Official Political (Republican/Democrat) Debate Thread

[DeuceBlades]

But it isn't racist for the vast majority of black people to vote for obama?

Its racist to vote or not to vote for somebody because of color or gender, I believe. I study, study and study some more, on every candidate that runs for any major office. Sometimes you get it right, and sometimes you get it wrong. But if you want to get the country on the right foot, McCain is not the answer. If you want a leader who is gonna help you fight a war, well McCain is your guy. I cant wait for this debate tonight, because all the lying stops. All the propaganda that was used by McCain to slander Obama stops. I wonder how McCain will respond tonight, when asked questions he actually has to think about. Unless he has people like Bush did, with a mic in his ear. Should be pretty interesting to say the least.

[AddisonClark]

But it isn't racist for the vast majority of black people to vote for obama?

I see what point you're trying to get across, but I don't think it's the correct one.

The majority of blacks who vote usually do so liberally, so they're only voting for their party's candidate. But I think the reason blacks as a group are so excited and so vocal about voting for Obama because he himself is black, is because they not only agree with Obama's politics, but they also see him as being able to identify with them. Because he is black, Obama might better understand the issues facing black America than a white candidate, so for anyone who's not a liberal that is voting for Obama because he is black, it's more of a social issue than an issue of race and is not racist in the least.

Besides, those particular blacks are not not voting for McCain because he's white; they're voting for Obama because he should be able to better relate and fix/understand their problems/views than McCain can, which is the bedrock philosophy of why anyone votes for any particular politician.

[Sean O]

The only thing I've learned from this debate is that I like them both less. Both are lying through their teeth and shouting half-truths.

We can't handle these difficult topics in a forum where specifics are discouraged.

[catzrthecoolest]

I could have sworn i posted in here...

anyway.

Neither of the two seems to be able to answer the question directly... and it is quite a boring debate in addition

[meteamo]

Why was McCain keep on talking over Obama and wouldn't stop talking just now?

[catzrthecoolest]

Why was McCain keep on talking over Obama and wouldn't stop talking just now?

they've both been doing that if i'm not mistaken

[meteamo]

they've both been doing that if i'm not mistaken

ya

and I agree with you, it's geting boring .... yawn

[Sean O]

This is an epic fail of a debate. Both are missing obvious opportunities to smash the other one down. Obama had no (simple) answer to his supposed earmarking, and McCain just said, essentially, we should go to war with Russia over the NATO issue, which crazy-bleep Putin said would happen. But McCain also has no interest in actually holding a discussion with Putin, which is an interesting case.

They're both just not sharp, and I was expecting much much more. As a supporter, I'm more disappointed in Obama for not seizing clear opportunities.

[catzrthecoolest]

The thing is, i think that we're all tired of hearing the same old stuff out of both of these candidates... or at least i am...

[MarkB]

That was nice. Obama made a couple of valid points, then McCain comes back with a personal insult.

It is tapering out into a bit of a "I say, you say" debate, both are missing opportunities, and my pet hate is people who interrupt, but in a venue like that, it's difficult not to while still getting your point across, I suppose.

[Sean O]

That was horrible. one of the worst experiences of my life. Do we want either of these people?

The thing about this debate is that it makes both of them look bad. The only people this will persuade are the lowest of information voters, and thus this benefits the biggest liar. And tonight, there was a good battle for biggest liar.

terrible, terrible, terrible.

[maddux31]

I am asking this out of pure stupidity on my part. People say Obama is black, but does he not have a white mother? So why is he considered black? He was raised by his white grandparents when his black father abandoned him and his mother? So if a white person says they won't vote for him because he is black, could not a black person say they won't vote for him because he is white? Somebody explain that logic to me please. I could understand if both his parents were black, but they were not. He has bi-racial parents. One of which was American and one that was not, so his strongest ties to this country would be through his white mother...I just don't understand people sometimes...

[piratesmvp04]

I am asking this out of pure stupidity on my part. People say Obama is black, but does he not have a white mother? So why is he considered black? He was raised by his white grandparents when his black father abandoned him and his mother? So if a white person says they won't vote for him because he is black, could not a black person say they won't vote for him because he is white? Somebody explain that logic to me please. I could understand if both his parents were black, but they were not. He has bi-racial parents. One of which was American and one that was not, so his strongest ties to this country would be through his white mother...I just don't understand people sometimes...

I think it has to do with the race that Obama considers himself to be. Some might argue that Obama considers himself black because he goes to a black church, married a black woman, etc. See, I myself am half Asian and half Caucasian. But since my dad is Caucasian, I consider myself a white person. Hope that explains it.

