Arkansas Blog

Given that Iraq is on the collective back burner for folks worried if their retirement and savings are going to disappear...Obama clearly displayed he was concerned about them. McBush was clearly concerned about corporations. That's what I got. Earmarks. Earmarks????
WTF. How is that going to keep our current mess from imploding?

.

Googled other sites and Obama is the winner. But, McCain's supporters probably can't use the internet and are already in bed, so who knows?

Interesting that Obama was the first and only one to get what Moderator Jim was saying. He was the only one to say "hey John here's how you are". I don't remember John ever addressing Senator Obama directly. Not that it matters, just thought it was interesting.

Also, McCain seemed stressed and annoyed and didn't want to look at Barrack. Barrack although might stutter, maintained cool. He has to. He can't be seen or perceived as angry black man.

Intelligent people slept through it. What a joke. A sad day for a dying nation.

I think you are dead wrong on the 'earmark' issue. And if you think that any of these 'pie in the sky' programs are going to happen with an additional 1 trillion dollar increase in the debt you can forget it. We haven't even addressed the unfunded liabilities of social security and medicare. We have a 13.2 trillion dollar GDP and I just don't see any real growth in federal programs or tax cuts anytime soon.

If I was Obama, I'd have opened with "I'm glad Senator McCain decided to join us tonight."

Personally, I don't understand the importance pundits placed on body language before the debate, but McCain's unwillingness to make eye contact with Obama and McCain's sneering made him look like 90 minutes of "you damn kids get off my lawn!"

CNN Poll:
Men over 50
Obama 51%
McBush 48%

Women
Obama 59%
McBush 40%

Well, Gramps stood upright, ok kinda bent over his podium, for 1.5 hours, w/out calling 911.

That creepy, insane smile,,,where was his flag pin??

Looks like they drained his jaw, a little, but now his left eye doesn't seem to want to

stay open.

Lies, lies and same o talking points.

I couldn't climb into bed with that if I was in serious heat.

Did anyone hear McBush talk about unfunded 13 trillion liabilities? Has Bush talked about it?

Haven't heard a word from either of them.

.

Me, either, jazzy, LOL. Think I will go upstairs now.

OK, I've been to a good high school football game tonight, have gotten home, poured a glass of wine and read the comments here, and now I'm fixin' to watch the recorded debate. I can't imagine that Obama won't win.

1.5 HRS INTO THE DEBATE... IF I HEAR OBAM STUTTER I I I . ONE MORE TIME I WILL HURL.L HE IS OUTGUNNED TONIGHT . PAY ATTENTION.. SOMEONE AT THOSE PODIUMS HAS BEEN THERE , DONE THAT, AND WAS FRONT AND CENTER AT THINGS LONG BEFORE OUR LIL BABY ARAB WAS. OBAMA IS PITIFUL.. HIS PARTY SHOULD BE ASHAMED... AND 932 MIL IN HIS SHORT SHORT TERM IN OFFICE. CUT IT OUT WHEN HE STARTED RUNNING FOR PRES AND IT JUST WASNT AS CUTE AS IT USED TO BE.
THIS MAN IS BAD NEWS FOR AMERICA. HE IS SO FULL OF S . THAT HIS BROWN EYES ARE BROWN, AND FOAMY. HE SPEAKS NOT THE TRUTH..ONLY WHAT HE THINKS MOST OF US WANT TO HEAR. DOESNT HE KNOW HE ISNT RUNNING AGAINST GEORGE BUSH. HE JUST DOESNT GET IT.. NOT ENOUGH TIME ON THE PLANET FOR ANYBODY WITH A DROP OF INTELLIGENCE. THE DEMO PARTY IS SORELY LACKING IN THAT DEPT LATELY. WHEN IS BIDEN'S SO CALLED "HEALTH ISSUE" GOING TO BE A CALLING CARD FOR GOOD OLD HILLARY.... SHE WILL BE PRES. SHE WILL NOT BE VP LONG IF SHE IS ENLISTED TO TAKE HIS PLACE... OBAMA JUST CANT KEEP HIS MOUTH FROM RUNNIN DURING ANOTHERS ANSWER.. SEEMS MOST DEMS ARE LIKE THAT.. RUDE CRUDE, AND SOCIALLY UNACCEPTABLE. LEHRER IS OUT OF HIS PAY GRADE. FOR THIS ONE.

