Sunday, October 05, 2008

Late and short

I finally sat down and watched the first presidential debate between Obama and McCain and here are my thoughts:

They're both pretty stiff to start off with. Obama can't count and McCain is wooden.

Do we need to know how we got into this mess? Is this an attempt to fix blame or is it a constructive attempt to go forward?

The Eisenhower anecdote doesn't make sense. He's not being coherent.

Oh, what's this? Smiles? Maybe they'll loosen up now. (and talk to each other.)

John just wants to talk about earmarks. As Obama says, earmarks alone are not going to fix this mess.

The 35% business tax is so misleading. Because of deductions, few, if any, businesses pay that rate.

But, John doesn't want to talk about taxes, he wants to talk about earmarks.

Definition of rich? What is that?

95% get a tax cut and those making less than $250,000 won't pay any more.

That health credit is a crock. Employers who have to pay taxes on healthcare will cease to offer healthcare and you'll be paying more than your $5000 tax credit.

Obama wants to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Health care. Education. Affordable college.

How the heck can you say what you're going to give up when you don't have the specifics of what the bailout will be and will cost?

Opposing Bush's wrong-headed policies = wildly liberal.

Spending freeze on everything except defense? Defense is our largest expenditure, isn't it?

Scalpel not hatchet!

Iraq has a surplus but we're spending how much there?

We have to make sure that we identify our priorities before we start cutting.

Not just spending is out of control but spending on the wrong things. Republican president presided over orgy of spending and McCain went along.

McCain trots out the lame congeniality thing again. Maverick? Yuck!

You can't have a failed strategy that will then cause you to lose a conflict? What?

We hadn't finished the job in Afghanistan! Amen.

McCain says we can't review the decision to go into Iraq but then wants to revisit the decision to engage in the surge.

"You like to pretend that the war started in 2007."

"I'm afraid that Senator Obama doesn't understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy?"

John, you fundamentally don't understand the forces at work on the ground in Iraq.

Point Obama on the precipitous withdrawal.

I still don't see how the surge "succeeded" since it is still in process. If it had succeeded, wouldn't we be done there?

You don't launch military strikes into Pakistan? Isn't that what we're already doing?

Oh, I get it. It's ok to do it, you just don't announce it out loud. Thanks for clarifying, John.

Nice dig, Barack: "sung songs about bombing Iran."

Just because there was a failed state when Musharaf came to power doesn't justify helping him stay in power against the will of the Pakistani people.

"No US soldier ever dies in vain." Wow. That's fabulous.

Now we've got dueling grieving mothers. Oy.

"You don't muddle through the war on terror."

Cheap shot John. That's my new nickname for you.

I've traveled to Afghanistan so I understand what it needs?

"The Iranians have a lousy government so therefore their economy is lousy." Sounds like another country we're all familiar with.

So everytime you talk to someone with whom you disagree, you legitimize his/her opinions? How do you ever talk to Democrats then, John?

Who's parsing? John, John, John . . .

John, it sounds like you don't understand the complicated situation in South Ossetia. Harkening to the banner in South Ossetia touting Putin would be like blaming Mexico for a Mexican American in Texas wanting Texas to go back to being part of Mexico.

"We can't simply drill our way out of the problem." Amen. We consume 25%, we have 3%. Do the math!

"Restore America's standing in the world. We are less respected."

John, you just don't understand! We want out of Iraq!

John, where was your judgment when it came to the Iraq war? And Barack was not wrong when he said that both sides in Georgia needed to calm down.

John, you're not admitting that you were wrong about going to war with Iraq!

I trust Obama more to make the US look good than I do McCain.

Very classy move, Barack. Nice way to focus the attention on McCain's rudeness in interrupting.

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