Comments on: Can We Just Shoot Ourselves Now?

By: ChrisWWW

ChrisWWW — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:21:50 +0000

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.

By: thePajamaPundit

thePajamaPundit — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 15:33:50 +0000

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...

By: kritt11

kritt11 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:57:13 +0000

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.

By: jchem

jchem — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:20:18 +0000

“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.

By: JSpencer

JSpencer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:52:38 +0000

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?

By: superdestroyer

superdestroyer — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:24:16 +0000

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.