**NOTE: Hit refresh on your browser for the latest thoughts, comments and questions.
The second debate between presidential candidates Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama is happening now at Belmont University in Nashville. Both campaigns are on the offensive, and the town-hall style debate will allow crowd members, not moderators, to pose questions to the two men – one of which will be elected President in less than a month.
Watchword readers, we’d love for you to join Missourian Public Life reporters Mélissa Bounoua, Mary Elise DeCoursey, Jennifer Herseim, Holly Jackson, Liz Lucas, and Joel Walsh in the comments section below as we fact check and make commentary on the questions and answers from the candidates.
Also see the Watchwords’s Twitter to follow the debate.
For more information on the candidates and the issues see: Obama’s campaign site and McCain’s Web site. Factcheck.org, PolitiFact.com, and RealClearPolitics.com are good non-partisan resources concerning the election.
Also, as you follow the debate on your TV, let us know who you think is winning:
Filed under: Elections, National Politics, Politics | Tagged: 2008 presidential debate, 2008 presidential race, Barack Obama, Elizabeth Lucas, Holly Jackson, Jennifer Herseim, Joel Walsh, John McCain, Mary Elise DeCoursey, Mélissa Bounoua
Wow, this set-up is way less formal. I like it. Time for citizens to ask the questions they want answered.
It’s interesting that Obama repeatedly referred to a “rescue package” after being asked about a “bailout.”
An interesting note about the town hall debate style: the two MU professors of communication I talked to a couple weeks ago, Profs Benoit and McKinney, indicated that voters respond to body language and personality in this type of debate over other types.
Who would you appoint secretary is a tough question. I’ve often wondered whom each man would pick for their cabinet myself.
Meg Whitman, according to the LA Times (http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/25/local/me-whitman25)
is ebay’s retired chief executive, possibly thinking about running for Governor of California in the next election.
It’s mostly true that Obama was #2 on the list of most donated by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac employees. But it doesn’t make a dent in his top 20 companies that have donated to his campaign.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/727/
Both candidates are talking in really big terms. Has anyone yet heard specific plans for attacking the economic crisis?
The New York Times confirms that McCain’s campaign manager, Rick Davis, was paid $15,000 per month by Freddie Mac from late 2005 until last month, following the federal government’s takeover of the mortgage giant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/us/politics/w24davis.html?pagewanted=print
I’d like to hear a little more than what we heard in the first debate. I heard about earmarks and reaching across the aisle before, I hope they give us something new.
McCain’s remark about being against earmarked projects brings to mind his running mate’s “road to nowhere” project.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/22/cnn-exposes-palins-road-t_n_128462.html
John McCain’s charge that Barack Obama pushed $3 billion in federal earmarks for a planetarium in Chicago is true.
The economy is clearly on everyone’s mind. The candidates have spent 30 minutes in an hour and a half debate discussing it…
McCain referenced his bipartisan effort, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, that he spearheaded along with Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis. The act sought to eliminate the donation of soft money in campaign financing and put an end to negative television advertisements paid for by corporations that run within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election. The bill passed in the Senate 60-40.
http://www.fec.gov/pages/bcra/bcra_update.shtml
Bush didn’t say “Go Shop”
President Bush DID tell people to go out and shop after 9/11. Not for retail therapy, but to keep the economy afloat. What effect would that have now?
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2008/10/07/should-bush-tell-america-to-go-shopping-again/
Sorry, yes he did. December 2006
“And I encourage you all to go shopping more”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/12/20061220-1.html
The current national debt is $10,191,378,873,350.90
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
The general feeling in the room I’m in is that we’re sick of hearing the same metaphors. Axe vs. Scalpel, for example
In 2001 he told us to be consumers and fly places and enjoy life with our families.
Nobody raised taxes in bad times since Hoover?
This disability Issue is the big one that concerns me as a disabled citizen.
