This is the Presidential Campaign Thread.

Barack Obama Vs. John McCain.

Edited November 6, 200817 yr by Toups

I still don't understand why McCain should get to dictate the type of debate.

Obama didn't let McCain dictate anything..He turned him down..

Why not do what we've done for the past 50+ years? Why change all of a sudden to help McCain's appeal?

Evidentally Obama feels the same exact way..He's scared of McCain in a town hall format!! LOL

Thank you for explaining! I appreciate that. I really do understand your point now...!

I understand Palin's too.

We'll just leave it at that..

NP. I'm glad that at least you understand where I'm coming from. Did you see my comments regarding Iran on the previous page? There's been so much activity that you may have missed it.

You know, that is not even credible. Couric was very gentle and respectful to her. I was very impressed with how Couric has grown as anchor and as a hard news reporter. I think I'll start watching CBS a bit more.

Ya know, Jess. I have been watching the CBS Evening News quite a bit recently and I have got to say that it's been very fair in it's reporting of the candidates.

I think that Couric did handle the interview well and was being very fair. The only time that the right will feel that SP is being treated fairly is when Fox "News" has her on air being interviewed by Ann Coulter.

Please share the title of that book with me.

Roman, that article by Dan Balz was something. I agree with it totally. McCain had a very bad day. He did it to himself too. He says he's going to go join the negotiations and has no plan on how to do so????

You know, I am starting to feel a little sorry for Palin. She was brought on to the campaign for very cynical reasons. Then, they lock her up and not let her out on her own for a month, then throw her in to interviews with network anchors. Obviously they did not prepare her for those interviews. She's not an idiot. I don't think she's ready to be a VP candidate and the campaign certainly has not done anything the last month to make her ready to be a VP candidate. I can't believe they did not let her out on her own and allow her to gain some confidence in meetings with the media. What was so obvious is that she felt assured and confident when she interviewed with Charlie Gibson. She was nervous and insecure with Katie Couric. It was like she had no confidence at all.

I haven't gotten to the point where I feel sorry for her. I think a person ought to know when a position might be too much for them and set aside the ego amd/or flattery and realistically ask am I ready for this? There are some jobs that you might easily be able to say that you don't know what it entails or how to do it but you are a fast learner and can pick it up and there are some jobs where you say even though I may be a fast learner, it's unfair to others if I take this on without more preparation. It doesn't matter what experience she has at this point if her running mate has not left her on her own long enough to let her show her capabilities.

Obama didn't let McCain dictate anything..He turned him down..

McCain dictated the debates just by making the offer and saying what style they should be.

McCain wanted the town hall meetings because that's his thing.

McCain dictated the debates just by making the offer and saying what style they should be.

McCain wanted the town hall meetings because that's his thing.

I see what you are saying..

I just don't see where you stand on the stage or who asks the questions as a big deal.

I don't know much about Obama's performance during town-hall style debates..Is he not good at them?

Edited September 26, 200817 yr by Casey008

I see what you are saying..

I just don't see where you stand on the stage or who asks the questions as a big deal.

I don't know much about Obama's performance during town-hall style debates..Is he not good at them?

I don't know if it's as much that he isn't good at them, as it is that he's better in the regular formal style.

I think that if there was a proposal of maybe 2 regular style and 2 town hall style, and Obama had turned that down, then you could definitely pin "dodging" there. But since all 10 were in McCain's preferred style, I don't really see a problem with it.

Edited September 26, 200817 yr by bandbfan

NP. I'm glad that at least you understand where I'm coming from. Did you see my comments regarding Iran on the previous page? There's been so much activity that you may have missed it.

I did. I'm glad you understand the problem we may be facing with Iran..

What is everyone thinking about the debates tonight?

Do you think they will have a large impact on the polls?

Who do you think will win? (Biases aside)

I've never seen Obama debate, but I can tell you that McCain is not a great debator (based on the primaries)

Who won debates between Hillary and BaracK?

I'm actually worried that Obama will kick his butt tonight..

What is everyone thinking about the debates tonight?

Do you think they will have a large impact on the polls?

Who do you think will win? (Biases aside)

I've never seen Obama debate, but I can tell you that McCain is not a great debator (based on the primaries)

Who won debates between Hillary and BaracK?

I'm actually worried that Obama will kick his butt tonight..

Barack was always afraid to attack Hillary too much (or so it seemed to me). But that may go by the way-side tonight.

