Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Liveblogging McCain/Obama Redux
9:04 Hello, everyone! It's the town hall format. I hate these pseudopopulist wankfests.
9:05 Obama mentions AIG's 400 thousand dollar junket. He's right...that was absolutely unconscionable. Shareholders should be screaming for management's heads on pikes. But it should have been SHAREHOLDERS. Not government. (Granted, those are pretty much the same people.)
9:07 No, Sen. McCain. It's not YOUR job as a politician to fix the problem. It's ours. Just get out of the way.
Added: McCain says "My friends." Everybody drink a shot!
9:07 McCain's rambled for too long before he got to his point...which was an a proposal for an artificial shoring up of home values. Obama was stronger and more coherent on the first question. Point: Obama.
9:10 Warren Buffett would be an EXCELLENT choice for Secretary of the Treasury. But fat chance he'll take it!
9:12 Another "what's in it for me" question.
9:14 McCain on Fannie and Freddie "There were some of us who stood up against us. There were others who took a hike." Too bad he didn't bother to follow through on that point. This is a town hall debate. Subtlety doesn't work here. Now Obama's going to be UNSUBTLE...and more effective. With his deregulation lie. Obama's lying his ass off (as usual). And Obama's being more effective. Point: McCain on substance, Obama in style.
9:19 The "How can we trust you when both parties got us into this mess?" No, Republicans didn't get us into this "crisis." To the extent any party is responsible, this is PURELY a Democrat mess. It is very clear that it was Republicans sounding alarm bells going back years. It was the DEMOCRATS in charge of Fannie and Freddie, and it was the DEMOCRATS who sold us out to ACORN. It was the DEMOCRATS who defended Frannie and Freddie and shielded them from regulators, and who demanded they overextend themselves into subprime and adjustable mortgages.
9:22 "Senator Obama has never taken on the leadership of his party on any issue." YES! Bring it! (He doesn't.)
9:26 Obama calls for an independence on foreign oil in 10 years. Except he opposes every reasonable alternative energy source. Will he be challenged?
9:27 Obama wants to go through every line of the federal budget. Is he calling for a line item veto? Talk about a radical expansion of the power of the President!
9:28 McCain calls for elimination of government programs. Good. Will Obama do the same?
9:30 McCain calls for a spending freeze. During an expected recession? Keynesian economics be DAMNED. (Well, maybe it SHOULD be damned. It's grossly inflationary. But let's be aware of what we're doing!
9:32 Obama is pro offshore drilling all of a sudden! And he's pro-coal! Who knew?
9:35 "The last president to raise taxes during tough economic times was Herbert Hoover!" Yeah, perhaps.
9:37 McCain starts throwing the goodies. Though I like the health savings voucher ideas, as well as the per child tax credit increase.
9:38 Tom Brokaw sprouts a pair, and quashes Obama, who wants to play fast and loose with time.
9:39 "The straight talk express lost a wheel." Good line. That stuff works in this format.
9:41: McCain hits the "taken on party leadership" point again. But McCain is wrong if he thinks that Social Security is easy to fix. It is NOT easy to fix. But I like the privatization idea more with the Dow at 9,500 than I did with the Dow at 12,000. Of course, it is precisely when the idea is BEST that it is most unpopular, and precisely when the idea is worst that it is most popular.
9:42 Wait a minute.... Obama says if you like your current plan, you can keep your current health insurance. But he also says he can cover everyone else's preexisting conditions under a federal plan, AND reduce premiums. Sorry, but their ain't no such thing as a free lunch. A federal system that offers guaranteed issue to self-selectors creates a HUGE adverse selection problem for the government.
10:00 I haven't heard a single Ayers reference yet. McCain's not mean enough.
10:00 "Called a Peacemaker but I never knew why. I never knew why. I didn't understand. Mama said a pistol is the Devil's Right Hand!"
10:02 God I hate that stupid 3rd grade reasoning on Iraq. "I don't understand how we invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9/11." No shit, sherlock. We didn't invade Iraq because it had something to do with 9/11. We invaded it because it was an obvious and motivated potential sponsor of future terrorist attacks. Obama doesn't understand that you can't secure America by looking in the rear view mirror.
Further, Obama says we should intervene in Darfur, where we have NO interest. But we shouldn't in Iraq, where we have crucial national interests at stake. I hate that half-wittery.
10:01. Obama said "my friend." (drink).
10:10 "Should we respect Pakistani sovereignty?" Why ask questions that cannot be truthfully answered?
