2008 First Presidential Debate

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) participate in the first 2008 Presidential debate.

Mississippi is the place were both Emmitt Till and Medgar Evers were killed but it plays host to the first Presidential Debate for this year’s 2008 Presidential election. It shows you just how far this nation has come as the first Presidential debate took place in Oxford, Mississippi at the University of Mississippi. After much speculation of whether or not the debate would take place because Republican Presidential nominee John McCain suspended his campaign in order to go back to Washington and deal with the economic crisis. However the first debate has taken place and what a debate it was. No real clear winner but if you liked Obama of course you will say he won and if you liked McCain than you would have said that McCain won. However any unbiased person would have to tell that both candidates did well and it was no clear cut winner but if you had to choose than McCain won by the slimmest of margins when in fact Obama was expected to come out on top by a huge margin by many in the national media and many political experts.

The whole thing about expectation and all that good stuff played a huge role in how many judged yesterday’s debate but the reality is both Presidential campaigns came out on top because neither made any major gaffes considering that neither are great debaters. From looking at the debate in a unbiased way with no dog in this year’s Presidential race except for the American people who I want to just get out and vote no matter who they vote for as long as they vote, I saw the first couple of minutes going to Obama because he had more insight into the economy but not by much because even his support of the $700 billion bailout doesn’t stand with me in terms of exactly how the money will be used and how will it help Main Street with foreclosures, putting food on the table and other things. So with that said, McCain held his own on the economy, better than what even I expected. He didn’t give a whole lot of specifics into whether he truly supports the bailout or not but he did say he would vote for it, which like Obama doesn’t sit well with me.

Nonetheless, McCain really stole a little bit of Obama’s sunshine on the economy by talking about earmarks and the wasteful spending in Washington that takes place that has lead to some of this economic crisis as well as the corruption and greed on Wall Street. Now on the question about in wake of this $700 billion bailout, what programs might either Presidential candidate have to forgo or what might either Presidential change, Obama gave the best answer to me when I first heard it. Obama said that he would like to do everything he has proposed but in wake of the bailout he will do four things no matter what—universal health care, energy independence, a world class global competitive education system, and rebuilding America’s roads & bridges as well as infrastructure. Three of those things I have advocated for early this week in previous blog posts. Now after listening to the debates again, I have to give it to McCain because he answered the question dead on by saying he would perhaps implement a spending freeze in Washington except on the absolute necessities such as veterans benefits and other things needed to keep the country going. Both man demonstrated good answers on the economy but Obama has to bring it more and hammer away at the fact the Republican Party and President Bush has gotten us in this position of bad economic policies.

At the same time, McCain really played offense tonight leaving Obama on the defensive as McCain talked about the current energy bill vote that Democrats and Obama are blocking currently because they want to tax huge oil companies during a time when many Americans are suffering at the pumps and we need to look to drill now offshore as well as toward alternative energies. Obama replied back but he was playing defense on this issue when he should have been playing offense. Obama was getting hurt on the small things during the debate like losing his temper at times by constantly interrupting McCain while McCain seemed like the cool, calm and collected individual. Now Obama regained his composure midway through the debate only to lose it again at the end. Obama’s interruptions were not bad to the point that it lost him votes but he most keep his cool no matter what and wait until McCain stops talking than quickly seize the microphone and give his points similar to what McCain did throughout the debate by waiting until Obama stopped talking and giving control of the microphone as well as the debate.

Once the debate shifted into foreign policy issues, it seemed as if everyone thought McCain was going to hammer Obama but Obama actually held his own which I expected because McCain is not a great debater. Obama’s one fatal flaw is that he won’t admit the troop surge worked. Obama just needs to say that the troop surge worked and I commend our great men and women of the military who were sent over there to Iraq during turbulent and troubling times but with courageous guts and determination they did a heroic and marvelous job of meeting the odds head on and accomplishing a tactical as well as strategic initiative in providing security for the Iraqis and bringing peace to much of the region. Thus now with the troop surge working, it still does not excuse the fact that we sent our men and women of the military over to Iraq under false pretenses and under misguided information so now we must do the responsible thing and bring all our men and women of the military home in a responsible yet dignified matter because they have served their duty for this great country of ours and now it is our duty to bring them home and make sure the Iraq government puts their military soldiers in place to secure and protect the Iraqi people for now on out.