Obama will only raise taxes on high income small business, the ones that make over $250,000. He is rearing to set the facst straight, and ignores the e-mail question. It was a good try at moderation, Tom Brokaw.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/616/
McCain continues to make an issue out of earmarks, which are only a small part of the overall federal budget.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/10/second_presidential_debate_nas.html
Barack Obama’s tax cut would affect 95% of “working families,” not everyone.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/750/
I like how Obama is concentrating on the middle class and it’s needs.
McCain seems to be skirting around the word “Maverick” but mentioned at least twice that Obama has not fought his party on any major issues.
I like how Obama talks about investing in things that is good IMHO. Good and proper word to use.
On CNN’s uncommitted voter gauge, Ohio women responded more positively to environmental issues than men. Are women more favorable to renewable energy?
Barack Obama does support looking into nuclear power, according to his campaign platform:
http://www.barackobama.com/page/content/newenergy
Women are more favorable toward optimism, men toward do-it-yourself. I had to switch away from that ticker though
CNN’s Uncommitted Ohio Voters poll seemed displeased by McCain’s answer about energy – the on-screen ratings for men went way down for that stretch.
McCain wants to Privatize Health Care by his policy he has published on his site.
Obama’s health care proposal would require employers to either provide health care to their employees or “pay the government a set proportion of their payroll to provide it,” the New York Times reported. According to the Times, the cost of the plan to the federal government would $50 billion to $60 billion a year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/29/us/politics/29CND-OBAMA.html
The story about the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s lukewarm reception to McCain’s health care plan is brand new news and was reported in the NYtimes today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/us/politics/07health.html?em
“To some in the business community, this is very discomforting,” said R. Bruce Josten, executive vice president for government affairs at the Chamber of Commerce. “The private marketplace, in my opinion, is ill prepared today with an infrastructure for an individual-based health insurance system.”
The only thing with Privatization is there is no security fall back if the private industry fails.
MSNBC reports that McCain’s health care plan would,
allow nationwide rather than in-state purchase of health care, provide $2,500 tax credits to individuals and $5,000 for families and allow citizens to buy insurance from whomever they choose — through employers or from insurance companies directly.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21243223/
By the way, the CNN poll recently had Obama with an 8 percent lead. Keep an eye out for how the polls will change in the next couple days.
It should be noted that McCain also plans to tax employer-provided health benefits, which will wipe out most of extra income from the tax credit.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/
A lot is being thrown around about John McCain’s health care plan. Here’s a good explainer from our friends at Politifact:
“At times, the McCain campaign has touted the credit without mentioning the proposed repeal of the tax exemption on employer-provided insurance. (For an example, see the exchange on health care insurance between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden during the vice presidential debate on Oct. 3, 2008.)…’McCain’s own Web site said it goes straight to the insurance companies, not to you, leaving you on your own to pay McCain’s health insurance tax.’
McCain’s Web site does say that, but there’s an excellent reason that the credit goes to the insurance companies. It’s so people don’t blow the tax credit on cigarettes and beer (or whatever else they’d like) instead of health insurance.”
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/774/
Time reports: “The average cost per family for health insurance is $12,000.”
http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/09/mccains_health_care_tax_increa.html
Obama needs to stop skirting around the energy issue. Both are avoiding saying we simply need to drive less. The problem is just not on the production end. Fact of the matter is that we Americans drive too much. I am disappointed that, in response to the question on what sacrifices Americans need to make, Obama simply said, “Uh, Americans need to think about their, uh, energy usage.”
Also, I would like to know what is wrong with Venezuela and Russia benefiting from us buying oil from them. Oh man, I sure do hate it when I buy from Mcdonalds and they, oh my god, benefit from it! That’s not fair! Those countries need to stop forcing us to buy so much oil from them. Our over-consumption is their fault, not ours!
According to Huffington Post, a liberal blog, that $12,000 figure was for a family of four’s health care premiums in 2007.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-bergthold/time-to-pay-attention-mcc_b_126836.html
Obama wining this debate at this time IMHO.
Left-leaning group Moveon.org said McCain had the lowest rating on children’s issue bills. But politifact.org said it was because he missed 8 of the 10 key bill votes and Obama missed 4 out of 10.