10:20 MadTom writes in that Republicans bear the blame for Fannie and Freddie because Republicans were in the majority. Not really. Even strong majorities in a majority party need a few minority party individuals to go along. Republicans can go 70-30 in favor of any issue as a majority party...an overwhelming position...but they will not be able to overcome a fanatic voting bloc like the Democrats set up to defend Fannie and Freddie. (By the same token, the majority Dems in congress needed Republicans to pass the Voting Rights Act in 1964! Republicans voted in favor...Dems voted against. But the vote carried the day.
10:26 "Without preconditions." Bring it, Mac! Hammer that! Force the SOB to deny it, so we can rub his face in the video.
10:27 McCain says "my friends" again. (Drink.)
10:27 Obama says "we cannot allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon." But it doesn't mean anything. But Obama does categorically reject the authority of the UNSC to veto actions in our own interest.
Damn unilaterist.
10:30 Did Obama just confirm that his assessment is that Iran is using centrifuges specifically to develop nuclear weapons?
If so, then it is flatly impossible for the US to attack Iran "under false pretenses." Because the only real pretense is true!
10:36 McCain: "Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.
[pause]
Goodnight.
9:05 Obama mentions AIG's 400 thousand dollar junket. He's right...that was absolutely unconscionable. Shareholders should be screaming for management's heads on pikes. But it should have been SHAREHOLDERS. Not government. (Granted, those are pretty much the same people.)
9:07 No, Sen. McCain. It's not YOUR job as a politician to fix the problem. It's ours. Just get out of the way.
Added: McCain says "My friends." Everybody drink a shot!
9:07 McCain's rambled for too long before he got to his point...which was an a proposal for an artificial shoring up of home values. Obama was stronger and more coherent on the first question. Point: Obama.
9:10 Warren Buffett would be an EXCELLENT choice for Secretary of the Treasury. But fat chance he'll take it!
9:12 Another "what's in it for me" question.
9:14 McCain on Fannie and Freddie "There were some of us who stood up against us. There were others who took a hike." Too bad he didn't bother to follow through on that point. This is a town hall debate. Subtlety doesn't work here. Now Obama's going to be UNSUBTLE...and more effective. With his deregulation lie. Obama's lying his ass off (as usual). And Obama's being more effective. Point: McCain on substance, Obama in style.
9:19 The "How can we trust you when both parties got us into this mess?" No, Republicans didn't get us into this "crisis." To the extent any party is responsible, this is PURELY a Democrat mess. It is very clear that it was Republicans sounding alarm bells going back years. It was the DEMOCRATS in charge of Fannie and Freddie, and it was the DEMOCRATS who sold us out to ACORN. It was the DEMOCRATS who defended Frannie and Freddie and shielded them from regulators, and who demanded they overextend themselves into subprime and adjustable mortgages.
9:22 "Senator Obama has never taken on the leadership of his party on any issue." YES! Bring it! (He doesn't.)
9:26 Obama calls for an independence on foreign oil in 10 years. Except he opposes every reasonable alternative energy source. Will he be challenged?
9:27 Obama wants to go through every line of the federal budget. Is he calling for a line item veto? Talk about a radical expansion of the power of the President!
9:28 McCain calls for elimination of government programs. Good. Will Obama do the same?
9:30 McCain calls for a spending freeze. During an expected recession? Keynesian economics be DAMNED. (Well, maybe it SHOULD be damned. It's grossly inflationary. But let's be aware of what we're doing!
9:32 Obama is pro offshore drilling all of a sudden! And he's pro-coal! Who knew?
9:35 "The last president to raise taxes during tough economic times was Herbert Hoover!" Yeah, perhaps.
9:37 McCain starts throwing the goodies. Though I like the health savings voucher ideas, as well as the per child tax credit increase.
9:38 Tom Brokaw sprouts a pair, and quashes Obama, who wants to play fast and loose with time.
9:39 "The straight talk express lost a wheel." Good line. That stuff works in this format.
9:41: McCain hits the "taken on party leadership" point again. But McCain is wrong if he thinks that Social Security is easy to fix. It is NOT easy to fix. But I like the privatization idea more with the Dow at 9,500 than I did with the Dow at 12,000. Of course, it is precisely when the idea is BEST that it is most unpopular, and precisely when the idea is worst that it is most popular.
9:42 Wait a minute.... Obama says if you like your current plan, you can keep your current health insurance. But he also says he can cover everyone else's preexisting conditions under a federal plan, AND reduce premiums. Sorry, but their ain't no such thing as a free lunch. A federal system that offers guaranteed issue to self-selectors creates a HUGE adverse selection problem for the government.