I'll be interested to see how much they actually stay on topic given the events of the past two or three weeks.

Edited September 26, 200817 yr by bandbfan

Barack was always afraid to attack Hillary too much (or so it seemed to me). But that may go by the way-side tonight.

I'll be interested to see how much they actually stay on topic given the events of the past two or three weeks.

We'll see. It will be very interesting. I cant wait!

I've got to go to the grocery store and get some chips and dip. I'm going to have a "debate" party!

What is everyone thinking about the debates tonight?

Do you think they will have a large impact on the polls?

Who do you think will win? (Biases aside)

I've never seen Obama debate, but I can tell you that McCain is not a great debator (based on the primaries)

Who won debates between Hillary and BaracK?

I'm actually worried that Obama will kick his butt tonight..

I will be watching the debates, cold beer in hand. I've been hearing rumblings that there could be a change in topics from foreign policy to the economy, but nothing has been announced, as far as I know.

Isn't "winning" subjective to the viewer? Honestly, with my Obama bias aside, I do think he will do better, because as you said, McCain is not a great debater. He seems a little more "stiff" to me and the more relaxed (appearing), natural (appearing) candidate usually is considered the "winner". And that's Obama. Hands down.

But as far as debates affecting the election, a question you didn't ask, it doesn't appear to have an impact. Numerous articles have said that Kerry won the debates 4 years ago - all of them - but we had Bush "re-elected". Actually, it was the first time he was elected but whatever...

Those are my thoughts.

We'll see. It will be very interesting. I cant wait!

I've got to go to the grocery store and get some chips and dip. I'm going to have a "debate" party!

You and all your conservative buddies??? Or are you going to throw in the token bleeding heart liberal?

This is too funny, y'all!

McCain wants a cookie!

Ex-Adviser: McCain "Blinked," Campaign "Governed By Tactics, Not Ideology"

Sam Stein HuffPost Reporting From DC

September 26, 2008 12:32 PM

Scroll down to see McCain ad...

After days of saying that John McCain would not attend Friday's presidential debate unless an agreement on a bailout package for the markets was "locked-down," the McCain campaign has gone back on its word.

On Friday, it announced that the Senator would head down to Mississippi even though, as they readily admit, much work remained needed on the bailout agreement.

The whole episode left even conservatives admitting that the McCain campaign looked erratic and a bit foolish with no apparent direction or guiding principle.

"It just proves his campaign is governed by tactics and not ideology," said Republican consultant Craig Shirley, who advised McCain earlier in this cycle. "In the end, he blinked and Obama did not. The 'steady hand in a storm' argument looks now to more favor Obama, not McCain."

Shirley added, "My guess is that plasma units are rushing to the McCain campaign as we speak to replace the blood flowing there from the fights among the staff."

Adding to the rocky perception was a McCain campaign web ad released this morning declaring "McCain Wins Debate!" -- put out even before the candidate had announced he was planning to debate.

Aides to Barack Obama were not, generally, surprised by the announcement, though nonetheless pleased. One called the Arizona Republican's gambit - of leaving the trail to supposedly forge a compromise on the bailout - a "failure." Other Democrats were equally biting in describing the moment.

"It means that people think he went back on his word," said Howard Wolfson, formerly the communications director for Hillary Clinton. "John McCain's presidential campaign has been in a death spiral since the Wall Street collapse and this summit gambit was an attempt to pull out of it. But it hasn't succeeded because McCain hasn't done anything to move the ball forward."

Allies of McCain tried to put the best spin on the announcement, saying that while the bailout legislation was not yet completed, McCain thought it best to address the nation.

"What's more important than anything that when we go to Mississippi tonight, both candidates can say that the Congress is working," said Sen. Lindsay Graham

But others couldn't help but admit that the Arizona Republican had mismanaged the whole scenario, basically walking himself into a corner, stuck with the choice of looking either scared or unprincipled.

"He will been seen as blinking first," Shirley declared, "since it was he who said he wasn't going until the crisis is averted. Hobson's choice, painted in a corner, bollixed -- pick your poison, or pick your cliche."

^^^^ WOW. Great article, Wales. Thanks for posting it.

^^^^ WOW. Great article, Wales. Thanks for posting it.

Thank you for that comic relief.....that was funny.

At least we don't have to really watch the debate because we already know who won it before it even takes place.