The Official 1st Presidential Debate Thread

[falco]

They were saying on CNN that historically the debates historically do not affect the voting patterns, if at all it's very slight. The only time the debates made a real difference was when Reagan ran for president the 1st time.

I would say that the debates made a difference in the Election of 1960 (Kennedy v. Nixon.) Kennedy was behind before the first debate and then jumped out ahead after the first debate a lot of that due to Nixon looking physically bad. After that Kennedy never looked back.

Absolutely. The debates essentially made Kennedy president.

you mean it wasn't the votes his dad bought him?

[Tyrone Bigguns]

I am perplexed

QFT

[hoosier]

Independents clearly weren't won by Mac at this debate.

That's an understatement, Ty. According to a CBS poll done just after the debate, almost 50% of uncommitted voters reported that their opinion of Obama was raised by the debate. Only 30% of those polled said their opinion of McCain got better. 66% of uncommitted voters think Obama would make the right decisions about the economy. 44% think McCain would make good decisions.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2008/09/the_debate_an_edge_for_obama.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Independents clearly weren't won by Mac at this debate.

That's an understatement, Ty. According to a CBS poll done just after the debate, almost 50% of uncommitted voters reported that their opinion of Obama was raised by the debate. Only 30% of those polled said their opinion of McCain got better. 66% of uncommitted voters think Obama would make the right decisions about the economy. 44% think McCain would make good decisions.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/pos...d=opinionsbox1

ty was trying to be kind. The conservs are a bit shellshocked after last night's performance.

Interesting note: Men favored Mac, but Obama killed with chicks. and, women are slower to decide who to vote for.....the tide is turning towards obama with the women.

[digitaldean]

It didn't really sway my opinion on my choice. I thought Obama brought up half-truths (like the Kissinger comment) that didn't help his cause.

I'd say that McCain nailed the foreign policy section. The economic one, not so much. McCain did not have a comeback about taxation of health benefits. (if that policy is true, he just shot himself in the foot with a lot of undecideds).

BOTH were guilty of dancing around anything resembling a substantive answer regarding for many of the questions.

Right now, I'd have to say Obama would have to make a huge gaffe to lose this race. Then again, Biden still has to debate so we could have a couple doozy foot in mouth incidents coming up.

[texaspackerbacker]

GB007, how would you define a "strong" response on the economy? What would you have liked either or both to have said?

I don't know....maybe just a tiny bit of optimism.

You don't get enough optimism listening to me?

I'm saying the whole mess is contrived for some purpose. I had been thinking it was financial--somebody cleaning up big time from the "bail out" money. Now, I'm beginning to lean toward a political motivation--helping Obama by diverting from the issues he is so rotten on--basically everything else--security from terrorism, defense, foreign policy, various social issue, etc.--not that Obama is any great shakes on the economy either, but on the economy, he is better able to befuddle people with bullshit.

Actually, I thought they BOTH sounded pretty optimistic that the "bail out" package would get passed. You didn't?

[texaspackerbacker]

They were saying on CNN that historically the debates historically do not affect the voting patterns, if at all it's very slight. The only time the debates made a real difference was when Reagan ran for president the 1st time.

I would say that the debates made a difference in the Election of 1960 (Kennedy v. Nixon.) Kennedy was behind before the first debate and then jumped out ahead after the first debate a lot of that due to Nixon looking physically bad. After that Kennedy never looked back.

Absolutely. The debates essentially made Kennedy president.

Actually, it was Mayor Daley's army of dead Democrats that made the difference in Illinois and swung it to Kennedy.

Falco, you seem to be on the right side more often than the wrong one in this forum. I have to stenuously disagree with your comment about Kerry in Vietnam, though. The SwiftBoaters were RIGHT! Kerry couldn't even counter the truth of what they said--that rather than being a hero, he was a coward who wrote false paperwork himself to get three Purple Hearts in order to get out of combat--so he could come home and slander the courageous troops still there. Kerry isn't fit to lick shit off McCain's boots. And that's completely aside from the fact that Kerry is wrong on all the issues.

[falco]

They were saying on CNN that historically the debates historically do not affect the voting patterns, if at all it's very slight. The only time the debates made a real difference was when Reagan ran for president the 1st time.

I would say that the debates made a difference in the Election of 1960 (Kennedy v. Nixon.) Kennedy was behind before the first debate and then jumped out ahead after the first debate a lot of that due to Nixon looking physically bad. After that Kennedy never looked back.

Absolutely. The debates essentially made Kennedy president.

Actually, it was Mayor Daley's army of dead Democrats that made the difference in Illinois and swung it to Kennedy.

Falco, you seem to be on the right side more often than the wrong one in this forum. I have to stenuously disagree with your comment about Kerry in Vietnam, though. The SwiftBoaters were RIGHT! Kerry couldn't even counter the truth of what they said--that rather than being a hero, he was a coward who wrote false paperwork himself to get three Purple Hearts in order to get out of combat--so he could come home and slander the courageous troops still there. Kerry isn't fit to lick shit off McCain's boots. And that's completely aside from the fact that Kerry is wrong on all the issues.

