Thus far the blogging of the VP debate drew comments faster and more furiously than the Presidential debate. Let’s see what happens this time around. As always, I’m watching the broadcast on PBS. Comments below the cut line.
9:02: ” I have selected a long list of excellent questions that will not be answered…”
9:03: McCain in a red tie, Obama in a blue tie. Perfect.
9:03: Obama goes for the attack early.
9:05: I’m being reminded of the Underpants gnomes from “South Park.” “Step One, Bailout. Step two…(deafening silence). Step three: Profit!”
9:06: Huh? Energy independence? Uhm…okay.
9:07: I’m waiting for McCain to sit down on the step next to the guy. Maybe ask him to sit in his lap.
9:08: And McCain goes for a joke! It’s a missed bunt.
9:09: Here’s the problem: McCain is talking about wall Street cronyism, yet he has plenty of Wall Street lobbyists on his staff.
9:10: Obama continues on the attack. He’s trying to bait McCain into blowing his temper, get scolding, etc. It’s a gambit; if it doesn’t work, if McCain doesn’t respond to the attacks, Obama going to look as if he’s endlessly carping.
9:12: The questioner is looking for specifics. Let’s see if he gets them. And now McCain fires back at Obama, referring to “cronies.” Obama is going to have to spend time defending himself rather than getting specific.
9:14: Smart. Obama speaks to the question first rather than responding to McCain’s charges.
9:15: And yet politicians ARE pointing fingers.
9:18: How do we trust you? Good question.
9:19: This could wind up being a major question because Obama tends to be a history and facts wonk while McCain does better in connecting with people on an emotional level, and trust is an emotional question.
9:20: This would have been the question for Obama to talk about hardscrabble roots or some such, the notion that “I’ve known hard times, I’m on your side.”
9:21: No, he has NOT been a consistent reformer. He has been consistently self serving. Read the Rolling Stones article.
9:22: They’re both blowing this opportunity. This is the kind of question that Bill Clinton would have knocked out of the park. Say what you will about Clinton, but he has tremendous personal charisma and you would have seen it on display for this question.
9:24: he could work on all three at once? NOW he can multi task? He couldn’t even campaign and work on the economy at the same time.
9:25: Every time he says, “My friends” I keep flashing back to “The Music Man” doing “Trouble.”
9:26: Yeah, but JFK had to die to give us the impetus to get to the moon.
9:27: Brokaw is trying his best to rein them in for time.
9:29: That air force tanker was actually a pork barrel project that he managed to push past through Carter’s objections. And there was a lawsuit involved as well because of European involvement that made its construction unfair competition for Americans.
9:30: OBAMA mentioned 9/11 first? Cripes.
9:31: Still, the comment about going out and shopping “not being the kind of call to service we were looking for” is kind of funny.
9:32: Clean coal technology is a myth. Unless there’s a new scientific breakthrough, it’s never going to happen.
9:33 If Bush says Wall Street got drunk, I’d take his word for it. With his history, he’d know.
9:34 I wonder if either of them will talk about putting Wall street on a 12 step program.
9:35: Obama should say, “I know Senator Obama worked with Herbert Hoover and knew Herbert Hoover, but I assure you I’m no Herbert Hoover.”
9:37: I keep waiting for them to follow the “West Wing” format and basically say, “Screw the rules, we’re just going to talk back and forth.”
9:38: Social security is the third rail of politics. If they talk about reforming it, they’re in trouble. “The straight talk express lost a wheel.” Nice. I’m sure he was waiting for the opportunity to use it.
9:40: Obama is steering the question away from what Brokaw said.
9:41: I’LL answer the question. Oh, snap.
9:41: Oh God, another frakking commission.
9:42: Look at the record? Keating 5.
9:43: McCain tries to distance himself from the Bush administration. Smart. Let’s see if Obama tries to tie him right back to it. Meantime he follows the West Wing scenario, advocating nuclear fuel just as Vinick did. Again, let’s hope a nuclear meltdown doesn’t happen to keep the scenario going.
9:45: Is EVERYTHING one of the biggest challenges of our time?
9:46: YES! Obama finally hits the nail in talking about the fact that McCain has been there for so long and hasn’t accomplished any of the things he talks about.
9:47: God, I just wish that Brokaw would just say, “Look, do you guys just want to toss the rules? Because if you do, let’s take the gloves off and go and I will go ‘Meet the Press’ on both of you.”
9:51: No. the health care in the congress is one of the most generous policies ever. They have all the stuff that we have slowly lost over the years due to the insurance companies.
9:52: Notice that Obama is no longer (a) stuttering at the start of questions and (b) saying “Senator McCain is absolutely right” about anything.
9:53: Why does no one point out that $5000 won’t get you health insurance?
9:54: cross-state insurance won’t work. NY people can’t go flocking to Ohio for health insurance, because in many states the state governments supplement the medical programs (the HIP program, for instance, is supplemented by state taxpayer money.) If the state governments see people flooding in from other states whose taxes aren’t going into the pot, how likely are they to continue supplementing the programs?