10:00 I haven't heard a single Ayers reference yet. McCain's not mean enough.
10:00 "Called a Peacemaker but I never knew why. I never knew why. I didn't understand. Mama said a pistol is the Devil's Right Hand!"
10:02 God I hate that stupid 3rd grade reasoning on Iraq. "I don't understand how we invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9/11." No shit, sherlock. We didn't invade Iraq because it had something to do with 9/11. We invaded it because it was an obvious and motivated potential sponsor of future terrorist attacks. Obama doesn't understand that you can't secure America by looking in the rear view mirror.
Further, Obama says we should intervene in Darfur, where we have NO interest. But we shouldn't in Iraq, where we have crucial national interests at stake. I hate that half-wittery.
10:01. Obama said "my friend." (drink).
10:10 "Should we respect Pakistani sovereignty?" Why ask questions that cannot be truthfully answered?
10:20 MadTom writes in that Republicans bear the blame for Fannie and Freddie because Republicans were in the majority. Not really. Even strong majorities in a majority party need a few minority party individuals to go along. Republicans can go 70-30 in favor of any issue as a majority party...an overwhelming position...but they will not be able to overcome a fanatic voting bloc like the Democrats set up to defend Fannie and Freddie. (By the same token, the majority Dems in congress needed Republicans to pass the Voting Rights Act in 1964! Republicans voted in favor...Dems voted against. But the vote carried the day.
10:26 "Without preconditions." Bring it, Mac! Hammer that! Force the SOB to deny it, so we can rub his face in the video.
10:27 McCain says "my friends" again. (Drink.)
10:27 Obama says "we cannot allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon." But it doesn't mean anything. But Obama does categorically reject the authority of the UNSC to veto actions in our own interest.
Damn unilaterist.
10:30 Did Obama just confirm that his assessment is that Iran is using centrifuges specifically to develop nuclear weapons?
If so, then it is flatly impossible for the US to attack Iran "under false pretenses." Because the only real pretense is true!
10:36 McCain: "Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days.
[pause]
Goodnight.
Labels: McCain, Obama, Politics
Comments:
9:14 Asked how the "bailout" was going to help people, McCain goes on a rambling dissertation that doesn't even come close to answering the guy's question. McCain can't win if he's going to use traditional political rhetoric to answer questions.
I can't watch this anymore.
I can't watch this anymore.
9:50 McCain is wandering around (aimlessly?) while Obama is answering a question. John...sit down and look dignified, for crying out loud.
Okay, I promise not to watch anymore.
Okay, I promise not to watch anymore.
A heads up:
It's amazing how easy Republican can be defeated even when they are in the majority. I will grant you all that the Fannie and Freddie were Democrat gorillas, but where were the Republican when you needed them?
What good are they if they can lead even from the majority.
It's amazing how easy Republican can be defeated even when they are in the majority. I will grant you all that the Fannie and Freddie were Democrat gorillas, but where were the Republican when you needed them?
What good are they if they can lead even from the majority.
10:10 "Should we respect Pakistani sovereignty?" Why ask questions that cannot be truthfully answered?
I think the current strategy of covert operations and air strikes is going to work.
I think NObama's idea of announcing open war with Pakistan is lunacy. No sure why McCain didn't hit him hard on that one.
I think the current strategy of covert operations and air strikes is going to work.
I think NObama's idea of announcing open war with Pakistan is lunacy. No sure why McCain didn't hit him hard on that one.
"Should we respect Pakistani sovereignty?"
Of course...(wink, wink...nudge, nudge...say no more).
BTW....bin Ladin is dead. Someone please notify Washington.
Of course...(wink, wink...nudge, nudge...say no more).
BTW....bin Ladin is dead. Someone please notify Washington.
Holy crap! I still have READERS? I figured I lost almost everyone when I took five weeks off this summer!
Jason, some times I agree with you, some times I don't. What I can count on from you is a reasoned opinion that is not spin. To much out there is just plain spin. I tire of it.
# posted by 
: 11:52 PM
: 11:52 PM
Jason, have you noticed when Barack Hussein speaks of America as the greatest nation on earth it is always with a caveat, such as "America is the greatest nation on Earth, but..." or "We have the best military on earth, but..." It's really sad that he has made it this far never truly believing in our great nation!
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# posted by : 10:25 AM
: 10:25 AM