Although it is true that McCain did not support the children’s health bill that Obama stated in the debate. But McCain said it did not have adequate provisions.
Does anyone know where to find Tom Brokaw’s post-debate analysis from 2004? Random questions, but I distinctly remember him re-stating Bush’s platform word for word as “the right thing to do.” I’d love to check that out
McCain voted against the Community Choice Act where Obama helped to get it passed:
http://www.adapt.org/casaintr.htm
Obama keeps saying that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus. At one time it was projected to be that high, but is actually now estimated to be less than $60 billion.
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/factchecking_debate_no_1.html
My opinion is that Tom Brokaw is doing a great job. His role has been significant even in the town-hall debate format. The NBC anchor has his facts and figures down; he has not minced his words; and he is trying to keep the candidates on track, allowing a discussion of a wide range of issues.
I love how all the promises were that they would elevate the discourse. This was supposed to be the end of easy politics, of constantly avoiding answering questions and talking around issues instead of directly addressing them.
Unfortunately this has not been the case.
I’m still going to vote (my absentee ballot is filled out and awaits a notary), but with all this promise of change, it would have been nice to see a change in the fundamental treatment of the American people, by either and preferably by both candidates, as thinking individuals rather than a demographic to be pandered to.
Maybe here, Greg? I haven’t had time to comb through it yet. But Brokaw was one of their panelists.
http://www.c-span.org/2004vote/debates.asp?Cat=Current_Event&Code=PresVP_04&Rot_Cat_CD=PresVP_04
I agree. He is holding down the time limits and asking unscripted questions. The last one caught Obama off-balance big time.
Obama is 100% on with the Bin Ladden issue.
Also, I am loooving these little tessellated squares next to us.
McCain explained that Obama would Increasing taxes on 50 percent of small business revenue. This may be true for revenue as a whole but it doesn’t mean that 50 percent of small business owners would pay more. The Small Business Administration defines a small business as a company with fewer than 500 employees McCain may not get his figures.
A good point on Taxing small businesses on NPR politics:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/politics/2008/10/taxing_small_biz.html
I was still relatively undecided prior to this debate. I now believe I will vote for Obama. McCain does continue to impress me on logistical issues like Medicare and the general state of American foreign policy. If it was up to me, it’d be too social liberals differing on foreign policy, national security and fiscal responsibility running against each other: Rudy Giuliani and Barack Obama.
That is not the case however. And Barack has held his own tonight. He has spoken in a way which makes me believe for the first time that if nothing else, he believes what he says. I simply don’t feel the same way about McCain.
If Obama got off his politically correct horse and said something to the effect of, “Where are all the moderate Muslims speaking out against radical Islam?,” I guarantee you his uncommitted male Ohio voters would max out the + barrier.
McCain pretends he’s un-PC and it wins him points. Barack doesn’t need to pretend; he just needs to say what he means and what he feels. Stop talking about “coddling dictators” and address the root issue of fundamentalist militancy. Talk about Christian militancy if he must as well, but focus on the Islamic issue.
“If we’re gonna have follow-ups, I want one!”
-John McCain
I really like what I’m hearing about Pakistan, and I’m not even an interventionist.
Nice rebuttal by Obama at his insistence to Brokaw he be allowed the rebuttal to McCain’s allegations.
John McCain’s “Bomb Iran” moment has come up a lot throughout the campaign:
http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/04/mccain-sings-bomb-bomb-iran.html
Stop bringing up “Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran.” If Obama can bring that up as though it means anything, McCain should be able to address Michelle’s admonishment that she is finally “proud of her country” or Obama’s Hollywood far-left 9-11 conspiracy nuthead connections.
McCain splitting hairs on Obama’s comment of Pakistan….it going to cost him big time.
