Who won the debate?

[onodera]

I've read the transcript, and I think McCain held himself better. However, I don't know if his accusations of Obama's record in the Senate (which heavily influenced my opinion) are true. Has anyone prepared a list of John's accusations and if they were true?

[Deity Dude]

Not to belabor a point but here it is in print: (3rd bullet point under the heading "Sourced"

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alberto_Gonzales

[MarkG]

the best part is that he doesnt realize what he is saying (or does he? )

anyway, enough with the insanity, i'm switching to jose gonzales...

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous


And nowhere in anything you said did you say anything of substance.

The dude has ran for president twice, lost his wife and daughter in a car wreck, had a brain anyerism, and has over 20 years of experience in the Senate while being THE POOREST SENATOR for all those 20 years. Not to mention all the foreign relation committees he's chaired.

How can Palin match that?

Dude, I set out to show that Biden can singlehandedly destroy a campaign, and I've shown that he's done so for both of his presidential campaigns.

He got poor grades from a mediocre university and a mediocre law school, and he was accused of plagiarism there too, receiving an F in a course for plagiarizing five full pages of a paper.

I guess not just doing academic work poorly, but actually cheating on it isn't a "substantive" measure of intelligence for you.

The dude is a dumbass. He's certainly not the worst dumbass we have, and he's probably not even close, but in no way should anyone have to concede that he's intelligent.

[Jaguar]

Oh, and I forgot to mention -

Most of the stuff you mentioned is not substantive at all, even though that's what you just accused me of.

As for experience in the Senate, many of our worst senators, such as Jesse Helms, Ted Stevens, Strom Thurmond, and Robert Byrd are the really long-serving ones. They get entrenched in a state where their ideologies are popular, they serve up pork projects, and they go essentially unchallenged for years.

[tinyp3nis]

Biden has the best fake smile ever? Can't find it on youtube but there was this documentary about steroids where he was in talking how ANGRY!! he was, and BAM huge fakesmile right before he could turn his face into a more of a frown.

I am ANGRY

[-Jrabbit]

Banana now tied for the lead!

[GePap]

The McCain campaign made sure that the VP debate will be far more structured than the Presidential debates.

That said, I thnk Jaguar is right about the match-up. Neither candidate is going to give deep, detailed policy answers because most people watching wouldn't get it, or think the person giving such an answer was being condecending or a know-it-all. Its an issue of performance - public theater. In that respect both these VP candidates have serious problems. Biden is smart, but can't keep his mouth shut sometimes and is likely to say something goofy. Palin can carry herself well, but can't hide the fact that there is nothing there is little there but that facade.

That said, given the sense of crisis permiating the country, I think that nonsense statements will be penalized less than nonsense answers.

[GePap]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
One Thread - One Issue. Are Asher/Wiglaf/Ming/Rah/GePap/Herclitus/LordShiva/EPW/CrOnUS/cRoNus/Lancer/hisboytoyMarkG/etc/etc afraid to meet us head on?

We are too contemptuous of you bovine redneck ticket to sully our great names with a "debate." This is no time for words, this is a time for swift and creative ACTION!

[Deity Dude]

Originally posted by tinyp3nis
Biden has the best fake smile ever? Can't find it on youtube but there was this documentary about steroids where he was in talking how ANGRY!! he was, and BAM huge fakesmile right before he could turn his face into a more of a frown.

I am ANGRY

The best at faking emotion on the fly was Bill Clinton. I'll never forget Ron Brown's funeral when he was walking and laughing with some fellow pols. Suddenly, out of the blue, he spots a camera and immediately tears up and wipes a tear from his sorrow stricken face.

Classic Bill

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by The Emperor Fabulous
One Thread - One Issue. Are Asher/Wiglaf/Ming/Rah/GePap/Herclitus/LordShiva/EPW/CrOnUS/cRoNus/Lancer/hisboytoyMarkG/etc/etc afraid to meet us head on?

Do you notice there's been no acceptance? I suppose they're all busy looking for their balls.

[tinyp3nis]

Originally posted by Deity Dude


The best at faking emotion on the fly was Bill Clinton. I'll never forget Ron Brown's funeral when he was walking and laughing with some fellow pols. Suddenly, out of the blue, he spots a camera and immediately tears up and wipes a tear from his sorrow stricken face.

Classic Bill

Thanks for the tip!

[Kirnwaffen]

Well, McCain won in the sense that he was able to steer the debate into comfortable territory and make the points that serve him best. He kept Obama on the defensive, and Obama failed to answer some important criticisms.

On the other hand, McCain did not steam-roller Obama, and that's a real victory for Obama. Despite repeated claims from McCain that Obama did not understand the issues, it was quite clear that he did, and he came accross as well informed, intelligent, and presidential. In that sense, Obama met his most basic goals for the night.

So, all in all, I call it a wash. McCain may have actually won the debate, but I don't think it will help him substantially in the polls. McCain needs something huge to reverse his slide. I suspect that the VP debate provides the best opportunity for that, but it's also a huge liability for the McCain campaign. If there's a wildcard in any of this, that's it.

[Asher]

Obama won: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/...oll/index.html

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Asher
Obama won: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/...oll/index.html

Most of CNN people are pulling for Obama to win.