I know I'm doing something wrong if TPB agrees with me...

far be it from me to disparage any vietnam vet (or any other war). i'll leave that to others.

[Harlan Huckleby]

BTW, how do you know that statement by Eisenhower is what McCain was referring to?

You dismiss Biden's gaff as a harmless mistake, but McCain is treacherous.

The quote I took directly from Eisenhower's letter.......not a statement......
And I didn't use the word 'treacherous'.......I said 'false interpretation'.

According to the National Archives, late on the afternoon of June 5, 1944,
Eisenhower scribbled a note intended for release accepting responsibility for
the decision to launch the invasion and taking full blame in the event the
effort to create a beachhead on the Normandy coast failed.

In the letter, Eisenhower takes responsibility but makes no mention of
resignation

Ya, I accept that Eisenhower said in his note that he would "take full responsibility", rather than specifically "resign." But McCain is apparently under the impression that Eisenhower meant to resign as a way of taking responsibility.

Its unlikely that McCain pulled this interpretation out of thin air, he heard it somewhere. It's possible that it is a popular misconception that has been passed down. But equally likely, this famous incident was discussed by Eisenhower in his memoirs, or in interviews, and he explained that he intended to resign as a way of taking responsibility if the invasion failed.

Regardless of which one of these explanations is correct, your attacking McCain's character over this statement is over-the-top. Your emotional bias is unusually strong, you regularly get pitch black dark about politicians (and coaches) you dislike, and you shine a happy, sunny light on the good guys. Everybody does this to a certain extent.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I refuse to watch any more debates, or discuss politics. I'm taking my football and going home.

The media bias in favor of Obama is a tidal wave. I've watch a lot of elections, Dems usually get an advantage, but I've never seen anything like this year. And don't listen to Tex, it matters tremendously. First they worked on Hillary, now McCain is getting the treatment.

Somebody wake me if Reverend WRight gets back into the spotlight, at least that is entertainment.

I accept PResident Obama as my overlord. Now just leave me the fuck alone.

[texaspackerbacker]

I refuse to watch any more debates, or discuss politics. I'm taking my football and going home.

The media bias in favor of Obama is a tidal wave. I've watch a lot of elections, Dems usually get an advantage, but I've never seen anything like this year. And don't listen to Tex, it matters tremendously. First they worked on Hillary, now McCain is getting the treatment.

Somebody wake me if Reverend WRight gets back into the spotlight, at least that is entertainment.

I accept PResident Obama as my overlord. Now just leave me the fuck alone.

What "don't listen to Tex"? I never said media bias for Obama didn't make any difference. In the end, though, I think the good sense of the people will overcome it, just like in 2000 and 2004.

[bobblehead]

What a shame he (McCain) can't get his facts straight.

According to the National Archives, late on the afternoon of June 5, 1944,
Eisenhower scribbled a note intended for release accepting responsibility for
the decision to launch the invasion and taking full blame in the event the
effort to create a beachhead on the Normandy coast failed.

In the letter, Eisenhower takes responsibility but makes no mention of
resignation

Joe Biden said yesterday that FDR went on TV in 1929 to calm the nation after the stock market crash.

The stock market crashed in 1932, Herbert Hoover was president, and TV had not been invented yet.

Who cares about these gaffs?

It is only the small-minded, petty people who get excited about McCain conflating "takes full blame" with "resigns". It probably has been repeated that he offered to resign in popular mythology.

And the animal house guys (media) stood in the back whispering..."don't stop him....he's on a roll".

[bobblehead]

women are slower

Look, I can do the same creative editing the DNC can do with newt gingrich quotes...ty is a sexist!!!

[packinpatland]

"I think the good sense of the people will overcome it, just like in 2000 and 2004."



And here we are today.....The percentages may be up or down a point or two...but they don't look good. Those people with good sense, sense we need a change....McCain voted with Pres. Bush 85% .......some say it was higher.........we do need a change.

Seventy-six percent of Americans now say they disapprove of how Mr. Bush is dealing with the economy — surpassing his administration’s previous high of 74 percent in April and nearing his father’s record high of 80 percent in August 1992.

64 percent of Americans disapprove of the job the president is doing in general.

[bobblehead]

"I think the good sense of the people will overcome it, just like in 2000 and 2004."



And here we are today.....The percentages may be up or down a point or two...but they don't look good. Those people with good sense, sense we need a change....McCain voted with Pres. Bush 85% .......some say it was higher.........we do need a change.

Seventy-six percent of Americans now say they disapprove of how Mr. Bush is dealing with the economy — surpassing his administration’s previous high of 74 percent in April and nearing his father’s record high of 80 percent in August 1992.

64 percent of Americans disapprove of the job the president is doing in general.

About 10% of us realize that repub or dem doesnt' matter much...we need a REAL outsider/reformer. Of that 10% 2% vote third party and 8% don't waste their time. Voting for mccain or obama is like jerking off with sandpaper.