US Presidential Debates Round One

[ninjalooter1701]

Who won the US Presidential Debates, Round One

[potter]

I was pretty impressed by Obamas attention to detail in his responses, he appeared to know exactly what he was talking about.

McCain....seems all I heard were the same old GOP talking points, and many times I found myself saying "what does that have to do with the question" as he wandered off on a tanget about past presidents and his time in Hanoi Hilton.

I also found McCains refusal to look at Obama while debating him curious.

[Gilles de Rais]

Given that McCain managed to make the whole economic question a matter of governmental spending and tried to paint Obama as a classic 'Tax and Spend' Democrat...

Given that McCain foreign policies are dangerous and simplistic and that he supported the Iraq war but that Obama did not do too much to make him look like the ramrod he is nor did he mention the splurge...

I'd call it a tie.

I appreciate that Obama wanted to look tough on terror and capable of using force too and 'moderate' Americans would probably find mention of 'the splurge' unpatriotic but it still leave a sour taste in my mouth. He should have been able to bury the guy under his own idiocy.

What Obama did have was a calm, cool and collected demeanour. Plus indeed a great attention to detail and control of his subjects. McCain seemed to have a bit more energy, a bit more fire, at times, though.

So, really, a tie. IMHO.

[Viv]

I found it pretty interesting. Two completely different styles. General impressions...

McCain is a cunning little fox...I heard how he is experienced and knowledgeable and how he knows everyone who is anyone personally and has personally been everywhere and that every aspect of government forms part of his previous experience...It was like a very good job interview.

He constantly said things like "what Senator Obama does not understand"...hammering the point that Obama is younger and is not seeing the big picture and highlighting how much Obama does not know. Obama did not seem to overcome that very well. It was an awkward position for Obama to defend himself against a dignified and much more mature man, without appearing irritating and disrespectful. I don't think he pulled it off. His style is clearly more up front and confrontational and lacking in the dignity and finesse McCain has. It would have been inappropriate for him to let loose on McCain, he seemed to me to be restraining himself and amending his style to counter McCain, rather than being himself and playing to his own strengths. I think he found it the more difficult of the two and perhaps McCain's longer experience did show. I think he did counter McCain, but not always effectively and frustration seeped in a little.

It also reminded me of discussions I see in forums where, for example, Euros debate US issues or vice-versa and it becomes apparent that there is much about the culture which natives absorb by osmosis and exposure and take for granted, but which is difficult for the outsider to know? McCain continually pushed this, that Obama does not really have full understanding and Obama was made to look like the outsider as compared to McCain, not in terms of citizenship but in terms of experience and grasping the big picture.

I thought McCain repeatedly distanced himself from the current administration by saying he is a maverick, independent, doesn't win Miss Congeniality etc etc. Was wondering how he would cope with the fact that his party would be held responsible for the economic mess...I mean on the face of it, look at the state of the US. Objectively, who in his right mind would vote the same party back into power? You'd want to be mad. But he did not bad in that area, I thought. Pushed that there is more than one Republican Party strategy and he will change how things are done, not continue the same.

Overall though, I had the feeling they were pretty evenly matched also, but Obama came across as less in control. He used language which could be pretty blunt, referring to Iran as a rogue state etc...not too diplomatic. We may all know that it is a rogue state, but I felt overall Obama's wording was somewhat inflammatory and not PC, IMO.

All depends if that attitude is what US citizens want.

[ninjalooter1701]

He constantly said things like "what Senator Obama does not understand"...hammering the point that Obama is younger and is not seeing the big picture and highlighting how much Obama does not know. Obama did not seem to overcome that very well. It was an awkward position for Obama to defend himself against a dignified and much more mature man, without appearing irritating and disrespectful.

Good point. Republicans have always been better at framing the argument. This is another example.

[Underhill]

Well I think its fairly clear that while most people see it as a tie, or a near tie, the polls seem to say they certainly did nothing for McCain. If anything I think it hurt him.

I think the reason is simple. Obama has been suffering from the fact that Americans knew very little about him. Their impressions were largely shaped by what they had heard and much of that was slander from the right.

The biggest wins for Obama were the fact that he came across as very intelligent and he hammered home the notion that he won't raise taxes for 95% of Americans. That point alone was probably worth a point or two in the polls.

The worst line of the night had to come from McCain. "Perhaps Mr. Obama would like to describe what his definition of rich is?"