IL FINIS MCCAIN BY A LANDSLIDE... GO ON TO BED KIZZY.. I REPEAT.. NADA FOR YOU.

DONT THINK YOU WATCHED THE SAME DEBATE I DID.. OBAMA FOLLOWED THAT TELEPROMPTER AND HIS LIL FIXED NOTES FOR HIMSELF. BY OTHERS OF COURSE. HELL MCCAIN HAS LIVED ALL THIS. I WANT SOMEONE WHO HAS THE BALLS TO DO WHAT HE HAS TO AND THE MOXIE TO SHUT HER DOWN WHEN NEEDED. MCCAIN IS A GENTLEMAN. ASK BILL CLINTON. AND WHEN DID YOU SAY BIDEN'S "HEALTH ISSUES" WILL BECOME AN "I'VE GOTTA QUIT THIS VP STUFF, I AM SICK SPEECH"

BETCHA>>>>>>>>>>>> KIZZY YOU AND JAZZY ARE REALLY DBI , ARENT YOU. SUCH TRASH MOUTHS FOR SOUTHERN LADIES. TSK TSK. NYTOL

Obama should have asked McCain to define "win" in Iraq. General Petraeus recently did an interview with BBC in the UK that the US will never be able to declare a win in Iraq

I do not understand why people think McCain will keep us safer. Just as Obama said, McCain was wrong again and again on Iraq. McCain was on TV and radio the day after 9/11 pushing for war with not only Iraq, but also Iran.

McCain told everyone the war would be quick and not cost much.

Obama was the clear winner in instant poll results.

CBS polled 500 undecided voters.
40% said Obama won
22% said McCain won
38% said it was a tie

http://tinyurl.com/4lenml

CNN's instant poll of 524 voters had Obama winning 51% to 38%.

MediaCurves had a focus group of Independent voters.
61% said Obama won, 39% McCain won

http://mediacurves.com/

The Luntz and GQR focus groups also said Obama won.

Just wait until the Biden/Palin debate. Palin cannot even answer simple question by Katie Couric

For whoever.......I AM NOT A SOUTHERN LADY, I am a southern WOMAN.

SORRY. I KNEW YOU WERE NO LADY.. NOT WITH A MOUTH LIKE THAT.
Comment by Attucks®
September 27th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Just reported on Fox.Kissinger just called in and said Obama is a liar

PUT THAT UP YOUR WOMANLY MOUTH. AND CHEW IT ... HE REEKS. HE HAS A FORKED TONGUE
HE IS A LIAR. WHAT BOZOS YOU ARE TO BELIEVE THE ARAB

After reading LargeAss's post I'm about to demand that all bloggers pee in a cup before they're allowed to blog. No....I don't want the piss tested....I just want to watch you all pee in a cup.

Since LargeAss cannot make a lick of sense to save his life....it's no wonder he gets something else out of the debate that no one else can see. I imagine if the debate was on at the bus station there's some wino who thinks it was a really dull boxing match. We can't do anything to straighten out winos or LargeAss, they're lost causes. So we must help our friends and neighbors with normal brains to see the clear choice for President is the man with the fantastic tan.

I was hoping Obama would reduce old man McCain to a quivering bowl of jelly, but clearly John's new meds worked tonight and he did a pretty good job of standing up to Obama if you don't run his answers thru a fact checker. The low-info voters and our buddy Large just measured the forcefulness of his delivery, they don't give a damn if the words were true or not. Lost causes..pity.

I haven't heard a single talking head say anything about how historic tonight was. Never before in the history of the United States did a black man square off with old Massa in a 2 man Presidential debate. 50 years ago Obama would have been drug off the stage. 100 years ago he would have been drug off the stage and lynched. I have to wonder if Obama thought about this accomplishment tonight and pulled a few punches so as not reach too far during this new concept of a black man being truly truly equal to a white man?

We'll know more in the next debate if Obama comes out and makes McCain look like the guy in those Hellraiser movies by pinning all the McCain lies on the McCain head. Minus a truth check, both candidates did well tonight. Those who love to torture and wage war will always think Obama's thoughtful, measured approach to governing shows a weakness that makes them puke. The less intelligent among us are always the first to grab a gun or a ball bat when they can't figure something out.

