What Does John McCain Do After A Poor Debate Performance?
I was surprised at how short of the mark John McCain was last night in Nashville. I truly thought that his campaign would have stressed how important it was to score points, and make a clear case for why he was the most qualified to lead the nation. Instead there was never the ‘presidential feel’, or gravitas that was needed I think to push his candidacy into a new direction; one that he very much needs if he is to have any chance of winning.
Every time McCain tried to define Barack Obama, the GOP hopeful failed in two ways. First, McCain never was able to make his definition stick, as Barack Obama had a concise and reasoned response for each comment. Partly that was due to the lack of substance to McCain’s claims, and the rest was due to the fact that Obama put in a very good debate. Second, every time McCain was trying to distort Obama’s past, he was failing to talk with any degree of success about his own vision and message for America.
The one point when I snickered out loud was when McCain was talking about how he would not need any on the job training. I wonder how many viewers like myself thought of Sarah Palin during that statement, and how she is not even allowed to talk to the press anymore for fear of making her reputation even more ludicrous, let alone actually working in any governmental role?
The slow almost lumbering movements of McCain were contrasted by the lean agile movements by Obama, and I for one thought the Republican looked his age during the debate. I have written before about his energy and ability to run the distance in a campaign, but at the debate McCain looked like he was tired and needed a nap.
The best line of the night was when Obama called health insurance “a right” that Americans should have. When he spoke about his mother I turned to James and said that is a moment that will be played over and over in the days to come. It was a real connecting moment with the candidate, and the nation that wants leadership on this issue.
So after failing at a chance to make points in a debate on the issues what does John McCain do in the days to come…….?
Several comics seized on the buzz of the day – the jarring moment in the debate when McCain spoke of his rival in a seemingly dismissive manner – without using his name.
On CBS’ ‘The Late Late Show,’ Craig Ferguson said he couldn’t think of a scenario when it is proper to call a senator ‘that one.’ ‘Maybe if you had to pick a U.S. senator out of a lineup,’ Ferguson quipped. ”Which one of these senators tapped your foot in the bathroom?’ ‘That one.’ That would be appropriate.’
What I saw John do was get out of Dodge…and quick! While Obama and his beautiful wife Michelle worked the crowd after the debate , John and Cindy were nowhere to be found. But I fully understand that he must have been very tired and probably due for his nightly stool softener and antihypertensives. The Republicans really have to ask themselves if this was the best that they could do. While I may not know all things political, one can clearly see that this little,elderly, angry man is not ‘best in show’ . Sad and pathetic is what it is…
The only thing John McCain did wrong last night was that he should have said that as President he would ask for the heads of Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and the Bastards that ran Washington Mutual, AIG, Sherman Lehman and Merrill Lynch. I place the blame for this financial crisis squarely on them.
McCain’s remark about people who are going to be new enrollees in Social Security not being able to get the benefits of present day participants will not get him votes in this sector. By privatizing, like Bush wanted, he will take money away from the program, which is already sorely under funded.
What people don’t want to hear is Social security is vested in big oil and tobacco and if these are regulated as they should be, SS will loose it’s profit margin.
It’s really a catch 22.
Sarah Palin is supposed to be coming to Maine to rally the Northern part. [McCain desparate for the electorial vote..we like Nebraska split our eltorial votes]. One would like to get up and say..no more negative remarks about the oposition, we just want to hear facts about how your going to change DC. If all yoiu cxame to do is spew filth and not facts…go to h-ll back to Alaska. She plans to try to tie Obama to some radical Underground guy he knew when he was 8 and in gramma school. Does she not realize she could be tied to the corrupt Sen. Stevens in Alaska because she knows him and has probably met him…..think about what you say!
I couldn’t agree more about the poor debate performance. Watching obama mumble and stumble through so many answers with his ummm and ah…ah…..ah was just painful. While obama did ok on the economy his lack of experience in the international field was so glaring you almost had to feel sorry for him.
I wonder what the usage count for “Look” for Obama and “My friends” by McCain was by the end of the debate.
IMO, the best question was from the 78 yr old who pointed out the need for personal sacrifice and asked what each candidate would ask of the nation’s citizens. McCain missed answering with a concrete individual change item and Obama beat around the bush a bit before he finally mentioned the need to examine our energy usage and focus more on conservation. He mentioned government supporting changes with rebates. I agree with that for some things (promoting alternative energy).
But more importantly, BOTH candidates missed the chance to tell people to do their patriotic part by turning off those extra lights, decreasing our A.C. use in summer, watching less TV, hanging laundry instead of using a dryer and walking instead of driving when possible. There are obviously many other small changes each of us could make. We wouldn’t even have to do all of them and it would still add up to make a difference for our country as a whole. No rebates are needed for those simple steps which save energy.
Yeah, considering the town hall format was supposed to be McCain’s strength, he underperformed in my opinion. I liked Obama’s answer on health care being a right, and I liked his reference to a wheel falling off the Straight Talk Express.