tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post4031929735732291752..comments2024-03-18T04:36:26.547-04:00Comments on Paul Levinson's Infinite Regress: Both Candidates Speak Well, But Obama Looks More Presidential in 1st DebatePaul Levinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-76922540235026440912008-10-02T19:51:00.000-04:002008-10-02T19:51:00.000-04:00Dearest Nameless Anon Guy: The stated test for th...Dearest Nameless Anon Guy: <BR/>The stated test for this debate by all the talking heads was whether Obama could convince the voter that he was presidential, a valid commander in chief. He passed with flying colors. As for the experience over judgment argument I give you George W. Bush. Enuf said.<BR/><BR/>"He constantly tried to look superior to Senator McCain by referring to him as "John"." <BR/>I will simply let this collection of words just sit there. Enuf said.<BR/><BR/>"It's our duty as Americans to look past a candidate's charisma, past their physical appearance, and see them for who they really are." I have two words for you, my friend:<BR/>Sarah Palin.<BR/><BR/>"It's actions that count, not words." John McCain has flip-flopped terribly over the past 8 years (the surreal McCain 2000 vs. McCain 2008 transformation has been well documented) and John continues to reverse himself almost on a daily basis the past few weeks (the latest flip-flop: McCain was a proud deregulator all his political life up until last week when John found religion and became a regulator .... i refer to John as a born-again Regulator). <BR/><BR/>You favor the actions of this declining, desperate, out-of-touch politician. Yea, that's the ticket ... to the Bridge to Nowhere.<BR/><BR/>I applaud you my friend. Your kind of thinking is a fast ticket to putting the America of our youth (the land of prosperity & opportunity) in the rearview mirror. <BR/>/jimy_maxjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05623726119900092665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-6074089824812558392008-10-02T12:59:00.000-04:002008-10-02T12:59:00.000-04:00"Paul: Yes, I agree. Obama came across more presid..."Paul: Yes, I agree. Obama came across more presidential, commander-in-chiefish."<BR/><BR/>That was his goal. Obama has no where near the experience McCain has, in being a senator or a patriot for his country.<BR/><BR/>I on the other hand, thought his arrogance was very shallow. He constantly tried to look superior to Senator McCain by referring to him as "John". If my memory serves me correctly, I believe Senator Obama also called John McCain three other names, as if he couldn't remember his opponents name.<BR/><BR/>It's our duty as Americans to look past a candidate's charisma, past their physical appearance, and see them for who they really are. Yes, I believe debates are important. But I think the candidate's senate voting records are A LOT more important.<BR/><BR/>This is something Mr. McCain said several times during the debate, he asked people to compare they're voting records, the question is, will you?<BR/><BR/>It's actions that count, not words.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-34409561891561831992008-09-27T14:39:00.000-04:002008-09-27T14:39:00.000-04:00I found it funny, in listening to Barack's comment...I found it funny, in listening to Barack's comments, and then to McCain's retorts, that McCain in some cases was more then dismissive, he wasnt even listening, or else he would not have veered so far off course in some responses. I think Barack came off more then in a leadership appearance last night, when we get to the crux of what matters, Barack is more knowledgeable, and knows what he is talking about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-52423426612227217162008-09-27T12:07:00.000-04:002008-09-27T12:07:00.000-04:00Good point, Brian (Gore & McCain nonverbal beh...Good point, Brian (Gore & McCain nonverbal behavior).<BR/><BR/>Frank: I agree with Jimmy. McCain has a tendency to almost babble out slightly incoherent, non-sequitor examples, and this certainly doesn't help him.Paul Levinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07609987407926836519noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-89474145903447449472008-09-27T11:51:00.000-04:002008-09-27T11:51:00.000-04:00Big Frank... I agree that there weren't a ton of '...Big Frank... I agree that there weren't a ton of 'game changing' performances in this debate... it had a 'here i am... here's what i'm about' vibe to it for certain.<BR/><BR/>In the same breath, I agree with Kate, that the McCain Smirk is the Gore Sigh of this debate series and it might be turning a lot of people of from an purely aesthetic point of view.Brian McFaddenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13080590884494457109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-37890256309516834702008-09-27T11:30:00.000-04:002008-09-27T11:30:00.000-04:00You are all being unfair. It is easy to nit-pick t...You are all being unfair. It is easy to nit-pick things from the debate, to make one candidate or the other look bad. Looking at itfrom the outside, they both looked GOOD, and were assertive. This debate will change nothing.gonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15588145128737344643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-91439240178131413772008-09-27T10:36:00.000-04:002008-09-27T10:36:00.000-04:00Paul: Yes, I agree. Obama came across more preside...Paul: Yes, I agree. Obama came across more presidential, commander-in-chiefish. It was a good night for him and the rest of the country. If during the next 5 weeks, we can stick to the real issues then Obama is on very firm footing. BTW, where was John McCain's flag pin? <BR/><BR/>Could someone please explain to me this McCain fun fact from last night's debate:<BR/>John McCain described North Korea as the most "repressive and brutal regime probably on earth," adding: "The average South Korean is three inches taller than the average North Korean. A huge gulag." <BR/><BR/>All night McCain sprinkled these non sequiturs into his responses. It was as if he injested the World Book Encyclopedia and used it to pepper his responses with meaningless and unconnected nuggets of minutia as if suffering from a mild case of Tourette's Syndrome. John repeated words and phrases often filling space with deadwood. I thought I was listening to snippets of the 'riveting' Katie Couric-Palin interview. McCain was channeling the pitter-patter of little Palin nothings. There is something eerie in that GOP kool-aid.