But the best Presidents were made of the stuff that fills Obama. Smart voters remember that little nugget of Presidential history and could see it in Obama tonight. The big question is.....on election day will there be more smart voters or dumb ones casting their vote?

PS How many of you bet that McCain couldn't get thru this debate without using the word MAVERICK? He used it twice....so go collect double your money.

God, jazzy! Do I KNOW what you mean!

Here's my solution. It's got nothing to do with southern etiquette, but it's never failed me.

"Call me a 'lady' again, I'll knee you in the groin. Got it?"

No smile. Just a cold steady gaze until they either turn and retreat, or puddle.

Your welcome.

Or maybe, "you're welcome."

Obama definitely pinned McCain down on several and McCain still continued to deny the truth.

One example is when Obama called McCain out and said that one of McCain's own advisors--Henry Kissinger--said that the U.S. should negotiate with Iran "without conditions" and that five former U.S. secretaries of state said that the next American administration should talk to Iran. That is true, but McCain said it was "fiction".

Obama looked comfortable and held his own against McCain on what is supposed to be McCain's strongest area--foreign credentials. McCain refused to look at Obama. He kept repeating that Obama just doesn't understand when it was quite clear from Obama's answers that he does understand. For more on the importance of body language see blue name.

Obama definitely pinned McCain down on several and McCain still continued to deny the truth.

One example is when Obama called McCain out and said that one of McCain's own advisors--Henry Kissinger--said that the U.S. should negotiate with Iran "without conditions" and that five former U.S. secretaries of state said that the next American administration should talk to Iran. That is true, but McCain said it was "fiction".

Obama looked comfortable and held his own against McCain on what is supposed to be McCain's strongest area--foreign credentials. McCain refused to look at Obama. He kept repeating that Obama just doesn't understand when it was quite clear from Obama's answers that he does understand. For more on the importance of body language see blue name.

Sorry for the double post--the website hiccuped or something just as I hit and when it came back, I hit post again thinking that it hadn't worked!

john.he.is (a play on the Yes We Can Obama Song by will.i.am)

CLICK

Anyone missing CiCi????? she is back in Texas for 10 days.

G'night

Gee whizzzz! John McCain has been everywhere and knows everybody. I mean everybody!

I'm late to the party here, as usual, but I have a couple of observations.

Since I'm not sure anyone else will check this thread, I'll probably post these same observations on some other threads in the future, so I'll be repeating myself. If you see them here, you may also see them elsewhere.

1. A clear distinction became evident to me tonight: McCain is in "warrior" mode; Obama is in "statesman" mode.

McCain, an old Navy guy, fighter pilot, son and grandson of Admirals, takes the warrior's position: attack, attack, attack; bomb, bomb, bomb. Why talk when you can fight?! "Ready, fire, aim."

Obama, a man born of a black father, had to negotiate his way through the minefield of American culture. The Huey Newtons could be radical belligerants. Obama worked his way through education, into community organizing, and into politics--finding ways to accomplish things through communication. Negotiation, accommodation; developing ways to achieve win-win results.

When it comes to resolution conflict, there are really only two alternatives: fight or talk. McCain wants to fight (the way George Bush and Dick Cheney did); Obama wants to talk, the way FDR and Bill Fulbright did.

Who is better qualified to be president of the United States, a "warrior" or a "statesman"?

2. Lehrer wanted McCain and Obama to face each other and go head-to-head.

Jim Lehrer was attempting to goad gladiators into combat; it makes good theatre and it increases TV ratings. SHAME ON JIM LEHRER.

The debaters are senators. In the senate, you address your remarks to the senate; you DO NOT address your remarks directly to your opponent. The debate is NEVER PERSONAL. It focuses on issues! It is designed to convince the audience, not to defeat your enemy.

In intercollegiate debate, the debaters NEVER address each other directly. All communication is directed to "the chair"--the judge (or judges). To their credit, neither debater fell completely into Lehrer's trap--although Obama did finally, at Lehrer's urging, address a few remarks directly toward McCain. Lehrer put the debaters between a rock and a hard place; I felt Obama handled it as well as he could so as not to be gigged for failure to follow directions of the host.

