Obama also smartly noted that other members of the non-profit Annenberg Foundation board they both served on including Presidents of major research universities and Republicans including President Ronald Reagan's former Ambassador, the founder, Walter Annenberg and his wife also worked for Reagan. However, Obama didn't address McCain's other primary accusation which was about ACORN, the community organizing and voter registration organization whom McCain claimed Obama's campaign gave over $800,000 and is now engaging in alleged voter fraud. Not everyone knows the facts about the organization and their current legal issues, and voters tend to believe whatever they see and hear on TV. So I think that was a missed opportunity.
If you were wondering who the heck Joe (Wurzelbacher) the Plumber is, and whether he exists, worry no more. The LA Times Top of the Ticket Blog has posted his picture as well as the Huffington Post. I'm guessing he's a bachelor from the LAT pic, but in either case he was on CNN this morning saying that he's doesn't like Obama's tax reform punishing him if he buys a business like he plans to and it makes more than $250,000 annually. I've got news for you, Joe. If you can afford to buy or start your own business AND it's going to make you more than $250,000, you're doing much better than the average American right now.
Check out CNN's Election Center for debate video, transcript, highlights & discussion.
While other CNN analysts made a point of saying that Obama didn't seem passionate enough and was more "professorial" than necessary, David Gergen, a Presidential adviser, referred to McCain as "Grumpy McNasty" for the angry or frowning faces and eye-rolls he made whenever Obama was speaking. At least McCain looked at Obama while speaking to him this time. McCain's disdain for Obama was still evident in his very obvious facial expressions.
I want to know why McCain is always writing on the large yellow legal pad. What does he write? Both my wife and I were wondering this. After all, since McCain has been a Congressman for 26 years, why does he need to write debate notes when he already knows everything because, "Senator Obama doesn't understand"?
The funniest line of the night goes to McCain who at one point, called Obama, "Senator Government" then corrected himself.
What would the debate be without some sarcasm from McCain who pointed out a couple times he "admires Senator Obama's eloquence".
It seemed that Schieffer gave McCain the last word more often than he did to Obama.
QUOTABLES:
Obama: "Well, look, you know, I think that we expect presidential campaigns to be tough. ...two-thirds of the American people think that Senator McCain is running a negative campaign versus one-third of mine. And 100 percent, John, of your ads...have been negative."
Obama: "The fact that this [Bill Ayers] has become such an important part of your campaign, Senator McCain, says more about your campaign than it says about me."
McCain: "Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."
Obama: "If I've occasionally mistaken your policies for George Bush's policies, it's because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people -- on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities -- you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush."
Obama: "Your running mate didn't ... stop (it), didn't say 'hold on a second, that's kind of out of line.' (on Palin rally attendees shouting, "Kill him," and "Terrorist")
McCain: "I admire so much Sen. Obama's eloquence. And you really have to pay attention to words. He said, we will 'look at' offshore drilling. Did you get that? 'Look at.'"
IMAGES FROM THE DEBATE:
(Courtesy Huffington Post)
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