Can We Just Shoot Ourselves Now?
With Barack Obama finally breaking 50 percent in national public-opinion polls and John McCain sinking like a stone, the town hall face-off in Nashville last night was the Democrat’s to lose, but the feeling persisted throughout the 90 minutes (which felt more like 900) that both men understand that fixing what ails the economy is bigger than either of them.
With financial markets having a nervous breakdown, the Crew Without a Clue madly rearranging deck checks in Washington and a largely untested upstart (rudely referred to as “That One” by McCain) likely to be the next occupant of the Oval Office, we have entered seriously frightening territory.
Anyhow, Obama gets points for channeling taxpayer outrage. McCain gets points for floating a new/old plan to buy up and renegotiate mortgages, but that doesn’t jive with his recommendation that there be a spending freeze to stabilize the economy. Classic McCain: Having diametrically opposite views on the same thing.
Overall, the night has to be considered advantage Obama, but not the Obama blowout that the insta-polls indicated because unlike McCain, Obama understands the roots of the financial crisis even if he’s pretty much clueless about how to deal with it.
Oh, and the debate format sucked, although it did effectively prevent McCain from “taking the gloves off,” as had been promised, while moderator Tom Brokaw made Gwen Ifill look brilliant.
6 Responses to “Can We Just Shoot Ourselves Now?”
Shaun,
did yo unotice that Senator Obama picked energy independence, something that cannot be achieved in even eight years as his most important domestic issue. Of course, since Senator Obama seems to want to avoid anything where he can be nitpicked, it is easy to see he would pick the one area that will hardest to evaluate. Also, how will achieving energy indepence solve the problem with financial markets. If anything, pushing for energy independence will force the economy to shrink instead of grow.
McCain blathers on about his bipartisan credetials, as if somehow his polarizing choices and positions won't be noticed by the voters. And I agree with you about Brokaw, if possible he seemed even odder and more erratic than McCain. And how is it possible there are still “undecideds”? at this late stage? I mean seriously, what is it going to take to move them off the fence?
“Obama understands the roots of the financial crisis even if he’s pretty much clueless about how to deal with it.”
JSpencer, I think this might be why there are still 'undecideds' out there. I don't necessarily think they are 'undecided'. I think many are likely trying to figure out who to vote against rather than who to vote for.
I thought McCain's answer on the mortgage crisis was his best moment– because he was able to connect with those who are losing their homes. Obama was like an economics professor.
Overall, I did feel that Obama held his own, and that his temperment was more presidential and serene.
Shaun, I agree with most of your assessment save for one point: Brokaw.
I thought that, given his hands being tied by the campaigns, Tom Brokaw performed as best he could as moderator.
With all of the various rules — which the candidates seemed hell-bent on throwing out — that Brokaw was supposed to be imposing, the debate was less of a debate and more of a two-way-stump-speech. That point however, is not Tom Brokaw's fault.
Anyway… my debate thoughts are here. I agree that it was painfully boring and I nearly turned off my TV. But then it hit me that as soon as I do that, I'll wake up to the news that a steel cage was lowered and the candidates got into a brawl…
Brokaw was awful. If the candidates were willing to throw out the awful format they agreed to before the night began, he should have let them.