Obama did finally look at McCain while addressing remarks. Whether McCain's refusal to look at Obama was because of disdain, fear, or something else, we have no way of knowing. But based on the content of McCain's condescending and patronizing remarks, I couldn't interpret his motive as respect.

So as the campaigns continue, please remember warrior _versus_ statesman.

And that in debate, you address the chair/audience.

(Proof red, but not guaranteed.)

Excellent post, SkyPilot.
Breaking News ... Paul Newman dead at 83.

SkyPilot and DBI, thanks for your commentary. Yes, Obama is more presidential as DBI says and more of a statesman as SkyPilot writes. So undecided people will have a choice between the pugilist tough guy and his excitable cheerleader who is dangerously close to blowing up the boxing ring to win the fight; or the calm statesman and his scrappy second-in-command. Reactions depend on how frightened the voter is. McCain would bomb Iran; Obama would not halt a hot pursuit into Pakistan of the single mastermind, OBL, metaphorically winning with a single well-placed shot. It's "Nuke 'em til they glow" vs. the lone hero who always gets his man. James Bond? Gary Cooper?

At any rate, I think the undecided voters will see the choice somewhat within that frame.

Argh! Durango, thanks for posting but what sad news. There passes a great actor and likable man. Newman's genius was to play a role with a great duality: yes, the handsome loner can go very far on his looks and personal cleverness - but he always showed us the price of that pose as he either won or lost using it.

A sexy, beautiful man in every era of his life, too. Peace, Paul. Thank you for all you gave us.

I can't say I was impressed with either Obama or McCain last night. Much of that was predicated on their delivery and some on my being distracted by comments in my house, I suppose. (Never, never agree to dinner with Christian, right-wing in-laws on the night of a political debate. You'd think I would know better. I heard more about how much "darker" Obama looked during the debate than I did salient points. Arrrgh!) I read the transcript this morning and saw more of Barack Obama's points than I heard last night. Both seemed to dance around the questions more than I'd like. Still, Obama it is. In general, I agree with what he has to say. More to the point, I'm scared to death of McCain and the possibility of Ayatollah Palin.

A sure sign of BHO's downfall ?-

"61 Nobel Laureates in Science Endorse Obama

A group of 61 Nobel Laureates have gotten together to endorse Barack Obama for President. Their letter and the signatories are below. This is the largest number of Nobel Laureates to ever endorse a candidate for office, more than endorsed either Gore or Kerry. (Kerry had 48 total.) That is a remarkable statement."

Remarkable statement it may be but it will not play in FactFreeAmerica.
88% cannot figure the interest on a mortgage.
67% cannot compute a 15% tip.
.

LARGEASS, we can hear with you without the caps. SFB's!

It appears that the dominant narrative coming out of the debate is McCain being a grumpy, negative rude old man... Not making eye contact, being contemptuous of Obama, refusing to address him directly.

Evidently there's going to be an SNL skit on it tonight.

This is from Time, via Dailykos:

Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg ran a dial-group with 45 undecided voters in St. Louis during the debate, polling them before and after to judge how the event changed their reactions to Obama and McCain. The group was mostly middle-aged, split evenly among education and class lines, and was heavily comprised of Bush 2004 voters [...]

Both candidates saw their net favorability ratings rise over the course of the evening. McCain started off with a 22-point net and gained 9 points. But Obama went from a 6-point net favorability to plus-45, a shift of 39 points that placed him higher than McCain at the end of the debate (69% versus 62%).

McCain was seen as the more negative of the two-by 7 points before the debate and by 26 points after. The audience did not like it when he went after Obama for being "naïve" or used his oft-repeated "what Senator Obama doesn't understand" line. When the two clashed directly in the second half of the debate, with Obama repeatedly protesting McCain's characterization of his statements or positions, the voter dials went down. Voters appear to have judged McCain too negative in those encounters and Obama more favorably.

Grading the First Presidential Debate

Interesting comparison based on Substance, Style, Offense, Defense and the Overall Grade. McCain B-, Obama A-

LInk to full article at name.

LgA**,

Your handle is a perfect fit.

I have a comment on your posts. "Your handle is a perfect fit!}