If Obama delivers an answer like that when confronted with the issue of whether the troop surge worked than he will score bonus points. Now McCain is being attacked for supporting the Iraq War to begin with but McCain can counter this attack by simply saying, ladies and gentlemen Barack talks about being against the war in Iraq since 2002 while he was a Illinois State Senator and I bet that many Governors, State Senators, State Representatives and the American people were against the war in Iraq but what you all fail to realize is that given the information that the members of Congress were given at the time by the intelligence industry, we thought that the intelligence was accurate and even Colin Powell, the Secretary of State though the same thing when he presented the case to many members of Congress as well as the United Nations. However as we can see now that our intelligence back than was flawed just like it was flawed in the wake of 9/11. Thus we have come a long way since then and our intelligence industries have gotten better in obtaining more accurate, concrete data these days but if I knew what I know now than I would not have voted for the Iraq war as I believe many members of Congress would not have done. Nonetheless with that said, I don’t have a time machine and I can’t go back in time and I have to deal with the vote that was cast and passed and make sure that while our troops are in Iraq, they are greeted as liberators and victors not cowards and losers as many in the world expect to see happen.

That is exactly how McCain should answer that question but both candidates failed to do that thus losing a grand opportunity to win not only style points with the American people but real points in terms of honesty and genuineness. The debate really showed that Obama was a little bit too edgy and he didn’t smile as much as usual, not saying McCain smiled more but Obama is usually the more cheerful candidate or the Teflon candidate but it didn’t pan out like that from first impressions. Obama found his groove in the middle midway through while McCain found his groove during the early stages and really took the fight or at least his offensive to Obama thus leaving Obama on the defense for much of the night. Not saying that Obama didn’t play any offense but for the most part Obama defense was on the field way much longer than his offense. As the debate waged on, Obama made a little bit of a gaffe in talking about the former President of Pakistan and how America’s policy with him the last 10 years has not been productive or in the best interest of the Pakistan people was not a good point because 10 years ago President Clinton was President and if McCain really wanted to he could have hammered Obama on it thus showing that both Democrats and Republicans contribute to some of the problems plaguing us today not just one party or one person. McCain attacked his own party spending habits early on in the debate when the economy was talked about and McCain missed a great opportunity to show has bipartisan and independent appeal by talking to the American people about how both Democrats and Republicans have contributed to many problems and how both Democrats and Republicans voted for the Iraq War as well as deregulations on Wall Street.

Both candidates’ could have done a better job on the Pakistan issue but no one came out on top because McCain didn’t seize the moment like he should have. To sum it up, McCain is well versed and where he is not, McCain ad libs better than Obama. While Obama must learn from yesterday’s debate by watching game film on this one and see how McCain was driving the message better than him. Obama agreed while McCain attacked. Obama has to stop saying I agree with John than add something on to what McCain said because to be honest, it underscores Obama’s message when you say you agree with your opponent. Obama was too nice and friendly while being impatient at times as well as not tough enough. Obama showed small pieces of brilliance and aggression but he needs to do it constantly. While McCain needs to polish up on the economy and domestic issues as well as be prepared to engage Obama head on by looking at Obama more. McCain also needs to address the American people head on by giving us the real straight talk and not just the same stump messages. McCain needs a game changer in the sense of talking about how both Democrats and Republicans have caused many problems to the economy we see today and how it is just not President Bush’s economic policies that have failed us but 30 plus years of poor economic policies that have failed us. McCain will have to show that he has fought against his own party as well as leaders of the Democratic Party on many issues pertaining to Main Street and spending.

Overall I came into the debate saying Obama would do better than McCain and I was wrong. Obama did well but not as much better as McCain than I expected. In fact no one came out on top in this debate but if you had to choose a winner, McCain by the slimmest of margins because Obama looked impatient at times and was on the defensive too much. This debate should have been a blowout considering all the turmoil that has taken place the last two weeks. Obama missed a grant opportunity to really seize control of the polls and the media highlights because many papers show the debate as a tie, Obama winning, or McCain winning. However it just goes to show that expectations were not clearly met and that Obama should be head in many national polls by a larger margin than what he has if he had of hit a homerun out of the park at yesterday’s debate. Obama’s debating skills have improved and looks more comfortable against McCain than he looked against Hillary however if one thing was proven last night that is McCain is better at debating than what many people suspected.

So in the words of Michigan State Representative Bert Johnson, “When it comes to debating which is like a war of words, the golden rule is to criticize on the basis of one’s ability and opportunity to kill. Carpe’ Diem I say! Seize the day!” So simply put Obama and McCain can rejoice for now but must remember that they have much to improve on and much to look over before the next debate. Both Presidential candidates didn’t prove much to me but there are two more debates to go and it is a lot to be learned. So study up Senators John McCain and Barack Obama.

Websites:
www.canivote.org
www.citizensagainstgovernmentwaste.com