Considering that McCain obviously, cowardly and clumsily tried to duck this debate with Obama, he came off way better than he should have. Obama should have hammered him for his juvenile ploy to avoid debating him, and then promptly and decisively challenged his many lies.
Also Obama was too deferential and said "I agree with John" eight times too often.. McCain was clearly angry that he had to debate who he considered an inferior, was very contemptuous and condescending, saying at least 6 times, "he just does not understand"...."he is naive...", "he is stubborn". McCain did not even look at Obama, once. Obama should have hammered him on his wanting 45 nuclear plants, pointing out the absurdity of it...
Also Obama was too deferential and said "I agree with John" eight times too often.. McCain was clearly angry that he had to debate who he considered an inferior, was very contemptuous and condescending, saying at least 6 times, "he just does not understand"...."he is naive...", "he is stubborn". McCain did not even look at Obama, once. Obama should have hammered him on his wanting 45 nuclear plants, pointing out the absurdity of it...
Obama looked more presidential, but McCain should have been knocked out, given his criminal role in the Keating 5 scandal, 95% support of Bush's policies, consistently voting against veterans benefits - yet he lives to fight another day because Obama spared him....
The problem was that Obama let McCain get away with too many lies: -
- that he warned of the present financial crisis -
he did not, just 10 days ago he said that "the economy was fundamentally sound",
he did not, just 10 days ago he said that "the economy was fundamentally sound",
- Russia invaded Georgia - Georgia invaded Ossetia first, then Russia responded by retaliating,
- he voted consistently for veterans issues and loves the veterans - voted against most veterans benefits,
- he was going to put a freeze on spending - he voted for every spending program of Bush,
- Iran threatened to wipe Israel off the map - they did not,
- he called for the resignation of the SEC head - he did not, he said he would fire him, not knowing that he could not fire him,
- that the surge worked - the surge benchmarks were political reconciliation, oil leases, - none of these have been realized yet, other than lesser violence due to ethnic cleansing - so the surge has not worked....,
- that he was against torture - he voted for torture after being initially against it,
- said that Pakistan was formerly a failed state before Musharraf - it was not,
- would create a 'league of democracies' - Obama should have said that was stupid and would undermine the UN which is already in place..
Fortunately the prelim polls show Obama won handily and decisively, particularly among undecided voters...
