Friday, September 26, 2008

Live-Blogging the Debate

Never done this before. May not follow through. But a starter point: seems to me the candidates have to be prepared for two debates tonight: the scheduled topic is foreign policy, but everyone knows (assumes?) that the moderator will be asking about the economy.

5:58--Eeuw--Chris Matthews speaks of "the Captain Queeg factor," and he isn't talking about Obama.

6:00--Jim Lehrer says it is about foreign policy--which of course (he says) includes the global financial crisis.

Will Obama run out of time before he finishes his preliminaries?

Yep, he made it. Bullet points.

McCain opens by trying to wrap himself around Ted Kennedy. Followed by blah blah. He slipped in a bit of a menu but he is mainly talking process.

6:05--Obama: I warned you this was going to happen. "We shredded so many regulations" is sly.

McCain: I warned you too. Let me tell you about Dwight Eisenhower. Accountability. I'm against greed, and in favor of responsibility.

Lehrer to Obama: say it directly to him.

McCain: You think I couldn't hear him? (Cute.)

Obama is hammering at bullet points; McCain is warning of hard times.

Lehrer: how do you guys differ?

McCain says we've got to cut spending, and goes to beating up on Republicans.

Did he just say I'm going to veto every single spending bill that comes across my desk.

McCain: Obama has a lot of earmarks.

Obama: he's right, that's why I backed off. But earamarks account for $18 billion; Senator McCain is proposing $300 in tax cuts to the wealthiest.

(Earlier, Obama called him "John;" McCain responded with "Senator Obama," and Obama shifted to "Senator McCain.")

6:18--Has anybody said anything about foreign policy yet?

McCain is back to talking about earmarks. The process corrupts people. That's why we have people in jail.

Obamas interrupts (and Lehrer lets him get away with it) to challenge McCain on what McCain says about Obama's tax plans.

6:20--Again (this time to McCain), Lehrer says: respond directly to (Obama).

McCain is defending corporate tax cuts.

Obama: yes, corporate tax rates are high, but there are so many loopholes...

Now he is say something wonky about health care.

McCain interrupts Lehrer to go back to earmarks. Now he's on to tax reform.

They're both playing inside baseball IMHO. Inside rotisserie league.

Lehrer: What are you going to have to give up to pay for the financial plan?

Obama: hard to say, but we'll have to forego some stuff. But we need energy independence. We have to fix health care. And infrastructure.

With his dark eyes and dark eyebrows, Obama looks more menacing than I rememeber.

McCain: We've got to cut spending. Ethanol. Cost-plus. I know how to do that. I've fought that kind of stuff, and people ended up in Federal prison.

Lehrer: neither one of you has suggested anything you will give up.

Obama: Okay--some of the energy program. Subsidies to private insurers. I worked with Tom Coburn to list every dollar of Federal spending to see how is promoting these projects.

Lehrer is not impressed.

McCain: spending freeze on everything except defense, veterans and entitlements.

Obama: it's a hatchet, not a scalpel (he doesn't mention that the "exceptions" are most of the budget.

McCain: stop sending money to people who don't like us very much. Oh, and we should build nuclear power plants. I've worked on it, along with Senator Clinton.

Lehrer is still not impressed. Are you willing to acknowledge, etc.

Obama: no doubt about it (he's trying to remind people that the bailout might actually make money, but it's too abstruse for the format).

McCain: I don't want to pass health care over to the Federal government (is it just me or is he bouncing around like a cat on a hot tin roof?). I have fought against spending.

Obama: you're part of the problem.

McCain: (I think this is the second time he says he is not "Miss Congeniality").

Lehrer: what are the lessons of Iraq?

McCain: you cannot have a failed strategy. The war was very badly mishandled. We will come home with victory and with honor. Petraeus is a saint.

Obama: the first question is whether we should have gone into this war in the first place. I opposed it. I said we weren't sure what it would cost, and we hadn't finished the job in Afghanistan. I wish I had been wrong but that's not the case. Al Qaida is stronger now than at any time since 2001. We are spending and the Iraqis have a surplus.

McCain: (He's on the attack against Obama for what he has not done on Iraq).

Obama: "... but that is Senate inside baseball" (right). Petraeus is a saint (now Obama goes on the attack).

McCain: "I'm afraid Senator Obama doesn't understand..." Senator reform refuses to acknowledge we are winning in Iraq (Obama, interrupting: not true).

Obama: not true, not the case, etc. etc.

6:49: No soundbytes yet on either side. No bullet points.

Lehrer: Do we need more troops in Afghanistan?

Obama: yes. Kharzai has to do a better job. We've got to deal with the poppy trade. We've got to deal with Pakistan.

