+ How sad it was to see both candidates flounder around after Bob Schieffer (hooray!) asked them about the $200 billion that both of their spending plans will add to the deficit. If you're crazy enough to think we should cut spending and reign in our debt in light of our current economic situation, you might want to vote third party.
+ I can't believe McCain brought up Ayers and gave Obama the opportunity to give a direct speech to the American people and absolve himself of all that ridiculousness. McCain looked awful and spiteful and Obama came out above reproach.
+ I liked McCain's performance on education much better than Obama's. I really do like his education policy.
+ Obama saying 100% of McCain's ads are negative was almost as ridiculous as McCain not taking the opportunity to emphatically denounce the people at his rallies who have been shouting nasty invective about Obama (although, you really should google those "t-shirts" from the Obama rallies McCain mentioned). The only thing about that argument that I liked was Obama trying to end it and get back to the issues.
+ I think the idea that we can completely eliminate our dependence on foreign oil in ten years is like promising soda in the water fountains and longer recess. I can't believe both candidates said they can do it. I was encouraged by McCain's emphasis on nuclear power, though. Also - how in the world, in the midst of this economic crisis, can Obama talk about helping out the auto industry? What happened to the free market?
+ Speaking of the free market, I thought Obama's arguments regarding free trade were depressingly protectionist.
+ Both candidates presentations of their health care plans only told half the truth. The only time the spoke the whole truth was when they were criticizing the other guys' plan - which is only because both plans are terrible. I'm very glad neither of them is likely to make it through Congress.
+ Abortion. How I wish Obama wouldn't remind me that Roe v. Wade may hang in the balance in this election. Obama did well to mention his desire for the country to come together on reducing unwanted pregnancies through education and supporting single mothers who want to bring their babies to term. However, if you have strong beliefs about this issue, there wasn't much a of a grey area on this one. Also, I felt McCain's statement to the effect of "I will choose judges based on their qualifications, not on whether or not they support Roe v. Wade, and one of these qualifications will be whether or not they support Roe v. Wade" was pretty funny.
+ Gotta love the Obama Fox News jab.
Thus concludes the 2008 Presidential debates (I thought this one was the best of the three by far), leaving me up a creek without a paddle to vote with. However, it looks like it won't matter much, because my state will inevitably go to McCain, and the nation will go to Obama.
You could do like I did and move to a swing state. We'll welcome you in Colorado. :-)
ReplyDeleteOf course, that does increase the pressure of choosing the better candidate.
(I haven't seen this debate yet, but I plan on sitting down to watch it soon, especially since this is pretty much universally lauded as the best of the three.)
"...and the nation will go to Obama."
ReplyDeleteThat is, perhaps, the single most frightening thing I've read all week.
What a funny picture for this post. Well done.
ReplyDeleteSo I totally agree with or respect all the things you mention about last night's debate. I just gotta respond to your "McCain blew Obama out of the water on education" statement. I know we disagree about vouchers, so I see how you like McCain's plan. I'm not gonna hate on vouchers here, but I'd like to point out the voucher system in DC is not working as magically as McCain implied. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20074009/index.asp
So not only does it not improve test scores or student perceptions, the way it is set up now, 25% of Bush's budget for DC education is used for the vouchers - which goes to the education of only 2% of DC students. I dunno. Doesn't add up to me.
Also, if McCain is all about No Child Left Behind (which actually has a lot of merit to it), he needs to FUND it!! That's why so many people dislike NCLB - it set up all of these standards and mandates (again, most of them are good), but it didn't give any resources to be able to actually fulfill them. That's just dumb!
The thing that angered me most from McCain was this: "Parents come with kids, precious children who have autism. Sarah Palin knows about that better than most. And we'll find and we'll spend the money, research, to find the cause of autism." Palin's child has Downs - not sure how that makes her an autism expert. As a special educator that works with children with autism, I get so mad that, not only did he confuse two completely different disorders, but he cited the "trendier" disorder to earn points with the public because he's gonna "find the cause". And apparently with money? From the budget he's also said he's going to freeze? Special education programs deserve someone with a better understanding of how they work.
So again, you like vouchers. Cool. But McCain did not blow Obama out of the water on education. Obama has educational research on best practices for student success behind him. And also, better grammar.
Wow, that turned into quite a rant. Sorry. Aren't you glad I didn't disagree on anything else?
I don't know who I'm voting for yet, either--and, yeah, it is annoying that it doesn't really matter because SC isn't a swing state.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great picture. :)
1st - I'm with jeromie. move to colorado where your voice matters ;) [see earlier discussion]
ReplyDelete2nd - is that picture real?? seriously?
3rd - yeah, the abortion thing sucked. it does bother me to vote for someone who pretty much said he'll ensure that abortion continues. come on obama, you're not supposed to remind me that you fart in bed until after the marriage.
4th - you must go watch this video on youtube right now. mccain gave a comedy speech at a dinner last night and wow, he's actually really endearing. really odd because it takes humor and satire for mccain to be authentic. anyway, search youtube for alfred e. smith dinner and watch both parts.
Jeromie - Moving to a swing state is definitely an option. But yeah, it would mean more responsibility. Bummer.
ReplyDeleteAisyrn - Really? Frightening? As candidates go, I think Obama and McCain have fewer differences than the Republican and Democrat nominees have in past elections. I don't really see our country changing that vastly under either of them. Plus, I think Obama definitely has some strong points. What do you think?
Cheryl - Yeah, I really don't want to do the whole vouchers debate here. I would imagine we disagree on education. I agree with McCain's emphasis on school choice, reform before spending, firing bad teachers and rewarding good ones, etc. Vouchers aren't really the biggest part of it to me, but I'd say I'm more for them than against them. You make some very good points.
I don't think McCain confused the disorders - he's lumping downs and autism together under "special needs." But yes, I totally agree trying to use the fact that Palin has a special needs kid to pander to those parents in the middle of an education debate was silly. I wish he wouldn't mention her. It's just depressing.
So I guess what I should have said was that I liked McCain's performance on education better than Obama's because I like McCain's approach to education better, not necessarily that he blew him out of the water. I'll go back and change that.
Thanks for the good thoughts and conversation as always, Cheryl!
Cate - That's cool. Let me know if you have any revelations.
Rob - Yes, the picture is from after the debate, when he and Bob Scheiffer had an awkward moment figuring out which way to go around the table to meet each other. It was pretty funny, he was just being silly.
I will definitely look up that video. It does bother me how McCain has been painted as a disconnected, stiff, angry old man when really he has a great sense of humor and he's really endearing as you said. Do you remember before 2006 when he came on the Daily Show more than any other politician? He and Stewart were great friends and he was very funny. Check out this video from SNL.
On education...
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with McCain's Troops to Teachers suggestion:
"where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states."
That doesn't sound like an idea that blows anything out of the water.
Good thing he was wrong about how Troops to Teachers works.
Geez, you say one nice thing about McCain...
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wasn't sure what the crap that comment was about. Surely he didn't mean what it sounds like he meant. Surely there's more to it.
Reading that link you sent, that program doesn't sound so hot to me.
Oh, you changed the "blow out of the water" - sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteI know the program doesn't function like he made it sound. And I don't think it sounds that bad, it sounds like it provides a path for troops who want to become teachers - not some instant free pass.
I'm just worried that he might actually believe what he said.
Um. Yes. That speech by McCain is hilarious.
ReplyDeleteYou should watch the ones by both candidates, but make sure you don't watch the one where they cut most of the funny stuff out of Obama's speech (though, even with it, it's not as good as McCain's).