9:56: Oooo. Obama finally brings the personal aspect in.
9:57: Hah! He brought up McCain voting against children’s healthcare. I was wondering if he would.
9:58: Obama just stepped in something and he knows it. Biden’s from Delaware.
9:59: Obama can use this question as a major opportunity to link McCain to Bush when it comes to damaging our ability to act as peacemakers.
10:01: Obama was wrong about the surge. And McCain was wrong about every aspect of the war.
10:02: Not really answering the question, but he’s jabbing back at McCain at least.
10:03: 79 comments on this thread thus far. As of this time during the VP debate we had over 200.
10:05: I agree with McCain: It requires a cool hand at the tiller. Unfortunately his is anything BUT a cool hand. That’s the problem.
10:07: “Your young men and women are my first priority right after our nation’s security.” Which would make them your…second priority.
10:09: Except the problem is that more troops in Afghanistan will likely not lead to much except more deaths of civilians which is going to pìšš øff the people there and further inflame hostility toward us.
10:11: Actually it’s “speak softly and carry a big stick,” which is a West African saying that Roosevelt quoted.
10:13: YES! YES! And notice he said “speaking softly, ” the correct quote.
10:15; And we’re back to McCain’s secret plan to get bin Laden. He keep saying that. He has a secret plan. Has he shared this plan with anyone?
10:16: Brokaw is going to give Saturday night Live a field day.
10:18: Oh my God, McCain said that Obama was correct about something. Is that a first?
10:19: McCain’s right, I doubt we’ll have another cold war with Russia.
10:20: We’ve been SHOWING moral support for Georgia. It didn’t mean jack.
10:21: Yes. Obama jumps on the moral support opening. The question is, where do we get the money to provide financial support. And Obama already said the first thing he would cut would be money designed for foreign support.
10:22: As opposed to anticipating something AFTER it happens?
10;23: Gee, I would have thought McCain says Yes.
10:25: Ooooooo. the Jewish vote is listening carefully.
10:26: Aw, c’mon, are we back to the preconditions thing?
10:27: So Obama is basically saying that we want to take steps to make sure Israel isn’t attacked by Iran. Which is fine. But WHAT IF IT IS? That’s the question. If the steps fail, what then?
10:29: He never answered the question.
10:30: Obama deflects the zen question with humor and switches to his stump speech.
10:31: I could see McCain saying, “I don’t know how we will survive if Obama is elected, and I intend to never have to learn it.”
10:34: Except the great honor of his life was to put himself first. Again, read the RS articles.
CONCLUSION: I think both of them got good shots in. To my mind, Obama gave the better performance, albeit narrowly, but I’ve no idea if anyone who is undecided would have been swayed one way or the other.
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They’re underground landmarks. McCain is giving a shout-out to the mole people.
“so how much power does a Navy Nuclear Plant put out”
The only one I can comment on is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier – two reactors @about 97MW each. Any bubbleheads have any stats on a sub’s setup?
“so how much power does a Navy Nuclear Plant put out”
The only one I can comment on is the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier – two reactors @about 97MW each. Any bubbleheads have any stats on a sub’s setup?
Okay, I may be wrong here… but can we really claim a victory after all this time?
What does Iraq have to do with peacekeeping in Darfur?
What does Iraq have to do with peacekeeping in Darfur?
I wish he would stop saying “my friends”.
R-
I wish he would stop saying “my friends”.
R-
Does McCain always pile on more “my friends” when he knows he’s just going to launch a specious attack or only semi-answer a question?
Does McCain always pile on more “my friends” when he knows he’s just going to launch a specious attack or only semi-answer a question?
I’m just commenting because PAD whined about too few comments.
I’m just commenting because PAD whined about too few comments.
Brian: How can a man who rotted in a prison, crashed multiple planes and set an aircraft carrier on fire know how to win a war
He actually wasn’t as bad as that rumor makes him sound. There were four planes destroyed.
Two of them were because of engine difficulties, which have been confirmed as not being his fault.
One of them went down because he was shot down, which again wasn’t his fault.
The fourth one was destroyed in the aircraft carrier incident, which was *not* his fault. His plane was on the other side of the carrier from the one that accidentally fired the missile.
I’ve read *waaaay* too much about this crap. I can’t wait for the election so that I can stop studying all these things.
Brian: How can a man who rotted in a prison, crashed multiple planes and set an aircraft carrier on fire know how to win a war
He actually wasn’t as bad as that rumor makes him sound. There were four planes destroyed.
Two of them were because of engine difficulties, which have been confirmed as not being his fault.
One of them went down because he was shot down, which again wasn’t his fault.
The fourth one was destroyed in the aircraft carrier incident, which was *not* his fault. His plane was on the other side of the carrier from the one that accidentally fired the missile.
I’ve read *waaaay* too much about this crap. I can’t wait for the election so that I can stop studying all these things.
Did McCain just call Tom Brokaw “Katie”? Senile old bášŧárd, inspires so much confidence….
I worked with Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt was a friend of mine…
(Oh, and I know I’m getting punchy. “If you are a country” was met with “Nobody is, ya idjit!”)