[Sean O]

I think it has to do with the race that Obama considers himself to be. Some might argue that Obama considers himself black because he goes to a black church, married a black woman, etc. See, I myself am half Asian and half Caucasian. But since my dad is Caucasian, I consider myself a white person. Hope that explains it.

The way I see it, he considers himself half/half, but when people see him on the street, they consider him a black man. Since he can't pass "the paper bag test", it's a whole heck of a lot easier for him to not fight against a person's first thought.

I'm 3/4ers Irish and 1/4 french canadian, but when someone hears the name "Sean Patrick" it's a hell of a lot easier to just go as Irish instead of saying "well, actually I'm a full quarter french canadian, from my mother's side."

[piratesmvp04]

The way I see it, he considers himself half/half, but when people see him on the street, they consider him a black man. Since he can't pass "the paper bag test", it's a whole heck of a lot easier for him to not fight against a person's first thought.

I'm 3/4ers Irish and 1/4 french canadian, but when someone hears the name "Sean Patrick" it's a hell of a lot easier to just go as Irish instead of saying "well, actually I'm a full quarter french canadian, from my mother's side."

You're 1/4 French Canadian? My dad is from Canada (not the French side, though), so that's cool.

[Kccitystar]

A draw in the foreign policy debate is essentially an Obama win. This was supposed to be Mccain's strongest area of expertise, and where he is polling the most favorably.

If McCain comes out of this debate equal or weaker on foreign policy with American voters, he's lost his biggest seen asset.

[HardcoreLegend]

A draw in the foreign policy debate is essentially an Obama win. This was supposed to be Mccain's strongest area of expertise, and where he is polling the most favorably.

If McCain comes out of this debate equal or weaker on foreign policy with American voters, he's lost his biggest seen asset.

It would be, if it wasn't 45 minutes of economic debate and 45 minutes of foreign policy.

[JoeBlo]

The following video is pretty much spot on. You can't get Obama and New Deal II without first crashing the economy! Watch it!

Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5tZc8oH--o

From 1999 NY-Times:

The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...n=&pagewanted=1

[el_jefe061]

Hey JoeBlo, respond to my post on Page 43. Or fail.

I missed the debate but it seems to sound like it wasn't decisive either way, which is huge because the first debate can set the tone for the rest of the campaign. I'd say, even if you think Obama won by a small margin, that the debate advantage goes to McCain just because Obama didn't finish him off. Just buying more time without losing ground is an advantage towards McCain.

[maddux31]

Hey JoeBlo, respond to my post on Page 43. Or fail.

I missed the debate but it seems to sound like it wasn't decisive either way, which is huge because the first debate can set the tone for the rest of the campaign. I'd say, even if you think Obama won by a small margin, that the debate advantage goes to McCain just because Obama didn't finish him off. Just buying more time without losing ground is an advantage towards McCain.

Well pointed out, good take!

[meteamo]

In the debate last night, were both candidates feeling each other out and were hesitant in saying some things? It seems to me that they both will take things out of this one and will be more comfortable in the next two debates. The VP debate should be good.

And do the other candidates for President (ie: Barr, Nadar, etc) have their own debate?

.... And I love how both MSNBC and FoxNews play only clips of the debate where their candidate does well and the other does bad. That's not fair nor balanced.

[el_jefe061]

I don't think there's any conceivable way that Sarah Palin can win a debate against Joe Biden unless pure stupidity wins out. If her record comes up, which it will, she's done for. Her popularity has nosedived lately, and she has no debate experience to go with her prior experience. As much as I dislike John McCain, he at least has experience. Sarah Palin is going to face a huge uphill battle.

[meteamo]

I don't think there's any conceivable way that Sarah Palin can win a debate against Joe Biden unless pure stupidity wins out. If her record comes up, which it will, she's done for. Her popularity has nosedived lately, and she has no debate experience to go with her prior experience. As much as I dislike John McCain, he at least has experience. Sarah Palin is going to face a huge uphill battle.

I humbly disagree. Has Biden ever dealt with Vladimir Putin and the Russians?

[krawhitham]

I humbly disagree. Has Biden ever dealt with Vladimir Putin and the Russians?

Just had dealings with these Russians

President Vladimir Putin (May 2000 - May 2008; current Prime Minister)

President Boris Yeltsin (July 1991 - December 1999)

Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev (March 1990 - December 1991)

Soviet Union President Andrei Gromyko (July 1985 - October 1988)

Premier of the Soviet Union Alexey Kosygin (October 1964 - October 1980)

[el_jefe061]

Joe Biden is a 6 term Senator who is chair of the Senate Foreign Relations committee. Sarah Palin has planes that fly over her state from Russia.

Who has more foreign policy experience?