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The Debate: John McCain’s Sorry Last Stand
Save for his concession speech 19 days from now, the third and final presidential debate was probably the last time a goodly number of voters could see John McCain in action. It was a splendid opportunity for him to go out with a bang and to make the argument that he would make a better president during a depression, which is certainly where the U.S. seems to be headed.
While McCain did score some belated points on the economy and occasionally had Barack Obama on the defensive, he failed miserably where it matter most and least: He succumbed to the taunts of running mate Sarah Palin and his red-meat supporters in slamming Obama for his long-ago association with Bill Ayers and other phony character issues that he had been chastised for avoiding in previous face-to-face encounters.
And so the ever impetuous McCain ignored the tsunami of polls showing that the biggest reason that he is trailing Obama so badly is that the negative campaigning of he and Palin have blown up in their faces. This, of course, is because voters are deeply worried about their own well being and don’t give a hoot about whether Obama knew a one-time radical 10 years ago or supported a controversial community organizing group that McCain himself has embraced.
The split-screen shots of the two candidates were devastating: McCain grimacing and agitated and Obama at his usual smiling ease. And while the ability to debate effectively does not translate into being an effective president, there were several occasions last night when one could sense that Obama knew that McCain was about to fall into a trap — his boner on late-term abortions chief among them — and Obama could leap on him.
And leap he did.
16 Responses to “The Debate: John McCain’s Sorry Last Stand”
Senator McCain never had a chance to win this election unless Senator Obama has been caught in bed with a live boy or a dead girl. The 2008 election has always been about whether the Democrats would get 60 seats in the Senate. Not it looks like the that will happen.
So the only question left is whether 2008 will be the last election cycle where the Republican candiate for president is considered relevant. Based upon demographic changes, the Democratic party was going to be the one, dominate party no matter what the Republicans did. However, the incompetence and failures of the Bush Administration and the Republicans in Congress have move up the collapse of the Republicans by about 20 years.
If a political scientist wanted to be cutting edge, they would begin to write about how the U.S. will function as a one party state where the general election is moot. Can anyone seriously believe that there will ever be presidential debates in 2016, let alone the debates being meaningful.
I thought McCain had his best debate performance last night. (that's not to say I agree with him on the issues) Obama let a few opportunities slip to defend his associations and did not go on counterattack— he was even praising Palin! He needed to show a bit more emotion, and at least point out Palin's weaknesses.
McCain's best line by far was the one stating that Obama should have run for years ago if he wanted to run against George W Bush. Only problem– its too little and way too late.
SD- I live in a one-party state– and let me tell you life goes on.
I agree kritt11. I thought McCain probably had his best performance of the three, but he only did because he had to. The only thing Obama had to do was to not slip up, and I think he did very well. I don't think McCain did anything to move the polls any.
I live in a one party state as well (SC). All it seems to do is make it rather difficult to have a political conversation with anyone without being yelled at…
kritt,
the question is not whether life goes on but how will does the political process work in a one party state. In places like Chicago, it appears to be that “Clouts” take the place of elected leaders . Or will be like DC where the city is inept and corrupt? Some one party states have the sense to have term limits to mitigate the impact.
However, at the national scale, how do you think politics will be affected with the 2016 Democratic primaries being the real presidential elections. Do you really want the president elected on SuperTuesday 11 months before the inaugural? Do you really want Iowa and New Hampshire to have the ability to choose the next president with the other 48 states being left out.?
Also, as the U.S. becomes one party, most seats will up for election once a generation. Maybe the government should make it that you have to resign your seat to run for something else.
My ears perked up when McCain mentioned the nuclear issue in the Navy. Sorry John you are off by a few years. Technicality I know:
“Finally, the ears of nautical buffs may have perked up when McCain said, “we've sailed Navy ships around the world for 60 years with nuclear power plants on them.” His naval history is off by a few years. The first nuclear-powered vessel, the submarine USS Nautilus, was actually launched Jan. 21, 1954.”
I personally know someone who served as ChiefEngineer on that boat. He later went on to become a Commander in the Central Pacific Fleet.
Sorry for reality to intrude, Shaun, but it wasn't a blowout or knockout for Obama.
It _is_ the removal of the last speed bump for Obama prior to election, so you can calm down and grow up now. Hope is about to be realized and Change is coming.
SD-
Does this bother you about states like Alaska and Wyoming or some of the GOP dominated southern states???? I'm only mentioning it because you seem to think its a huge problem when the state or city in question is a blue state– but ignore the same phenomena in red states.