McCain is distorting Obama’s words when he accused him of suggesting that we bomb Pakistan. Obama was talking about targeting terrorists in the country regardless of whether he has permission from the Pakistani government.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/367/
Yeah that’s a waste of their time and ours. You need rebuttals if you’re going to pounce on every word they say. It’s one good aspect of a rabid media full of correspondents and pundits hanging on every word.
Luckily, I have not.
I think it would be a better “drinking game” or a listen-button exercise to listen closely and react when they don’t answer the question.
“With honor and victory” and “not in defeat”
Was that the case when you left Vietnam Senator McCain?
McCain keeps distorting word he going to get ganked in the polls and by the media at large. They will chew him up for doing it repeatedly.
As the candidates talk about foreign policy, I wonder what effects Obama’s pledge — an idea he’s put forward before — to double involvement in the Peace Corps would have.
Since being established by executive order in 1961, the Peace Corps have trained 190,000 Americans in the foreign service. There are 8,079 currently.
The Peace Corps mission is threefold:
“1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.”
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.whatispc.mission
No mention of “maverick,” from McCain, no message of “hope or change” from Obama?
I listen to McCain and I hear the s.o.s. that is going on now. I try very hard to listen open-mindedly because I know many people support him. I just don’t hear it, I just don’t get it. Our country, economy, morale are a disaster. Do you people on this blog who support him truly believe McCain will make changes, fix the messes, and offer something new and different to our country?????
I still think Obama is wining this debate. How about you guys and gals?
Perhaps they feel the words were overused in the vice-presidential debate.
Why is there so much foreign policy in this debate? I thought it was economics focus.
It’s interesting to note that there is really no comparison between this debate’s and the first debates candor. While the men seemed awkward and slightly angry during the first debate, now they seem more relaxed. I expected that they would trade angry barbs, but even when they do, neither seemed shaken. Because they can walk around, they don’t need to make much eye contact.
What do you think about their interactions?
Most in the media will chew McCain up regardless…
A very good point about the Peace Corps Mr. Walsh. Have you ever seen the somewhat woeful film Lions for Lambs? In it, two fictional students advocate the idea that the junior year of high school in America be devoted to:
1) a year in the peace corps
2) a year in the Army
3) a year of service in a disenfranchised (poor) American area
Thoughts?
I don’t support McCain and I think he would make changes. I don’t think they’re the right changes, or that he will do a particularly good job, but it wouldn’t really be “four years of the same” that a lot of left-wing political figures say it would be.
McCain 2000 would have been great. Shame he’s old and out-maverick’d now.
Elaine I only see another 4 years of failed Bush policy coming our way if McCain gets elected.
Ha called it.
Greg – there was no focus as far as I can tell, just town hall questions. I believe the next debate will be domestic policy.
I agree with Andy. Similarly, I don’t see that much of a difference in Obama. I view the Presidency, on some level, as largely a PR move. In that sense, perhaps, given the rest of the world’s feelings toward Senator Obama, electing Obama would be best.
McCain has the military experience and Obama has the experience service the disenfranchised.
ericmleventhal yes the media zerg and the Obama zerg are even winning hard core Repubs over to their side.People are fed up with 8 years of failed policies. They want better and are willing to trey for that better.
… “serving” the disenfranchised
So when are the gloves coming off I want to see that T.K.O.
Both candidates seem to be side-stepping the idea of actually going to war with Iran.
It’s more natural. I like the audience being visible and the candidates being responsible to speaking “with” them, not just with the moderator.
No zerg 20 mins. But yeah, it matters to acknowledge that Obama has the high ground, and it really appears that he is defending himself well. It is a benefit to only have had less than a decade of decisions to bite you in the arse, whereas McCain’s 3 some-odd decades are full of skeletons. His status as a Maverick salves that a bit, but tactically Obama has always had the advantage. It’s fun to see this play out, mostly because I’m a big Obama fan.
-McCain criticized Obama for wanting to set a date for withdrawal from Iraq, but that is what the Iraqi government and the Bush administration are basically discussing right now.
From NPR politics: http://www.npr.org/blogs/politics/2008/10/iraq_withdrawal_and_darfur.html
I agree with Mary Elise DeCoursey on her comment.
