Q: I heard John McCain has agreed to participate in tonight's presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi. Does this mean that the financial crisis has been resolved and a bailout plan agreed upon?
A: Financial crisis? What financial crisis? The fundamentals of our economy are strong! Oops. That was last week. Today's answer is "no." But the McCain camp acknowledged significant progress had been made on the bailout plan -- since McCain left the Capitol.
Q: Who is moderating tonight's debate?
A: The McCain campaign -- I mean, Jim Lehrer, the executive editor and anchor of PBS's NewsHour.
Q: What is the focus of tonight's debate?
A: How many times McCain can contradict or reverse himself -- I mean, foreign policy and national security, though moderator Jim Lehrer has said he is free to ask questions about the current financial market/mortgage crisis.
Q: Do you think a lot of people will be watching tonight's debate?
A: Depends on how many baseball and college football games get rained out. But I will go out on a limb here and say "a lot."
Q: What does Barack Obama have to do in order to "win" tonight's debate and convince working class and the wealthiest Americans that they should vote for him?
A: Change his skin color -- or perhaps have a pastor from the Wasilla Assembly of God Church perform a blessing over him beforehand. Seriously? (Though actually, I was being serious. Just ask Former-Tennessee-Congressman-Couldn't-Get-Elected-as-Senator Harold Ford about the skin color thing.) Okay, seriously, Obama needs to keep saying what he's been saying but say it with some emotion or "fire."
Q: Does tonight's debate even matter?
A: Probably not, according to at least one political scientist who's researched the subject. But it could be entertaining and informative nonetheless.
Q: Do you have any suggestions for how to make tonight's debate more entertaining?
A: Just in time (before the liquor stores close), I received this suggestion from blog reader "Lietzy": "I think I am going to play a drinking game during the debate -- and drink every time McCain says 'my friends.' That will ensure that I will be good and wasted by the time it is mercifully over." Excellent advice, Lietzy.
Got a question re tonight's presidential debate? Post it as a comment here and I will do my best to answer it.
NEW Q: Blog reader Dave S. asks, What time is tonight's debate?
A: Good question! It begins at 9 p.m. Eastern Time, Dave. And *bonus answer* you can catch it on all three networks as well as on FOX, CNN, and MSNBC.
ANOTHER NEW Q: Blog reader TommyMac71 asks, "If I cannot watch the debate... from which media source [can] I get a reliable recap?"
A: Much as you would like me to say "The Daily Show," Tommy, it won't be on until Monday night, though I am sure Jon Stewart will have something (many somethings) to say. In the meantime, if you wish to catch a replay of the debate, for those of you outside the U.S., CNN will be replaying the debate at 9 a.m. GMT Saturday. And no matter where you are, you can catch the debate on www.mydebates.org, a collaboration between MySpace.com and the Commission on Presidential Debates, both as the debate is airing and afterwards for several days.
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10 comments:
Lietzy may have gotten the idea from me when I sent him this.
What time does it start? The debate, I mean, not the drinking.
You know when I hear all this one sided bashing it reminds me of a Winston Churchill quote (though I am paraphrasing):
If you are young and not a liberal, you don't have a heart. If you are old and not a conservative, you don't have a brain.
I am still undecided but I must admit I am beginning to lean right. Let's see how I feel after tonight. I was rooting for Obama over Hilary because I seem to like Obama. I definitely do not like Hilary. I like McCain as well, and, please dit down J... I like Sarah. I'm not a big fan of Joe. So, of course it comes to politics. Me, being firmly in the middle have always found it hypocritical when candidates stay far left/ right for the primaries only to come to the center during the general election. The one thing I keep coming back to is McCain was center and had to fake right to get the conservative vote. The fact that Sarah went after members of her own party also sits well with me. Like I say, I still remain undecided and that's why these debates exist. I live in a blue state so I guess it doesn't really matter anyway.
So there it is... go ahead, tell me where I am wrong. But please try to be as unbiased as possible. Saying that McCain has voted 85% with Bush in the last two years says nothing. What would you have preferred he not agree to?
Love,
Indy-Anna
Presidential debate 2008 Watch ONLINE.
http://tubedirect.net/index.php?q=Presidential-debate2008-ONLINE
Watch ONLINE Easy and Enjoy!
If we accept as given that the selection of a Vice Presidential candidate is important and says much about the presidential candidate, particularly if the candidate is a 72-year-old cancer survivor, the selection of Sarah Palin and her subsequent performance even under highly controlled conditions should be all you need to know irrespective of whether you "like" her or not. Or is this part of McCain's "fake right"?
As for McCain's voting record, if one positions oneself as a "maverick" then I think an 85% correspondence with Bush says quite a lot. Arlen Specter is a similar "maverick," intoning gravely about various Republican initiatives then - surprise! - voting for them.
Preferences for actual maverickiness, in no particular order:
Iraq
Tax cuts (no flipflop)
Torture
Warrantless wiretapping
You know, little things like that.
Dear Indy-Anna,
I believe that EVERY vote counts, no matter which color your state was/voted last go round. I am also not going to tell you you are wrong about how or what you FEEL. No one can or should.
All I can say is I didn't like Hillary for pandering and I don't like it in McCain either.
