Comments on: Obama-McCain Debate: High Stakes

By: Andrea Jones

Andrea Jones — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:40:22 +0000

The debate is nearly over and I have to say --I think that Barack Obama will be the finest president the U.S. has ever had! He has every quality we could ask for. Very impressive on foreign policy.

McCain was constantly trumpeting himself as the "experienced" candidate, but Obama points out McCain's serious errors of judgement and we can't help seeing his rashness and dishonesty.
Posted by: Andrea Jones | September 26, 2008 10:33 PM

By: charles austin

charles austin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:25:06 +0000

James, the last thing most fighters want to do is have the result come down to the scorecards, since almost anything can happen, and the better fighter does not always win the decision.

I'm reminded most of the way Roy Jones got jobbed in the Seoul Olympics.

By: Floyd

Floyd — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:05:58 +0000

If those were conventions[NOT!!]then I guess you could call the coming fiascoes.... debates??[lol]
No matter, all decisions have been made, it now only comes down to who turns out to vote and who controls the count.

By: G.A.Phillips

G.A.Phillips — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:56:59 +0000

Hmm, where have I noticed that effect before? Nationally? Could it be, uh, Kennedy-Nixon debates? I seem to recall R. Millie N. was said to have won on points but J. Fitz K. scored [as a] knockout.

Ya but they were both losers so whats the point?

By: teqjack

teqjack — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:27:37 +0000

most people judge candidates on personality rather than substance. Elites, by contrast, score based on wonkish command of details and crispness of delivery.

Hmm, where have I noticed that effect before? Nationally? Could it be, uh, Kennedy-Nixon debates? I seem to recall R. Millie N. was said to have won on points but J. Fitz K. scored [as a] knockout.

By: capital L

capital L — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:14:56 +0000

IIRC, one of the candidates has been quite vocal about violating Pakistan's territorial integrity.

Well everybody knows he's just a warmongerering Bush clone and--oh it's Obama? Um, Iraq... distraction from Afghanistan... the real war... (are they gone yet?)

By: RW Rogers

RW Rogers — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:44:57 +0000

I was already looking forward to hearing the candidates explain their positions WRT Pakistan, but the massive bomb explosion at the Marriott in Islamabad today makes me even more interested. IIRC, one of the candidates has been quite vocal about violating Pakistan's territorial integrity.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:22:26 +0000

More telling in my opinion will be the viewership. There's a conundrum involved. If the viewership is high, while I think it's good for the political system overall, does it benefit Obama or McCain? Both Sens. Obama and McCain got record-breaking numbers of viewers for their speeches at their respective conventions. Does this indicate support, people looking for confirmation of their existing biases, or people trying to make a decision?

If the viewership is low, the result will inevitably be more mediated by the talking heads, whom most people think have a bias towards Obama. Does that mean their opinion will have more or less weight?

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:10:49 +0000

Don't you actually have to win something first to be called the champ?

Obama is leading in the polls both nationally and in the state-by-states. And the strong national sentiment for "change" and advantage for Democrats is much stronger than his own lead over McCain. The recent economic news, fairly or not, has also seriously hurt McCain. So McCain is going to have to win big to put himself back out front.

By: charles austin

charles austin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:08:01 +0000

That was more of an undercard fight. And his victory against a tomato can to get into the Senate doesn't really count for much either.

By: RW Rogers

RW Rogers — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:57:59 +0000

Don't you actually have to win something first to be called the champ?

Not always. Anyway, he won the Democratic Party nomination didn't he?

By: charles austin

charles austin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 12:51:28 +0000

McCain is the underdog here and, as the old boxing adage goes, he’s going to need a knockout to win; a tie goes to the champ.

Don't you actually have to win something first to be called the champ?