<BR/>/jimy_maxjameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05623726119900092665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-36558135612491994422008-09-27T02:09:00.000-04:002008-09-27T02:09:00.000-04:00I just happened to be watching a recap of the post...I just happened to be watching a recap of the post-debate Countdown online, and they mentioned John McCain talking about torture, and it reminded me of my reaction to that revelation in the debate, and when they played the clip, it was a completely different part of the debate than I thought they were referring.MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16984793682474594967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-5353993373636460282008-09-27T01:37:00.000-04:002008-09-27T01:37:00.000-04:00Did you know that McCain said, "horseshit" on nati...Did you know that McCain said, "horseshit" on national TV? I just saw this and couldn't believe it. Talk about temperment.<BR/><BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1rZBmk0DYUMike Plughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08180838171989998353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-33806441230335191282008-09-27T01:26:00.000-04:002008-09-27T01:26:00.000-04:00Here's the thing...These debates are only as good ...Here's the thing...<BR/><BR/>These debates are only as good as we remember them 6 weeks, 6 months, 6 years, and a generation later. We remember them by mapping out a particular moment that set the tone and that becomes the landmark on the map of history with regard to winning and losing. It was Reagan's flip of the age factor on Mondale, or Bentsen's "You're no Jack Kennedy." Those are the signposts of history with regard to the debates they represent. No one remembers anything else about them, but they solidfy the image of the victors and losers in our minds. Quayle was forever branded the dummy and Reagan the smooth communicator.<BR/><BR/>There was only one moment in this debate that will be remembered if YouTube and the progressive blogosphere have anything to do with it. It was the direct accusations about being wrong on Iraq that Obama made in McCain's direction. He said the war didn't start in 2007 and repeatedly hammered home that McCain was wrong on every substantive issue regarding the war.<BR/><BR/>I blogged all this here: http://is.gd/3cuRMike Plughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08180838171989998353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-76126550108782174782008-09-27T01:14:00.000-04:002008-09-27T01:14:00.000-04:00I was disappointed in both of their answers to the...I was disappointed in both of their answers to the first question, concerning where they stand on the $700 Billion bailout. Both of them seemed for it, with some comments on oversight. How about being against it? How about where is that money coming from? This is a mess that both Democrats (Clinton freeing financial companies from regulation in 1999) and Republicans (the current administration not watching and monitoring) should be held accountable, but neither Senator sounded any discord against spending the money.<BR/><BR/>On foreign affairs, they both did well, McCain taking every opportunity to show his experience.<BR/><BR/>I just hope there is a budget left for either of them to manage.Poppakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15213972917582562999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-77648117110248875622008-09-27T01:07:00.000-04:002008-09-27T01:07:00.000-04:00While I was watching first hour of the debate on C...While I was watching first hour of the debate on CNN, I watched the green line(the independent voters being polled), and for the most part, they seemed to lean more in the direction of the Democratic reaction. I thought it was interesting.MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16984793682474594967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-18837311451938394012008-09-27T00:29:00.000-04:002008-09-27T00:29:00.000-04:00I think there were no game changing moments in thi...I think there were no game changing moments in this debate. The main thing I noticed as far as body language is McCain would not look at Obama, while Obama made a point to look at McCain. Both candidates did well, and I think antics cancel each other out. No winner tonight.gonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15588145128737344643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-80448548096292849072008-09-27T00:12:00.000-04:002008-09-27T00:12:00.000-04:00I'm sure there are legions of people doing the leg...I'm sure there are legions of people doing the leg work now, but any chance either of the candidates are going to take a big blow from being wrong on the "that's not true" ends to a few of the discussions?shake'n'bakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18381489530841295597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2289595359432630118.post-31038943515466564172008-09-26T23:56:00.000-04:002008-09-26T23:56:00.000-04:00The McCain Smirk will do him in.You're right--McCa...The McCain Smirk will do him in.<BR/><BR/>You're right--McCain more like Nixon and Obama like--well you know.kate loving shenkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03056341991490638546noreply@blogger.com