CNN has now reported that Obama won the debate: 59 to 35 percent, based on votes from viewers. He also led by an obvious margin on important topics like the economy and foreign policy.
Dear Friend and Reader,
The second presidential debate was held tonight at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, facilitated by Tom Brockaw, and with an audience of 80 uncommitted voters, ready to present their questions.
McCain kept wandering around the stage as Obama spoke, looking lost and disoriented. He rambled on, repeating himself about $5,000 refundable tax credits towards health care.В
He took pot shots at Obama, with passive aggressive comments about fining families for not having health care coverage for their children, even after Obama explained himself eloquently.
He repeated the usual statements like “pork barrel spending,” Obama’s “on-the-job training” and “earmarks.” As CNN reporter Paul Begola stated, he seemed erratic.
Likening Obama to Herbert Hoover for raising taxes (which Obama isn’t going to do) made it seem like McCain’s the only person old enough to understand the joke.
Meanwhile, Obama presented himself as an adult: calm, controlled and measured in a speaking format he’s apparently less familiar with than McCain is.
When addressing the issue of terrorist cells in Pakistan, things got heated. McCain likened himself to his hero Teddy Roosevelt and his famous motto “speak softly and carry a big stick.” When hearing this, Obama couldn’t stay quiet any longer and insisted on a rebuttal, where he reminded the audience that McCain is the one that spoke about bombing Baghdad in the early days of invading Afghanistan, and sang “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran” — not exactly the definition of speaking softly.