Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Cool jazzman vs. hot-headed toddler

Let's take a look at the body language of last night's debate. According to Robin Abcarian of the LA Times : "Obama sat like a jazz musician on his chair, one heel hooked at an angle, while McCain sat as if he might leap up at any moment, or stood impatiently waiting for his turn to speak." Obama wore a cool arctic blue tie. McCain wore a blazing striped red tie. McCain appeared to toddle and wander around on the stage. He kept interrupting and even mocked moderator Tom Brokaw by responding to Brokaw's question "who would you select as secretary of the treasury" with a condescending "not you, Tom." It was as if he was saying, just sit down and shut up, you are just the moderator. I thought Brokaw asked some tough questions.

McCain seemed to ramble well beyond the allotted time limit, and I thought that when he started to turn his answer into a stump speech, the moderator should have jumped in. I think the most memorable moment was when McCain mockingly referred to Obama as "that one." But the best moment for Obama was when he countered McCain's "he doesn't speak softly and carry a big stick" with "bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran." McCain started with energy, but ran out of gas at the end. Obama ended on a high note. Obama mentioned the middle class six times, McCain mentioned "middle income" 3 times. I'm glad Obama called out McCain for voting against SCHIP healthcare for kids. I wish they would have talked more about education. Obama did bring up the subject, McCain never did. And Obama believes that healthcare is a right, McCain sees it as a responsibility.

Well, my friends, I think "that one" clearly won this one.

19 comments:

Bill Villa said...

Barack Obama is brainy substance and cool style personified and this presidential "race" is finally starting to look (to everyone) like the blow-out it has always been.

My friends, John McCain is a pathetic candidate and if you really wanna build up a good head of steam of intense dislike for the Napoleon-complex little guy, read "Make-Believe Maverick" at www.rollingstone.com ...

Sarina said...

Bill,

Nice use of "my friends." McCain's use of that phrase is really wearing on me!

Bill Villa said...

Thanks, and "my friends" is just another lie because McCain doesn't really have any friends except for Gary Hart ...

Katie Bee said...

The chair looked a little tall for McCain to actually sit comfortably in it, maybe it put him on edge for the rest of the debate? I don't like McCain but that would certainly put me on edge. But, I guess that that'd be something I learn to deal with if I were running for president.

Mrs. Dottie said...

For that wonderfully slanted and rabid liberal media bias you just won't find at any other local blog, my friends, LV Somebody is your Straight Talk eXpress ;D

Itz Me Dave said...

I wish I had been able to see both the VP debate and last nights as well. I do not follow much politically but I am very interested in this election. Thanks for this perspective, I am planning to vote this year. The last time I voted it was for Perot!

Bill Villa said...

"my friends." McCain's use of that phrase is really wearing on me! -Sarina

McCain said "my friends" twenty-two (22) times during his 2nd humiliating debate loss on Tuesday night. Nervous? Wishful thinking? Short-term memory loss?

Itz Me Dave said...

I heard from a co-worker that McCain addressed the fine folks of the Lehigh Valley yesterday saying...

"My fellow prisoners..."

Can we get confirmation on that? Was anyone there to hear it?

I respect the man for what he went through as a POW. But the more I see and hear of him I grow more fearful of the possibility of him leading this country.

I have been and still am on the fence to a point but am teetering just a bit.

Mrs. Dottie said...

Dave,

Read the Rolling Stone article before you vote. It's fascinating.
I have given specifics on some of Obama's plans and accomplishments if you scroll down at this blog. McCain will be the same as Bush.
Now the McCain camp is saying Obama is connected to terrorists. And Cindy McCain is even on the attack.It's pathetic. All lies and smears. McCain is a fraud. He voted against veteran's benefits, against raising minimum wage, against SCHIP, against Head Start, and with Bush over 90% of the time.
Obama's tax plan would give far bigger tax breaks to working families, while McCain's plan favors the rich. He wants to apply the same deregulation policy that caused this current financial crisis, to healthcare. That would be a disaster.