You should vote for the person who shares your positions on issues like healthcare and education and the economy or whatever it is that is most important to you and your family. It is not my position or desire to tell anyone what should be important to them. That is a personal decision.
What I do believe strongly in is knowing the FACTS -- and in not having the facts clouded by a pretty face or pretty words, on either the Republican or Democratic side.
If you are young and not a liberal, you don't have a heart. If you are old and not a conservative, you don't have a brain.
Albert Einstein died at age 76, a liberal to the end. What a moron that dude was!
A less absolute (and therefore possibly more accurate) political insult was delivered by John Stuart Mill:
Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservative.
I have been asked by a party that did not wish to comment directly on the blog to direct Indy-Anna to, and I quote, "to this website -- www.acuratings.org, which is the American Conservative Union's assessment of which members of Congress suckle at the conservative teat. You'll note that based upon the conservative's own metrics, with arch-conservatives getting a perfect 100 point rating, Ted Stevens is apparently more "mavericky" and liberal (lifetime conservative rating of 64.45) than John McCain (lifetime rating of 82.16). Who knew?!? You'll also note from this handy chart that McCain was absent for at least 60 percent of the votes on the issues that conservatives deemed crucial enough to include in their 2007 analysis -- 15 out 25 absences in 2007 (by way of comparison, other senators running presidential campaigns in 2007 were gone the following number of times -- Dodd 9 absences, Biden 6 absences, Obama 10 absences, Clinton 9 absences). http://www.acuratings.org/2007senate.htm I don't know how to be any more non-partisan than that -- using the conservative's own statistics to prove that McCain is not in the 'center' by any stretch of the imagination."
The same commentor also suggests you (and anyone else interested) check out this.
If I cannot watch the debate (that is, if the Mets game does not get rained out), from which media source should I get a reliable recap?
(Please say the Daily Show?)
Betty said:
Albert Einstein died at age 76, a liberal to the end. What a moron that dude was!
John Lennon was a brilliant songwriter. I wouldn't want him as president. I don't think "give peace a chance" would work with the jihadists.
Anonymous said:
McCain was absent for at least 60 percent of the votes on the issues that conservatives deemed crucial.
Neither candidate has been doing their jobs this past year. I would love to take of work, phone in a present vote and still collect the paycheck and receive benefits. Why aren't you pointing out Obamas record as well?
Dave said:
Arlen Specter is a similar "maverick,"
I thought we weren't allowed to use the M word here.
Dave also said:
Preferences for actual maverickiness, in no particular order:
Iraq
Tax cuts (no flipflop)
Torture
Warrantless wiretapping
You know, little things like that.
Love the sarcasm (Or maybe you think I'm an idiot). That's okay, I can take it. Most liberals think Americans are idiots. That's why they feel that government needs to be bigger and more controlling. However, according to the candidates this evening, McCain spoke out against the Rumsfelds approach and the early declaration of victory. I'm not quite sure what you are alluding to with the flip flop tax thing. Obama praised McCain this evening for his views on torture. Warrantless wiretapping? Well here is an interesting one. First of all none of us truly know the extent of this. I don't believe they are listening to my conversations. I am willing to give up some civil liberties in exchange for more peace of mind. Hence security cameras on street corners, at ATM machines, in grocery stores. I woulkd like to think that this has a little something to do with the failed plots to blow up the NYC subways.
Now I know I am sounding like a republican here. I am not. I voted for Gore, then Bush the second time. I felt he earned it after 9/11. Di I agree with everything he has done? Of course not. Do I agree with everything Clinton did? No.
So issues? Do I want less expensive health care? of course. Do I think the Federal government is the answer? My gut says no. Hilary claimed she was going to do it. At the time I was spyched. I didn't have health care. Well... still waiting. Who knows, I may vote for Obama. Truth is, I respect all 4 candidates. I just think it is laughable and sometimes appalling what people say about the candidates. I heard a friend of mine say that Palin is a freak.
Trickle Up or Trickle Down
More or less government
I'm in the 95% that Obama says he'll give a tax break to. At his acceptance speak I was shaking my head because he was promising the world without a way to pay for it. At least tonight he admitting he can't do it all.
When the republicans had the monopoly on government they blew their chance to do something. Whatever happened to the promised line item veto. Maybe we should give the democrats a chance to do the same.
Maybe the fact finder folks should do a comparison of campaign promises verses accomplishments of past presidents.
Next Thursday should be interesting.
Still loving,
Indy-Anna
I am willing to give up some civil liberties in exchange for more peace of mind. - Indy-Anna
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin
That was fun.
By "tax cut flipflop" I refer to McCain's speaking out and voting against the 2001 tax cuts - for which I gave him credit at the time (just in my head; I didn't have a blog yet) - then embracing their permanent extension during the current campaign. I believe that qualifies.
I don't necessarily think that most Americans are idiots, nor do I believe that bigger government is an appropriate end in itself. After all, if you believe that 1) Americans are idiots and 2) the bigger the government the better, then 3) you will have a huge government staffed with idiots. Unless, of course, we outsource. Hmmm.....
Palin is not a freak, nor is she even remotely qualified to be Vice President of the United States.
Finally: maverick, maverick, maverick!
Immaturely,
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