McCain needed to hit it out of the park tonight. It didn’t happen. Looks like the Republicans will have the benefit of the next four years to reorganize.
Good question from Peggy. What is Tom Brokaw smoking?
Obama has said on many occasions he will sit down with hostile, foreign leaders without preconditions.
Was that Claire McCaskill next to Michelle Obama?
Obviously Obama answers that question generally. I have a feeling McCain will discuss terror… Anyone care to wager?
jennherseim I find nothing wrong with Obama wanting to sit down with them and talking. Something has to work because the last 8 years truly did not.
It’s one thing to talk to Pakistan or Saudi Arabia or Syria…but it’s quite another to talk with Iran or North Korea. Agreed?
Seems the candidates are trying to crowd out Tom!
Obama said, “We’re spending $10 billion dollars a month in Iraq, at a time when the Iraqis have a $79 billion dollar surplus — $79 billion dollars.”
Factcheck.org says it isn’t so:
Biden said that Iraq had an “$80 billion surplus.” The country was once projected to have as much as a $79 billion surplus, but no more. The Iraqis have $29 billion in the bank, and could have $47 billion to $59 billion by the end of the year, as we noted when Obama used the incorrect figure. A $21 billion supplemental spending bill, passed by the Iraqi legislature in August, knocked down the old projection.
Solid debate, I think Obama had a slight edge at the end. None of the McCain/Palin sides of the debates did as poorly as most would expect.
Another 90 minutes flies by – any readers want to declare a winner? Our Watchword Poll currently says Obama won with 84 percent of the vote.
I was pointing out that what McCain said is correct. I’ll leave that question of whether or not this is a good or poor policy up for debate.
Obama won. No question. This is coming from a staunch moderate who thought Palin won her debate.
Obama won it IMHO and I think that is how the media zerg will see it as well.
Oh heavens let’s see what Bill Crystal says!
Obama says his mother was on food stamps. After a quick search, I found several conservative bloggers who refute this fact, but Time Magazine confirms that when Barack was two years old, his mother, S. Ann Dunham Soetoro, collected food stamps while working toward her bachelor’s degree at the University of Hawaii.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524-4,00.html
I posted this on the VP live blog, but I got an interesting analysis from Cooper Drury, an assistant professor of political science here at MU:
“I don’t know if (Obama’s plan is) wise, to be honest. It certainly sounds nice that we’re going to unconditionally sit down and talk with these people… And, the one thing that is very important to realize, by going and talking to these foreign leaders, you give them legitimacy… North Korea is a country that I don’t think there’s any value in engaging, because until there’s a leadership change, Kim Jong Il is never going to tell the truth or honor his commitments…Their two policies (on Iran) look pretty similar, and really pretty non-controversial because the Europeans are talking about more sanctions… I don’t know whether (what’s true of North Korea is) true of Iran, and so, therefore, I think maybe the one difference that could come out…(is) Obama, while he’ll put pressure on them, he may be more willing to try and engage them, as well. I think there may be a value in that.”
The people I am watching with are saying that the debate format was more in favor of McCain, but they feel like both candidates lost something from this debate. That might be an effect of the debate style and being constantly challenged by Tom about time limits. They said it always looks bad on the candidate when the mediator scolds them for going over time limits.
Here’s the transcript of the debate:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/07/presidential.debate.transcript/
Readers, thanks for getting in the action. You all contributed great facts and opinions. Join us next week for the last debate and an exciting discussion!
Thank you for the enjoyment of being here.
It’s not “walk” softly or “talk” softly, like McCain said, but “Speak softly and carry a big stick”, quoted by Theodore Roosevelt in a speech, April 2, 1903, Chicago. From the Columbia World of Quotations, via Bartleby.com
Facts checking for the second presidential debate at: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/check-point-the-second-presidential-debate/
Obama clearly was ready for that debate last night but… i think that Mccain had his times also
Mccain won the last one tho!!!!
Obama:1
Mccain:1