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An outsider’s view of the first debate:
1) How they Interacted?
Note how Obama frequently turned to McCain and used his first name. ‘Talk to each other’ the referee said and Obama frequently ‘talked’ to John. We know McCain never looked at Obama once. Why is of course the question. I don’t think it was arrogance. I’ve never seen McCain as particularly arrogant. It looked to me as anger, deep anger, fueled by a failing campaign, the failure of the bailout-suspension to do much but underline people’s thought of this failing campaign.
2) The Economy
Clearly Obama has a much better grasp of the fundamentals of the economy. McCain looked weak – the gambit to go to Washington to ‘sort out’ the mess had already appeared as a mess. Difficult for him to recover. Obama rightly and strongly repudiated the suggestion about his tax-plan taxing more than it would. This is obviously ultra-important I am sure he will repeat this in future debates, regardless as to the theme.
3) Iraq and Afghanistan
The Surge of course was undermined by Obama’s essential task, which was to bring the whole Iraq issue back to why the US went to war in the first place. McCain tried valiantly to push the debate towards the surge and how it was important, to thus double his points: firstly for going against the administration (aka maverick) and secondly, for showing he was right on foreign policy.
4) General Foreign Policy.
McCain’s continual statement was ‘what senator obama doesn’t understand.’ I lost count of how many times he actually said that. Perhaps it resonated with voters? With me it seemed like a predictable ploy. However it terms of actual debate on positions, clearly and rightfully repeated by Barrack was that diplomacy should and must come first, a first option, and that defense is needed, yes, in the right circumstances but we talk first. I saw nothing from McCain which could shake that, nothing whatsoever.
5) Vicarious Graphs:
CNN live and HD had graphs available where you could see how repub/demo/indp voters of various genders and incomes rated the comments of the candidates. Only when Obama spoke did all three lines come together. Not all the time but quite often and quite noticeable. This bringing together of conservative, independent and liberal viewpoints is surely, at its bedrock, partly about what Obama is about… moving on, change, communion (not necessarily the religious kind) innovation, and inspiration.
6) Presidential:
Who in your heart of hearts looked more presidential? I imagine solid republicans would say McCain because the views he expressed are their own. However for independents, for more liberal-republicans (liberal socially rather than fiscally perhaps) and certainly for democratic leaners there was only one presidential candidate up there.
As a note I worked in Iraq and Afghanistan for the United Nations. I met some of your boys and girls up close and saw the hell they were put through (especially in Iraq) where ill-educated raw-recruits were thrust into an environment that even the experts of the middle-east could not fully understand. That to me is the cruelty that has to stop… beyond the deaths of civilians in Iraq.
Yes we can.
Yes we can.
Best to all of you
Blue-Kite
Some other points:
Hilary’s Statement on the Debate: I don’t think she could do less. If she ever in her imagination thought she might run in 2012 if Obama loses - she could not say anything less than this. To me this is not outright support.
Bill: What to say… to me a spoiler. Will it convince enough angry Hilary voters to go to McCain. In the booth? I can’t see it but some surely will go that way.
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