The Debate

[prole]

From: Bag News Notes

 

Primarily, I'm going to be watching McCain's body language and whether he can keep his aggressiveness in check. I want to see how much he tries to lean, or even move away from his podium toward Obama (from what I can tell, the two lecterns are pretty close together) to occupy more real estate on that stage in a territorial manner. I'll also be interested how, and how much, he physically orients himself toward the audience, especially after a cheap attack. (After hostile digs, he has a tendency to flash that self-satisfied, sadistic "gotcha" smile immediately afterward. I'm also keen to see if the audience reinforces him for it or actually -- given his erratic behavior this week -- or pulls back and leaves him in it. Lacking the reinforcement for the gutter game -- or if McCain's strategy is more simply to play the highroad (national crisis going on, all that) -- you might see a lot more of the "put-on, deadly serious statesman face" I highlighted yesterday in the Couric/make-up post.

 

I also want to see how animated Obama is. I think he has to literally "show more teeth," specifically through disarming humor and, on the offense, through biting (but, simultaneously funny) analogies.

 

From what I understand, the set is very rich in color, deep blue background (with that overwhelming eagle) with rather formal red carpet. I think the official feeling conveyed by the setting might serve to actually lend too much dignity and buffering for McCain's otherwise course manner.

[111]

Watching it now, Obama is "umm, Umm, Umming" too much. McCain is being horribly vague and, as stated above, defying format/Lehrer in a rather rude manner at times.

 

This is truly two spraylords on stage doing their best to spin nonsense.

 

O!

[111]

So who is winning?

[prole]

McCain is throwing a lot of his "foreign policy experience" around and saying "what Obama doesn't understand is..." The unexplored subtext of course is that under the "leadership" that McCain is so fond of touting, the world has gone to hell in a handbasket.

[Dechristo]

So who is winning?

 

Probably, a draw.

 

McCain sounds anything but a doddering old man. He appears more sure of himself and specific (contrary to a previous post) while Obama sounds more vague, discomforted by McCain's assertions, and fishing for answers.

[Dechristo]

Obama's doing a lot of stuttering and stammering.

[111]

unfortunately, McCain finished on a very strong statement.

 

[Doug]

gotta say, McCain did better in form and substance.

Edited September 27, 2008 by Doug

[No. 13 Baby]

Mccain = no flag lapel pin = EPIC FAIL

[Doug]

George Will just gave his opinion that Obama did a better job and was the probable winner.

[prole]

"Spending freeze". WTF?

[kevbone]

NO FUCKING WAY did Mcsame win. He is so out of his league. Mccain kept attacking Obama when obama simply told it how it is without attacking McCain. IMO Obama was way classier. Much better spoken them McCain. Obama hit it on the head when he spoke about how the world precieves the US. Also on Iraq.....this country has only been looking at Iraq he said.....not the bigger picture.....

 

Did anybody hear McCain admit we tortured? He paused right after it that indicates he knew that was a fuck up.

 

I also hate McCains body langage. His fucked up crooked arm....what is up with that?

[tvashtarkatena]

McCain's debate strategy was one of condescension. "I've been friends with Henry Kissinger for 35 years and you haven't."

 

His foreign policy solutions seemed to consist of threaten, threaten, threaten...without acknowledging our current weakness. His world view assumes that we can just dictate to Russia, Iran, etc, despite the failure of that strategy over the past 8 years. As fantasy fueled as this view is considering how flat on our back we are today, Americans eat this Rambo shit up.

 

With a few sob stories about returning from a Vietnamese prison camp, etc, thrown in.

 

McCain played to the crowd, and did it well.

 

Obama actually debated the issues of the day, accurately targeting what America has done wrong over the past 8 years, but half of America is incapable above McCain's primal emotional level.

 

I predict McCain's numbers will go up slightly.

Edited September 27, 2008 by tvashtarkatena

[prole]

McCain's debate strategy was one of condescension. "I've been friends with Henry Kissinger for 35 years and you haven't."

 

And that sumbitch can hardly leave the country for fear of being slapped with war crimes charges!

[rob]

Has anybody noticed how much McCain blinks when he's talking??

 

Creepy

[Coldfinger]

That and he looks old, short and fat!

[Alpinfox]

Blinking?

 

Old and fat?

 

 

Sweet baby jesus, even Kevbone is paying more attention to the "substantive issues" of the debate than you jokers.

 

 

 

 

Edit - that was a good point about the lack of an american flag lapel pin on McCain though. Unpatriotic fuck. He is obviously doomed.

Edited September 27, 2008 by Alpinfox

[Coldfinger]

Well Barack does wear bracelets too dammit!

 

 

[dberdinka]

Jesus Christ that whole f%$&ing thing was horrible. Almost makes me want G-Dubbya for another 4 wars.

 

I thought Barry got PWNED by McCain but I was listening to it on the radio. Evidently to know who won a debate you're supposed to watch it on the TV with the volumne off.!?!

[kevbone]

Can anyone else see that Obama basically bitch slaped McCain off the stage? Obama is sooooo much smarted that McCain it is silly. McCain never says anything if substance. He just spits out the standard bullshit answer that "he loves America".....

 

FW can you not see this?

[Dechristo]

Can anyone else see that Obama basically bitch slaped McCain off the stage? Obama is sooooo much smarted that McCain it is silly. McCain never says anything if substance. He just spits out the standard bullshit answer that "he loves America".....

 

FW can you not see this?

Quit picking on FW. You know he has a different (and perhaps less powerful) set of magic filters than the ones you view through.

 

 

 

Tragically, it's doubtful either candidate left the other speechless.

[pink]

bunch of armchair climbers delving into political trickery

 

[pink]

pivotal

[pink]

cnn

[pink]

fox