Debates of all ilk

[innerSpaceman]

Time Limits - -this was the first time i can recall that the "stop lights" were clearly visible on screen, since they were set up on the floor of a theater-in-the-round.

And Brokaw did not wait until the answers were over, he was constantly making noises and motions to the candidates to indicate that time was up ... but he did not go so far as to be rude enough to directly interrupt United States Senators. Sheesh.

Brokaw was easily the best moderator of the current batch so far. While he didn't chide the candidates for failing to answer the questions, he repeatedly did so for failing to follow the agreed rules of format, but did that without being completely improper and rude. He is not a man with a hook on vaudeville night.


It bugged me insanely when Obama refused to even remotely answer the question on one or two occassions. Just as Swiftboating is a now verb, Palining has quickly become one, too. He Palined more than once, and it was shameful.



That said, he kicked McCain's sorry old asz.

[innerSpaceman]

And thanks, Tenigma, for that explanation of real town hall vs. faux town hall.

And so, the error still goes to McCain for approving faux town hall ... when it's just going to look to the TV viewer seeing their first McCain town hall wonder why he looks so unbelievably uncomfortable in his preferred format.

[tracilicious]

I felt it was appropriate for Obama to focus on correcting McCain's misstatements before he addressed the question at hand. If he had just let some of those comments sit and moved on, he'd have looked like a complete arsehole. I'm glad that he focused more on saying what he needed to than he did on flashing lights.

I thought Brokaw kicked a$$ as a moderator. McCains, "Not you, Tom," comment irked me to no end. Completely out of place and just totally rude.

McCain looked sooooo old!

I think in general Obama answered questions more specifically than McCain. Though his complete non-answering of the last question was beyond annoying. He could have pulled off something inspiring and smooth and he totally failed.

What were the bracelets they were wearing?

[Barry Egan]

It looks like Brokaw had some work done.

[Tenigma]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

What were the bracelets they were wearing?

They're memory bracelets for fallen soldiers from Iraq. You can find YouTube videos from the first presidential debate the other week where they talk about it. McCain's was given to him by a mom who asked that McCain "don't give up the cause" while Obama's was given to him by a mom who asked that "other moms don't have to experience the pain" of losing a child to soldiering.

[Alex]

Watch the first debate tapes for explanation of the bracelets.

They are bracelets naming a soldier killed in Iraq. For McCain his was given by someone asking that he make sure the soldier not die in vain and this means keeping the war going to "victory." For Obama, his came from a mother asking that no other mother be put through what she was and this means getting out of the distraction that is Iraq and being more restrictive in the use of force and with much better defined targets.

[innerSpaceman]

Hahaha, is anybody besides me amused at Tenigma and Alex parroting each other?




Poor John. He tried to lighten things up with humor, and it failed every time. In fact, backfired badly ... even though I think it was clear his intent was to be funny, not mean. But he should have stopped after the second or third failed attempt at levity.


"Not you, Tom" was a really messed up thing to say out of the blue.

"That one" was so tone deaf, especially after insulting the intelligence of that other black guy who asked you a question. Net result: Racism, asshole.


There were about half a dozen other jokes that fell flat.

Don't quit your day job, John.


That, plus your attitude, plus your infirmaties on display, plus the sinister way you smile. Maybe those last two aren't your fault. And I don't doubt your attempts at humor were just that. But appearances are everything, personality is what matters to the voters.

Nixon won the debate against JFK for those listening on radio. Nowadays, John, everyone watches on TV.


You were Nixon.



BuBye.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

You were Nixon.



BuBye.

Rather a pity nobody was watching....

[Tenigma]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Hahaha, is anybody besides me amused at Tenigma and Alex parroting each other?

Well you know what they say about crotchety old married couples.

I was doing a vanity spellcheck on my long post and by the time I posted the reply, I saw that he'd beat me to it. I was too lazy to go back and revise my post.

[Gemini Cricket]

I also saw more shots of Obama listening to McCain as he spoke. (Yeah, maybe he wasn't really listening but it gave the the appearance that he was.) McCain seemed distracted, sometimes didn't look at him.

The pacing back and forth kinda bugged me.

ETA: And I'd also like to add that I would be terrible in a debate like this. Much less it being televised and the whole world is watching... So I guess kudos are in order to all of them.