McCain: I won't repeat the mistake that I regret enormously that we walked away after the Russians left (is he taking the blame for that?) (I think he is muddling "cutting off aid to Afghanistan" to "dealing with Pakistan") (he's trying to draw differences between himself and O on Afghan strategy, but they aren't obvious). By the way, did I say that Petraeus is a saint? And he was wrong to threaten to invade Pakistan.

Obama: That's not what I said. And you sing songs about Bombing Iran (I haven't been watching the screen; McCain puts his head down and scowls when he is attacked).

McCain: Let me tell you my record. I admire Ronald Reagan. I voted against sending Marines into Lebanon. Tragically, I was right. I supported the first Gulf War. I supported going into Bosnia when a number of my colleagues opposed. I supported going into Kosovo. I opposed Somalia. I have a record (where is this going? I guess the point is that he has had a lot of experience. This is the first time he has sounded like an old man, as in "why did I tell you about the time a fly flew into my mouth?). I got a bracelet from a woman who lost her son.

Obama: I've got a bracelet, too. The question is, are we making good judgments. We took our eye off Afghanistan and the people who perpetrated 9/11 (McC's head is down, this time with a grimace).

McCain: You might think he would have gone to Afghanistan. I've been there. We will prevail.

Lehrer: Iran?

McCain: If Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it is an existential threat to Israel. I have proposed a league of democracies. We could impose sanctions.

Obama: I believe the Republican guard is a terrorist organization. The single thing that has strengthened Iran has been the war in Iraq. Obviously our policy over the last eight years has not work. Not only has it threatened Israel, etc. We need sanctions but we can't do it without Russia and China. We need tough direct diplomacy.

McCain: Senator Obama said he would sit down with bad guys without preconditions. Bad idea. Really bad idea. (Hm, I don't see the camera on Obama when McCain is criticizing him)

Obama: I reserve the right to meet with anybody if I think it will keep the US safe. Kissinger says we should meet with Iran and he is one of McCain's advisers. And the Bush regime has done it. Compare North Korea: we cut off talks and they got way ahead on nukes. When we reengaged, we made some progress (split screen again, I can't say whether this is a grimace or a smirk).

McCain: "What Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand..." "Naive...dangerous" (now I think he is saying we shouldn't be talking to North Korea).

Obama: That's not my position "and Senator McCain knows it."

McCain: (got a mild laugh for a mocking joke. Now we have a split screen. Obama is shaking his head, interrupting a bit, bobbing around a bit).

Lehrer: Russia?

Obama: We have to explain to the Russians that you can't be a 21st century power and act like a 20th Century dictatorship (is this as near to a one liner as I have heard so far?). We have to make clear that some other countries may join NATO. "You don't deal with Russia by staring into his eyes and seeing his soul" (another one-liner?). But there are areas of common interest.

McCain: Naive. "I looked into Mr. Putin's eyes and I saw three letters, a K, a G and a B" (why are all the one-liners about Russia?). South Ossetia: I went there once (he is off on the Ukrain now; sounds like wandering to me).

Obama: I think we agree on most of this. We have to have foresight and anticipate some of these problems. I warned the administration against Russian peacekeepers. Energy: that's another reason we need an energy strategy. And that means, yes, increasing production and offshore drilling (no kidding?). But oil isn't enough. I've got a plan. Over 26 years, he voted against alternative energy 23 times. He's got to walk the walk.

Lehrer: What are the chances of another 9/11?

McCain: Safer than the day after 9/11. I've worked across the aisle. With Joe Lieberman. Opposed by the administration. I'm opposed to torture. We have to work with our allies; I know our allies and I can work with them.

Obama: Safer in some ways. Airport security. But chemical sites, transit, ports. Suitcases. Why nuclear proliferation is so important. We have to focus on Al Qaida, not just Iraq. It is important for us to understand we need cooperation--restore America's standing, less respected; greatest country on earth; I give Senator McCain credit on the torture issue.

McCain: Something about Reagan and missile defense. Senator Obama still doesn't get it about Iraq. We can't have specific dates. Gerneral Petraeus says...

Obama: They've focused on Iraq. Bin Laden is still out there. He's not captured, he's resurgent. We owe China a bunch of money; they are active in Latin America, Asia, Africa, because we have been focused on Iraq. Not to mention look at our economy. We can't provide health care, science and technology. We won't be able to fund the military. We can't fund veterans care. A broader srrategic vision.

McCain: I've been involved, etc. There are advantages to experience (now it is Obama who has his eyes down). Failing to acknowledge he was wrong about the surge. I know the veterans. I know they know I will take care of them. Safe and secure. Reform, prosperity, peace. I don't need any on the job training.

Obama: My father came from Kenya. The values of the United States inspire the entire world. I don't think our standing is the same. Send a message. Invest.

McCain: When I came home from prison, I saw our veterans being mistreated.

(Thank God that's over)

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