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Obama stays calm as GOP rival bounces between warm, testy
By Steven Thomma
McClatchy Newspapers
Published on Thursday, Oct 16, 2008
WASHINGTON: John McCain brought his best — and also his worst — to his final debate with Barack Obama on Wednesday night, arguably his best and last chance to change the landscape of the presidential campaign and overtake Obama.
Obama performed as he has throughout the fall campaign — calm, steady, clear spoken, and at times elusive. He refused, for example, to say where he might cut federal spending beyond the politics-as-usual promise to go through the budget page by page.
A more polished debater than he was at the start of his long campaign — after two other debates with McCain and more than 20 with Democratic primary
rivals — he made no gaffes and did not jeopardize his standing as frontrunner.
Mindful that it was up to him to force a change in the race, McCain was by turns warm, abrupt and testy in the high stakes 90-minute debate. If he scored with some voters, he also missed several opportunities to score badly needed points.
Showing his strength in a talk-show format that he knows well, McCain displayed a warm side and worked to connect his proposals to ordinary voters or familiar family life.
To illustrate his charge that Obama would raise taxes and hurt a faltering economy, for example, McCain referred repeatedly to an Ohio plumber named Joe who recently confronted Obama on the campaign trail.
Talking about abortion and adoption, he noted that he and his wife, Cindy, are adoptive parents.
He also stressed his maverick nature that once endeared him to independent voters, a bloc he needs to win back from Obama, and distanced himself from President Bush.
''I am not President Bush,'' he said to Obama at one point. ''If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.''
He might have added that he himself did run against Bush eight years ago — a remark that might have reminded independents of the maverick, against-the-establishment straight-talker that they used to like.
What McCain missed
It was Obama, not McCain, who raised the fact that McCain showed political independence, notably by opposing the torture of prisoners in the war on terror.
''I have disagreed with leaders of my own party,'' McCain said, adding his support for government action to curb global warming, the way the Iraq war was being waged and an HMO patients' bill of rights.
He then turned against Obama, who doesn't have a comparable record of standing up to his own party. ''Your argument for standing up to the leadership of your party isn't very convincing,'' McCain said.
McCain, though, missed several steps, most notably when he finally got to confront Obama directly over his relationship with violent 1960s radical William Ayers and to the community group ACORN, which Republicans accuse of widespread voter registration fraud.
It was the chance that McCain apparently had been waiting for, an opportunity to tell an audience of millions of undecided voters in detail what he's been telling his supporters at boisterous rallies, that Obama's ties raise questions about his judgment.
Yet for all the buildup, McCain seemed ill at ease and poorly prepared to make his case to the television-watching jury.
''Yes, real quick. Mr. Ayers,'' McCain said, without telling viewers the man's full name. ''I don't care about an old washed-up terrorist. But as Senator Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of that relationship.''
McCain failed to explain the relationship, apparently assuming that undecided voters, like his supporters, know that Ayers was part of a group that planted bombs at the Pentagon and other government buildings to protest the Vietnam War.
McCain also brushed past the story of the ACORN community action group, then risked undermining his own argument by hyperbolically raising the threat beyond what the evidence so far supports.
''We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama's relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy,'' McCain said.
Background lacking
At another point, McCain again appeared to introduce ideas without explaining them to debate watchers, apparently assuming that they knew the background.
When Obama criticized him for not stopping angry comments about Obama at his rallies such as ''terrorist'' or ''kill him,'' McCain took it as an assault on all his supporters.
''Whenever you get a large rally of 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 people, you're going to have some fringe peoples,'' McCain said.
''But to somehow say that group of young women who said, 'Military wives for McCain' are somehow saying anything derogatory about you. . . . and those veterans that wear those hats that say 'World War II, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq,' I'm not going to stand for people saying that the people that come to my rallies are anything but the most dedicated, patriotic men and women that are in this nation and they're great citizens.''