I worked with Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt was a friend of mine…
(Oh, and I know I’m getting punchy. “If you are a country” was met with “Nobody is, ya idjit!”)
Huh? Obama wants to attack Pakistan? What? Public opinion is against us in Pakistan, McSame! And it’s highly doubtful they will even be a country by 2009.
Huh? Obama wants to attack Pakistan? What? Public opinion is against us in Pakistan, McSame! And it’s highly doubtful they will even be a country by 2009.
Hey Mr. Taliban, Taliban banana.
Daylight come and me want to go home.
Hey Mr. Taliban, Taliban banana.
Daylight come and me want to go home.
“Walk softly, but carry a big stick”
– John McCain
“Walk softly, but carry a big stick”
– John McCain
Brokaw just threw in the towel.
Brokaw just threw in the towel.
I keep waiting for them to follow the “West Wing” format and basically say, “Screw the rules, we’re just going to talk back and forth.”
You called it. It’s happening…..
THANK YOU, Senator Obama, for finally calling him on his hypocrisy.
“Speak softly” my ášš.
THANK YOU, Senator Obama, for finally calling him on his hypocrisy.
“Speak softly” my ášš.
Hey Mr. Taliban, Taliban banana.
Daylight come and me want to go home.
Yeah, that’s what I keep hearing, too.
Hey Mr. Taliban, Taliban banana.
Daylight come and me want to go home.
Yeah, that’s what I keep hearing, too.
Oh, now he’s taking his cues from Ann Coulter. “I was just joking…
Oh, now he’s taking his cues from Ann Coulter. “I was just joking…
Message to Senator McCain: Obama did *not* say he wanted to announce an attack on Pakistan! Stop saying that! You announced that you wanted to attack Iraq, Iran, and a bunch of other countries!
Oh, and I hate to say this, but McCain is giving Petreus too much credit. Petreus did not come up with the strategies that McCain gave him credit for. The surge was the idea of a civilian think tank and the Anbar Awakening was the idea of those Sunnis. McCain wants to make Petreus into the best General ever and himself into Petreus’ biggest supporter.
Message to Senator McCain: Obama did *not* say he wanted to announce an attack on Pakistan! Stop saying that! You announced that you wanted to attack Iraq, Iran, and a bunch of other countries!
Oh, and I hate to say this, but McCain is giving Petreus too much credit. Petreus did not come up with the strategies that McCain gave him credit for. The surge was the idea of a civilian think tank and the Anbar Awakening was the idea of those Sunnis. McCain wants to make Petreus into the best General ever and himself into Petreus’ biggest supporter.
Would someone explain how he knows anything! What is your plan, how are you going to get him. Bush has failed for 7 years!
“I was talking with a veteran friend — I hate to go into this.”
Yeah, you really hate to discuss your time as a vet. We all know just how much you hate to bring that up. Of course, when you were a POW you didn’t have a choice about discussing your time as a vet…
“I was talking with a veteran friend — I hate to go into this.”
Yeah, you really hate to discuss your time as a vet. We all know just how much you hate to bring that up. Of course, when you were a POW you didn’t have a choice about discussing your time as a vet…
$5000.00
To cover Jenn, with her existing medical problems, our son and myself; I would be shelling out three or four times that easy. Most the guys I work with that are very pro-McCain and anti-Obama are scared out of there mind by McCain whenever he threatens to do this garbage. How the **** can he be stupid enough to keep flogging that idea as if it’s a great thing?
$5000.00
To cover Jenn, with her existing medical problems, our son and myself; I would be shelling out three or four times that easy. Most the guys I work with that are very pro-McCain and anti-Obama are scared out of there mind by McCain whenever he threatens to do this garbage. How the **** can he be stupid enough to keep flogging that idea as if it’s a great thing?
Heh, Brokaw claims to be just the hired help, but he is not helping…
That’s okay — he wasn’t hired, either. 🙂
That’s okay — he wasn’t hired, either. 🙂
Every time I hear General Patrayus all I can hear is General Betrayus.
Every time I hear General Patrayus all I can hear is General Betrayus.
Nixon had a secret plan to end Vietnam. Turns out the main prong of the plan was prolonging Vietnam.
Obama’s talking very tough about Osama and Pakistan, trying to combat that other old Repub meme about Dems being weak on security/military – oh, good point about McCain not following his “speak softly” idea.
The format continues to fall apart, as this is falling into more of an… actual debate.
Obama’s talking very tough about Osama and Pakistan, trying to combat that other old Repub meme about Dems being weak on security/military – oh, good point about McCain not following his “speak softly” idea.
The format continues to fall apart, as this is falling into more of an… actual debate.
PAD wrote: He keep saying that. He has a secret plan. Has he shared this plan with anyone?
He can’t. It wouldn’t be a secret then… 😉
PAD wrote: He keep saying that. He has a secret plan. Has he shared this plan with anyone?
He can’t. It wouldn’t be a secret then… 😉
iAnd we’re back to McCain’s secret plan to get bin Laden.
Does he have a secret plan to fight inflation, too?