As I've mentioned before, I live in Md- a blue state. The Democratic Gov inherited a structural deficit from his GOP predecessor, made worse by this economy, and has had raise some taxes and cut more than 2 billion out of the budget- cutting state staffing levels and going back on promises to make college more affordable. When we had a GOP gov he raised state fees drastically on licences and motor vehicle registration– but of course didn't call it a tax hike.
There is still plenty of opposition to many of the Gov's policies- even though the dems have a veto-proof majority, because of his support of slot machines and his decision to raise the sales tax by one cent. Of course the Republicans still criticize him for being a tax and spend liberal. They have nothing positive to contribute so they carp.
“its too little and way too late”
Well said.
This was far from lopsided, but Obama clearly won — scoring would go 6-4 or as high as 7-3 in favor of Obama (60-40 to 70-30 assuming a total of 100 points). Obama was smooooooooth (I got an angry call after the debate — “How can so many people be fooled by that GD MF BSer?”) whereas McCain was squirrely, nervous, possibly even in over his head somewhat. (The same caller to me last night put it this way: “I believe McCain decided some weeks ago he really doesn't want to be in the executive branch, that he's more comfortable playing his role in the Senate.” In other words, McCain may already have conceded this race, accepted the reality. I still think that's not true but that McCain is just outclassed by Obama.)
This time I watched the debate on television rather than listen only on the radio, and Obama maintained good self-composure even when being criticized — and he seemed to run the debate, manage it as much as the moderator did — did others see that?
Also, wasn't Cindy McCain awfully stiff, beyond merely formal, toward the Obamas? She knows who won last night and who's about to be elected, doesn't she?
K, I used to live in Rockville (notorious Montgomery County). Even the Republicans in Potomac are against any long-needed I-370 extension across the river from I-270 at Rockville and Gaithersburg over to the Dulles Airport area. (It's _long_ needed!)
Kritt : “Of course the Republicans still criticize him for being a tax and spend liberal. They have nothing positive to contribute so they carp.”
Well, unfortunately that's a dynamic we'll need to get used to seeing a lot more of. The second the Democrats are in “control”, the GOP is going to develop an instant case of amnesia about how we reached our present state of the union and start carping like gangbusters.
Jspencer,
What else should the Republicans do? support tax and spend policies. What is left of conservatives should come out and say that they have learned their lesson and that pork barreling spending, growing entitlements, and bad management have to stop. They should then point out how the Democrats, after complaining about Republican spending, have now become the new pork barreling party.
Kritt,
Of the problems with the Democrats in Maryland is that the net population of middle class whites is going down so of course tax revenues would begin to go down. http://www.mdp.state.md.us/msdc/Power_Point_Presentati... . What the Democrats have achieved in Maryland is a state that is good for the wealthy and the poor but not very good for the middle class. Besides, what can you say about a state that wanted to run Wal-Mart out of the state.
DLS-
Obama was SO even-tempered- at times I thought- he was behaving as though HE was the moderator and not a black candidate fighting off vicious all-out attacks from McCain's Rovian political operatives and the RNC, in order to change history. He was under no pressure, said he didn't mind being attacked– I mean he barely seemed human!
McCain was passionate- at times a bit angry– but still came off as the old grouchy coot next to the suave, smart youthful upstart.
All in all it was pretty amazing. McCain was tough but this economy has finished him off. Instead of scaring people, his negative attacks seem mean-spirited and sometimes even silly. Obama just brushes them off like lint from his suit.
SD-
Honestly- do you even realize that we have the wealthiest African-Americans in the country in PG county? Are you assuming only white people can accumulate wealth- while minorities fill up the welfare rolls? Come drive around MD and look at some of the gated communities that are almost entirely black before you make those kind of statements.
JS- That's exactly why I think if Obama gets it, he's going to be a one-term president as the GOP makes him the culprit for all that goes wrong from sea to shining sea.
But I plan to keep typing — Its all Bush's fault—its all Bush's fault– Bush did it too!:-)
[...] The Moderate Voice And so the ever impetuous McCain ignored the tsunami of polls showing that the biggest reason that he is trailing Obama so badly is that the negative campaigning of he and Palin have blown up in their faces. This, of course, is because voters are deeply worried about their own well being and don’t give a hoot about whether Obama knew a one-time radical 10 years ago or supported a controversial community organizing group that McCain himself has embraced. [...]