WASHINGTON: John McCain brought his best — and also his worst — to his final debate with Barack Obama on Wednesday night, arguably his best and last chance to change the landscape of the presidential campaign and overtake Obama.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Anti-Politically Correct & Anti-GOP, OH
Posted 06:13 AM, 10/16/2008
Well, that just goes to show you that McCain is unstable.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 07:21 AM, 10/16/2008
McCain looked old and angry just like his attack ads. Obama looked calm and presidential. Nothing new heard during the debate. More of the same old same. Obama won this one in a walk.
akron, oh
Posted 07:27 AM, 10/16/2008
mcsame rambled through the debate, arguing topics not on the table, deflecting anger over to obama and looked like an old, feeble man who needed to go back to the 'home'...
Posted 08:14 AM, 10/16/2008
Yes libs--you guys are all substance aren't you? You comment about MCCain's age, his looks, his "angry" demeanor - every thing but what really matters- such as his record of honor, and his consistancy in cutting spending, reducing Government, regulating bogus programs such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, his service to his country etc. Slick--Slick socialist liberal Obama is what came to mind in watching the debates-- He participates not just associates with terroists, he contributed mightly to the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae debacle (receiving second highest contributions from these entities, he spends and he taxes-- (check the record) but is so slick and sly evasive and very general in presenting his tax and spend programs. Great orator but so devious in actions. His support and defense of Acorn is way more extensive than he expressed and his direct monetary benefits from the felon Tony Risko is nothing short of criminal--but non of this matters to the liberal press and to the growing number of socialist bent folk in this country---it will though down the line--if Obama is elected and our country goes down the tubes...Or maybe this sets up a revolution--I am ready...
akron, oh
Posted 08:18 AM, 10/16/2008
The debate was very enlighting. They talked about the issue, but can either one of them deliver. We have always heard we are going to this and that but never saw. I just hope who ever is the next president he will remember those promises.
McCain had some problems but he did okay. Obama did look calm, but maybe to calm.
Posted 08:25 AM, 10/16/2008
Goodbye far-right-wing nuts.... we'll talk to you again in 8 years. In the mean-time, keep standing outside abortion clinics and pretending like dems want to take your guns away. Yee-Haw!
Akron, OH
Posted 09:37 AM, 10/16/2008
If you liked the 4 years under Jimmy Carter when that poster boy for "a new face in Washington" and "change" brought us 20% interest rates, gas shortages, unresolved hostage situations, and more you'll just love a presidental term under Barack Obama.
Akron, OH
Posted 09:40 AM, 10/16/2008
What a debate. McCain was rambling on and on and seems as though he didn't know what to say. All of the facial expressions actually showed he was on a short fuse...As McCain stated he was going to kick
Obama's "YOU KNOW WHAT" NOTTTTTTTT...McCain got the TKO that he was looking for. Obama literally destroyed McCain with words. Never seeming stressed with McCain's petty insults. McCain and Palin can dish out insults, but can't take them. It just goes to show.. People that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones..Obama is quite the gentleman, he said nothing negative in regards to whinning hockey mom Palin. Her voice is annoying. When she speaks and puts that phony grin on her face, everyone knows by her body language
she can't lead nothing..she should stick to her hockey mom name she claims , and instruct her daughter on birth control... After the debate Obama escorted his wife down the steps. A real gentleman. McCain left his wife on stage and she proceeded down the steps alone.. What an airhead, He's not ready to lead anyone.He can't even lead his poor wife down the steps. He completely left her standing there..What an AIRHEAD... WOW!!! All has been said and done, and the real destroyers have been destroyed. Look at the polls...Amen for a change...
Akron, , OH
Posted 09:58 AM, 10/16/2008
McCain----American war hero and experienced long time public servant.
Obama----- eloquent lawyer, pied piper?
Posted 10:01 AM, 10/16/2008
Obama was full of "ands and uhs" while he allowed his brain's hard drive to kick in and spew his pre-programed thoughts. Can you trust a man who lied straight on about his fellow terrorists? I can't.
I looked into the eyes of Obama and saw evil. He is not a man of truth, but a man who is set to explode socialism on the face of our wonderful country.
You have to look beyond the debate. You have to look at the liberal senate and congress under Pelosi. You have to hear the buzz words about censorship in the media.
Folks, if you are sucked into the Obama whirlpool then you get what you bargained for. Instead of a Chevy you will get a Yugo.
