Debate 08
Debate: Liveblogging
by hilzoy
I will try to liveblog this, even though I have no idea whether I’ll be any good at it.
9:03: Where do they stand on recovery plans?
9:06: Obama: I think he looks good: collected, forceful. States principles; ties current problems to Republican philosophy.
9:07: Though on reflection, he didn’t say where he stands on the specific packages; just principles.
9:08: McCain seems to me more rambling, but folksy. I don’t like this, but some people seem to. And why was it McCain who mentioned Kennedy first?
9:10: McCain apparently commits to voting for the plan.
9:12: McCain talks about Eisenhower, and the need to hold people accountable. Obama agrees. But says: not just when there’s a crisis.
9:14: Lehrer: are there fundamental differences about what McCain would do vs. what Obama would do to get us out of this crisis?
9:15: McCain: his answer goes on about earmarks and pork-barrel spending. I have no idea what this has to do with the present crisis.
9:17: Obama: earmarks are a pretty small part of domestic spending. McCain’s tax cuts for the rich are much, much bigger. His own tax cuts, for the middle class, would do more for economic growth.
9:20: McCain goes on and on about Obama’s earmarks, and the corruption of the system. Obama: eliminating earmarks alone will not get the economy back on track. It’s a continuation of the past eight years.
9:21: McCain: Business taxes: too high. Now he’s back on earmarks. Again.
9:22: Obama: I will cut taxes on everyone making $250,000. Business taxes: low on paper, but there are so many loopholes that it’s actually lower. McCain doesn’t want to eliminate these loopholes; just shovel more tax cuts to people.
9:24: McCain: Obama has voted for bills that have earmarks. Plus, he has voted to raise taxes on people making $42,000/year. Sigh.
9:26: New question: what will you have to give up because of financial rescue plan?
9:28: I’m going to stop summarizing for a moment. I think Obama is being basically clear; if he has a weakness, it’s moving through too many points. It’s as though he’s reading a very crisp outline, very quickly.
McCain, by contrast, is rambling, but in an aggrieved sort of way.
9:30: McCain, unlike Obama, promises an actual cut: ethanol subsidies. Also, reforming defense spending. He’s in his element there, although I have no idea how his use of defense spending jargon will go over with people.
9:34: McCain: a spending freeze on everything but veterans, defense, and — darn, I missed it. Obama: no, some programs are underfunded. Somehow or other, McCain has gotten onto nuclear power. How is a mystery.
9:36: Out of nowhere, McCain says that Obama’s plans will hand control of health care over to the federal government. (Huh?) Talks about cutting spending.
9:38: McCain has been consistently saying: look at our records. Obama: look, all this spending has occurred under a President you agreed with 90% of the time. You have voted for his budgets. McCain: people know me.
9:39: Question: what are the lessons of Iraq? McCain: the war was mishandled; now we are succeeding. Had we lost, the consequences would have been dire.
9:42: Obama: the question is whether we should have gone in there at all. I said no, for various reasons, including the fact that we had not finished the job in Afghanistan. Now, things are bad. We took our eye off the ball. Lesson: we should not hesitate to use military force to keep us safe, but we should use it wisely.
9:44: McCain: The surge has worked. And “incredibly — incredibly — “, Obama did not go to Iraq.
9:44: Obama: “John likes to pretend the war started in 2007.” Cites McCain’s mistakes. I think this was quite effective.
9:46: McCain: Obama doesn’t know the difference between strategy and tactics. Also: he will not acknowledge the success of the surge.
9:47: McCain says Obama voted to cut funding for troops. Obama says: we both voted against funding bills that had things we disagreed with.
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9:48: I think McCain came close to losing his temper.
9:50: New question: more troops to Afghanistan? Obama: yes.
The godawful GOP debate – ‘08 Roadies – Salon.com
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9:51: Obama brings up Pakistan.
9:53: McCain says he will not repeat mistake of abandoning Afghanistan. (Me: I thought he did that. In 2003.)
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9:56: Back and forth about what Obama said about Pakistan. Obama brings up various threats McCain has made.
9:57: Obama talks Pakistan. In my judgment, he’s quite astute.
9:59: McCain says Obama doesn’t understand Pakistan. Them for some reason, he goes over his entire history of war votes. He sounds earnest and sober. I have no idea what the point is.
Telling story of bracelet of dead soldier. She promised his mother her son’s death would not be in vain.
10:01: Obama: Presi …

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