I wonder if Obama is going to bring up the Keating Five scandal?

Bill Villa said...

"McCain will be the same as Bush." -Mrs. D

With all due respect & love & devotion, honeykins, John McCain would be much, much worse than Geo W Bush and I'm estimating three (3) times worse, based on how many more aircraft John McCain crashed as a fighter pilot compared to W: 3 (McCain) to 0 (Bush). John McCain has been an underachieving F-Up his entire life and he's not gonna change over the next 27 days. I encourage everyone to vote for "that one" (i.e., the qualified one) Barack Obama.

Anonymous said...

"My fellow prisoners..." Can we get confirmation on that? Was anyone there to hear it?


I saw/heard it repeated numerous times on the various news shows last night. McCain said, "my fellow prisoners" (but don't forget, he was speaking at Stabler Arena in Lehigh Valley PA :)

Anonymous said...

is it just me or does John McCain look like "the little Tramp," CHARLIE CHAPLIN

Anonymous said...

I can't wait for the election. I think it's finally going to happen. The stories about some Red states now edging toward Obama gives me hope. It's sad that this country had to reach this point before the 51 percent who elected Bush last time realized they had been scammed.

Zfollweiler said...

Although Obama is ahead polls, my optimism is guarded. I am concerned about a Bradley effect. It's scary when you see footage of McCain-Palin rallies that they foster a lynch mob mentality. However, I am encouraged Obama is ahead by a significant margin. It's been a LONG 8 years!

Bill Villa said...

(Hi Zehra), thankfully, in Obama's previous victorious elections, no Tom Bradley effect is discernible. Also, there could be a "reverse Bradley effect" in play here too, with some confederate flag toothless pick-up truck types telling their pals (and pollsters) they're voting for the white guy but who will, in the end, be more concerned about their money issues than their racism and once in the voting booth and pull the lever for "that one," i.e., the half white guy.

On a related subject, I've heard Obama himself say that some black people will probably vote for him simply because he is black, which will help to offset the "Country First" proponents who aren't voting for him only because he's black.

Bottom Line: Barack Obama's gonna win so he might as well give John McNasty a nice bloody nose at their final debate on Wednesday night and send these Republicans off into the sunset for the next 16 years minimum crying their eyes out, without raising his mellifluous voice, of course ;)

Chris Casey said...

Just thought I'd pop my head in the door...
The question now is, does Barack Obama give Congressional Candidate Sam Bennett any momentum to ride the tide in with him?
I find it interesting that the same Republicans who scream Sam Bennett is not qualified use a different set of parameters to say that Sarah Palin. It is an interesting thing to watch.

I have to say I am saddened to see hate/speech racism so alive and well in the Lehigh Valley. Way to go, Bill Platt.

Bill Villa said...

"Bill Platt"

This exposes a fundamental difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans will do anything to get elected and stay in power. Anything. Including race-baiting (McCain), Swift-boating (Bush II), and burglary (Nixon/Watergate).

I prefer the old school brand of ruthless Democrat politics better, like how the mafia delivered Chicago (and the Presidency) for John F. Kennedy who then returned the favor by having his Attorney General brother Bobby head-butt Teamster mafia boss Jimmy Hoffa. Ah yes, those were the days.

Mrs. Dottie said...

I don't think the hate rallies are going to work. I believe Obama is up 52-40 right now. And McCain looks like a coward because he is hiding behind the skirts of his wife and Palin.

Chris,

I think since Palin was actually elected mayor and then governor you can't really compare her to Bennett, who was never elected to an office. But I do think Palin is highly unqualified for such a high office, even though she would have lots of handlers telling her what to do, plus her views are way too radical. Biden is much more real "folksy" and highly qualified.

Let's hope we have a reverse Bradley effect! But I do believe that racism is alive and well.

Bill Villa said...

Let's just hope the voting booth machines (most of which were manufactured by George W. Bush cronies) haven't already pre-tabulated a McCain victory.