First, Bob Schieffer did a much better job as moderator than his two predecessors. There were questions asked that hadn't been addressed in the previous debates such as the candidates' stances on partial birth abortion. The format with the candidates sitting at a table close to one another made for a more interactive exchange between them.
John McCain did a much better job in this debate that in the previous two. He made eye contact with Obama and addressed him on several occasions instead of looking only toward the moderator, as he did in the first debate. He more capably challenged Obama on his policy proposals and his connections to Bill Ayers and ACORN. He made Joe Wurzelbacher (or "Joe the Plumber" has McCain called him) a household name and a symbol of what Obama's tax plan would do to small businesses. And he finally called Obama out for the incessant comparisions with President Bush in a very pointed and effective manner:
"Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you want to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."
Granted, McCain is not an eloquent speaker. He probably talks like a lot of us would if we were on national television: his voice breaks and sometimes he looks stiff or uncomfortable. He's actually more like us than one so polished and refined as his high exaltedness, the great Liberal Messiah.
Obama was Obama: eloquent in speech but devoid of substance to back it up. Truly a man of too many words. He's cool, slick, and acts like it's all no big deal for him; in other words, he looks and acts like a politician. (Where's the change in that?) There were the extended "uh's" and a few sentences that started with "Look..." that are standard fare with Obama. If he was a college professor, he would put me to sleep. (That's right: for a time he was a college professor!) The man talks on and on and on. It takes a moderator or a well-placed "uh..." to interrupt him. He reminds me so much of Bill Clinton in this respect. Obama is in love with the sound of his own voice. Trouble is, it's the same tired rhetoric that never changes and the repetitive talking points over and over again: tax cuts for 95% of Americans, the failed economic policies of the last eight years, McCain is Bush, blah, blah, blah.
Did McCain win the debate? I would honestly have to say he held his own (as he did in the previous debates), but there was no decisive moment on either side that gave the other a resounding claim to victory. Of course most will say Obama won simply because McCain failed to deliver a knockout blow against him. On the other hand, Obama was on the defensive for most of the night and made none of his own either, but the pressure was more on McCain rather than Obama to land that punch. Because he didn't, I suppose Obama won the debate by default.
The one phrase that stands out from all three debates was when McCain inadvertedly gave us the newest yet most perfect title for the Liberal Messiah: "Senator Government." Nothing more fitting has been said to summarize the political philosophy of Barack Obama. Like any good liberal, he believe not only in government but a larger and more powerful government to solve all our country's woes.
Need socialized health care? Big government!
Need your personal wealth spread around? Big government!
Need something's hand in your wallet? Big government!
Need their other hand to hold the rest of your life? Big government!
McCain has a daunting task in the next 19 days making up ground in the polls among undecided voters. Many Democrats forget where Obama was just a little over a month ago; their overconfidence could very well backfire.
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