Friday, September 26, 2008

Presidential Debate

Cyndi and I were watching the debate tonight, and some things have been striking us.

First, Obama said that we need to stop letting down the middle class, which I don't think is happening. My experience is that the middle class is quite well off and don't feel like they're being let down. Just my $.02, but I think Obama's trying to appeal to a demographic that doesn't exist. However, I'm young and naive.

Second, Obama is an awful public speaker when he has to speak off the cuff. He stutters and has awkward word choices. Also, attacking McCain on the war in Iraq doesn't make a lot of sense, since Obama opposed the surge and McCain had been calling for the surge long before Bush proposed it.

Finally, McCain's a jerk. This is something I've known since the 2000 election, but in this he was talking over the mediator and Obama. Reminds me of Al Gore in the 2000 election debates, actually. Obama's been doing it too, and I wish they would show more class than that.

My favorite quote from Obama: "There are some things we need to do. We don't know what the tax revenue's going to be, and there are things that we need to do that we might not be able to do. But there are also things that we have to do."

Perhaps Mr. Obama should consider not categorizing things as either needs or things we have to have.

I hate both candidates. McCain's a jerk who left his crippled wife for a younger, richer woman. Obama's an elitist, inexperience, out of touch college professor. McCain blatantly lies in his ads and gets called on it by all the media outlets. Obama attacks McCain for not being able to use email when McCain's stated his inability stems from the torture he suffered in Vietnam. Joe Biden and Barack Obama are the two most liberal senators in the senate.

They're both awful choices. Unless something changes drastically, I'm voting Bob Barr.

Edit to add: My second favorite Obama quote: "Mr Lehrer, I have a bracelet too."

4 comments:

Karen said...

I agree - I'm not excited about either, so I'm going with the "who would I rather be president" route. But, I do like that Palin gal. I guess I could vote that way, and hope that something happens to McCain.

donna said...

Read McCain's book, Faith of our Fathers. It's very eye opening to his personality. I can only imagine that after 5 years of torture and prison that it was tough to try and be the same husband he was before the war (and who knows how good a husband he was before...)I met him once when I was a kid in AZ. He spoke at a fireside and also at my school. So I'm biased from my first exposure to him so many years ago. He impressed me. But you're right, he is a jerk. He's mean and feisty and he'll be the only republican that I will have voted for since I turned 18.

Anne said...

I agree with you Jeff. They are both awful candidates. We were for sure going to vote for McCain if he had chosen Romney for vice president. We felt there was a small chance McCain could have kicked the bucket during those four years! Romney was our stake president in Massachusetts and James has been to his house for dinner. Normally, James votes more on the liberal side but he is so impressed with Mitt that he would have voted Right.

Me, I have always voted on the conservative side but being married to a teacher has opened my eyes to how most, not all, Republicans rate education and our teachers.

I am torn as to what to do because Obama is very liberal and Biden is too, if not more. But I have to agree with Obama and what he said about the middle class. (Sorry Jeff.) Our personal experience is that we make too much money to qualify for the many programs available but don't make enough money where we feel like we're not living from check to check.

Maybe I will just call dad and find out who he is voting for and vote the same. I feel that indifferent.

Unknown said...

Personally, I'm a fan of the following website:
http://www.votegopher.com/

It gives a decent summary of the candidates and their basic stands on each issue and links to the candidates official sites.

It's a tough election year where you get to decide whom you dislike the least.