McCain and Obama: October 7 Debate

Observations:

--I liked that John McCain started off by saying it was good to be with Barack Obama at a town hall forum. "And Sen. Obama, it's good to be with you at a town hall meeting." Obama had promised to participate in town hall meetings with McCain but reneged.

--FINALLY, John McCain said "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."

--McCain takes off the gloves and then he puts them back on. He can't be too combative, but he needs to lay out the truth.

--What an idiotic comment from Obama! "A lot of you remember the tragedy of 9/11." No kidding!

--Obama completely mischaracterized President Bush's reaction to 9/11. "Get out and shop." Come on. Bush was saying Americans needed to keep from allowing terrorists to derail our way of life.

--When Obama doesn't have a teleprompter, he really has difficulty expressing himself.

--Obama was really playing heavy on class warfare.

--McCain did a good job of explaining that he's not for tax cuts for the wealthy.

--Obama wanted to respond to McCain's comments, but Tom Brokaw refused. I guess Brokaw did that to prove that he's not partial to Obama. It was probably a set-up.

--Obama was contradicting himself. He gave his list of priorities, saying you can't work on solving everything at once. Then later, he said fixing entitlements was his priority. McCain said there was no need to prioritize. All major issues should be addressed.

--When a question comes from the audience, Brokaw kept announcing the section. "The next question comes from section F." Who cares?

--McCain seemed very comfortable in the town hall setting. Obama did a lot of stuttering. McCain came off as sincere. Obama seemed to be like an actor tripping over his lines.

--Obama said the computer was invented by our government defense scientists to communicate. I think he meant the Internet.

OBAMA: The same way the computer was originally invented by a bunch of government scientists who were trying to figure out, for defense purposes, how to communicate, we've got to understand that this is a national security issue, as well.

--Regarding energy, Obama doesn't want to drill. He said McCain said a lot

--Brokaw chastised both candidates for not sticking to the time limits. He told them to pay attention to the lights. Obama said that he's just trying to keep up with John. That was kind of childish, pointing fingers. It's McCain's fault.

--I DON'T CARE WHICH SECTION THE QUESTIONER IS SEATED IN.

--Obama didn't smile when he talked. The split screen revealed that he smirked when he listened to McCain.

--At one point, McCain referred to Obama as "that one."

--McCain clarified his health care plan, refuting Obama's claim that he wants to tax health care benefits.

--McCain said health care is a responsibility for employers to offer their employees. He said he's wary of government mandates.

--Obama said health care should be a right. He talked AGAIN about his mother dying and arguing with insurance providers.

--Has Obama's hair turned so gray or is he using George Clooney's makeup artist to give him a look of experience?

--In talking about health insurance, Obama said bankers go to Delaware where they have loose credit rules. Funny that he used his running mate Joe Biden's state as the example of a state with bad rules.

--Obama keeps dropping the "G" at the end of his words. Sarah Palin has been criticized for that.

--I saw at least two audience members yawn. I feel their boredom.

--Why is Brokaw talking about the sections of the hall?

--A woman asked about Pakistan. She seemed to be teeing one up for Obama, but he didn't directly answer her question.

--Obama said he wants to kill Osama bin Laden. I thought he wanted to put him on trial. That used to be his position.

--Obama brought up McCain's "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" AGAIN.

--Obama insisted on breaking the debate rules. McCain demanded that he get equal time.

--Brokaw said he was just the "hired help." The arrogant Obama told Brokaw he was doing a good job. I'm sure Brokaw didn't need any validation from Obama.

--It was refreshing to see both of the candidates' foreheads move naturally. I still can't get Joe Biden's freakish frozen BOTOX forehead out of my mind.

--I wanted McCain to get tougher on Obama.

--I saw an audience member look at his watch.

--Mark Levin weighs in:

While I have several strong disagreements with McCain, he doesn't flat-out lie the way Obama does. And he has shown more energy than usual. Obama is supposed to be the great orator (what happened to the messiah and the fainting?). The 72-year-old McCain has the upper-hand on the 47-year-old messiah, IMHO. 10:25 PM, EDT

--Tom Brokaw asked for a yes or no answer. Is Russia an evil empire? Obama prattled on, never giving the response Brokaw wanted. McCain said, "Maybe." McCain explained himself very well. A "yes" would signal reigniting the Cold War. A "no" wouldn't address Russia's unacceptable actions.

--This was a powerful moment:

QUESTION: Senator, as a retired Navy chief, my thoughts are often with those who serve our country. I know both candidates, both of you, expressed support for Israel.

If, despite your best diplomatic efforts, Iran attacks Israel, would you be willing to commit U.S. troops in support and defense of Israel? Or would you wait on approval from the U.N. Security Council?

MCCAIN: Well, thank you, Terry. And thank you for your service to the country.

I want to say, everything I ever learned about leadership I learned from a chief petty officer. And I thank you, and I thank you, my friend. Thanks for serving.

--McCain landed some good jabs, but this has been an uneventful evening.

--Last question: Brokaw says it has a certain Zen-like quality.

"What don't you know and how will you learn it?"

I think it has a stupid quality. Obama answered first and went into his life story. Actually, he didn't answer the question at all. He did say that he was able to succeed like nowhere else "in this country." He meant to say "world," I think.

OBAMA: I know that I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the fact that this country gave me opportunity. I came from very modest means. I had a single mom and my grandparents raised me and it was because of the help of scholarships and my grandmother scrimping on things that she might have wanted to purchase and my mom, at one point, getting food stamps in order for us to put food on the table.

Despite all that, I was able to go to the best schools on earth and I was able to succeed in a way that I could not have succeeded anywhere else in this country.

See what I mean? It makes no sense: "I was able to succeed in a way that I could not have succeeded anywhere else in this country."

Considering Obama had his closing remarks prepared, I'm surprised he flubbed that.

McCain did address the Zen question before going into his closing remarks. He gave a moving, impassioned plea to the American people.

McCAIN: Well, thank you, Tom. And I think what I don't know is what all of us don't know, and that's what's going to happen both here at home and abroad.

The challenges that we face are unprecedented. Americans are hurting tonight in a way they have not in our generation.

There are challenges around the world that are new and different and there will be different -- we will be talking about countries sometime in the future that we hardly know where they are on the map, some Americans.

So what I don't know is what the unexpected will be. But I have spent my whole life serving this country. I grew up in a family where my father was gone most of the time because he was at sea and doing our country's business. My mother basically raised our family.

I know what it's like in dark times. I know what it's like to have to fight to keep one's hope going through difficult times. I know what it's like to rely on others for support and courage and love in tough times.

I know what it's like to have your comrades reach out to you and your neighbors and your fellow citizens and pick you up and put you back in the fight.

That's what America's all about. I believe in this country. I believe in its future. I believe in its greatness. It's been my great honor to serve it for many, many years.

And I'm asking the American people to give me another opportunity and I'll rest on my record, but I'll also tell you, when times are tough, we need a steady hand at the tiller and the great honor of my life was to always put my country first.

--Brokaw couldn't see his teleprompter at the end of the debate because McCain and Obama were blocking it. Brokaw asked them to move, lost without his script.
The winner?

I don't think the debate had any make or break moments.

The Obama campaign will claim victory and the McCain campaign will came victory.

I'll say it was McCain's night... because I can.
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Debate Transcript