AKRON, OH
Posted 12:13 PM, 10/16/2008
McCain showed he is just like Bush and has no clue about the real world, he made a comment last night that you can get a Health Care plan for $5800.00. What a joke, you can not get a decent health plan for under $10,000 to $12,000. So his $5,000 tax credit is a joke. I am not a fan of Obama, but given the two choices.
Ravenna, OH
Posted 12:42 PM, 10/16/2008
WOW!! The ABJ said a republican lost. BIG surprise.
Posted 12:56 PM, 10/16/2008
The health care plan issue as blown out of proportion than Bush's privatization of Social Security was. He was only talking about giving back a few percent of what we pay into social security, yet Dems acted like he was tossing that completely into our own hands while we were drowning. If Social Security were a good investment for us, we would put extra cash into it like we do our 401ks. I would rather put my money into my own investments, which I'll see a much better return on.
Posted 01:00 PM, 10/16/2008
Craig, I'm as surprised as you!
Speaking of liberal media bias, I found this one funny: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081016/us_nm/us_usa_politics_plumber
The headline reads: "Joe the Plumber won't say who will get his vote." However, the last three paragraphs of the article show Joe ripping Obama's policies and praising McCain.
If it were the other way around, is there anyone that doubts the headline would read "Joe the Plumber rips McCain, praises Obama"? It would then mention, in passing, that Joe declined stating who he would vote for, but comments he made give Obama the nod.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 03:36 PM, 10/16/2008
Did you know "Joethe Plumber" isn't even licensed? What a jopke this man has turned out to be. Just like McCain & Palin - a joke that's not funny and the American people have come to understand that fact.
Posted 04:02 PM, 10/16/2008
He doesn't need to be licensed to do the work he is doing, and he was the one who told the media he wasn't licensed...it's not like he said he was and they found out he was lying...THAT would be a joke.
It's amazing how entrenched in politics that libs are, to the point that they can no longer even recognize real people when they come across them. Just because you guys play these types of political games does not mean everything is a political game.
Whats next, OMG (or OTD...by the way...it would be "Older THAN Dirt") you're going to claim Palin's Wal-Mart stop was just a political photo op? Her baby didn't really need diapers, right?
Posted 05:39 PM, 10/16/2008
If we ever won an election, c'mon conservatives, Get out and vote once, just once, not like the lib's, hanging chads etc. You better beleive, we cant afford to loose this one!!
U.S.A.F. VET (Korean war)
Posted 05:45 PM, 10/16/2008
Overtaxed Voter
I'd love some 20% interest rates, where can I get those. I've got money now earning practically 0%. And my 401K is in the tank. But none of that is the Republicans fault right. It was all because of bad things that Clinton did.
Your bit is getting old, very few are buying it.
Posted 05:47 PM, 10/16/2008
Marianne
War hero, great, so every decorated war veteran should be elected to President. That bit is getting old too.
Posted 06:38 PM, 10/16/2008
http://www.ohiofreedomfighters.org
Posted 07:13 PM, 10/16/2008
me thinks we gonna wake up 11/5/2008 with obama pres.
Posted 12:37 AM, 10/17/2008
Steve, if all of this is Bush's fault, please explain how. I've seen several warnings in 1999 that Clinton's policies would lead Fannie and Freddie to where they are today. And, unlike what the libs do, I'm not referring to policies that just happened to take place while Clinton was in office. I'm talking about choices he directly made. We've done our job of explaining to you how this happened. If you think everyone's lying about this and it's Bush's fault, please tell us why.
Also, before doing so, remember which party blamed Bush for Hurricane Katrina, tornadoes in Kansas, and a late winter because they claim his environment policies caused it. Yet they didn't apply the same logic when we went the next two years without a hurricane, faced less storms than normal, and saw later-than-normal winters, snowing into April. Remember who blamed him for gas prices rising, but didn't want to give him the same credit when they fell, or who blamed him for Enron/WorldCom, but didn't want to give him credit for the stock market increasing from 7,500 after that to over 14,000.
I'll give you facts all day. But please, if you want to point fingers, provide yours. The liberal talking points and biased political coverage only goes so far.
Posted 01:05 AM, 10/17/2008
He has nothing to offer. We already got what he has and it DID not work.
Pure and simple. DID NOT WORK!
