Tonight's Presidential Debate...
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
October 7, 2008 10:12am CST
Tonight is the second of three Presidential debates between Barack Obama and John McCain, this one using the town-hall format with Tom Brokaw as moderator. I think most of us who post in these political discussions already know each other fairly well when it comes to where most of us stand and who we support so this discussion isn't really about that; what I'm interested in seeing your opinions about is what should each of the candidates concentrate on in tonight's debate. Should McCain continue what seems to be the latest trend of trying to bring up the negatives about Obama's past, such as his associations with Bill Ayres and Jeremiah Wright? Since it is a town-hall format consisting of questions from actual voters, how should he go about bringing these topics up, if you think he should and if the questions don't come up from the voters? What should Obama do if these subjects do come up? Should he simply answer them or should he counter with his own questions about things in McCain's history?
I'm really not posting this for anyone to use this as a forum to attack either candidate but instead to talk about the debate itself and what you would advise the candidates to do if you had the opportunity. I'd like to see them stick to the issues such as the economy, energy, health care and the wars. An objective and civil discussion on this topic would be really nice and much appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
Annie
4 people like this
8 responses
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
7 Oct 08
I think they should each use this time to get their word out. What they are going to do if elected, answer questions, provide all information needed for undecided voters.
Undecided voters and Independent voters are normally turned off by mudslinging and idiocies that do not matter. This is of course my personal opinion as an Independent voter lol.
3 people like this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Since you are an Independent you certainly can speak for them more than most of us who are NOT. I've also heard that undecided and Independent voters are especially turned off by the mudslinging and it makes perfect sense to me. If someone has their mind made up already or if they're strongly loyal to one of the two parties or candidates they're only going to get more pi$$ed off at the other guy if he goes negative and if there had been even a small chance of that person changing their mind, there it goes...lol!
I know if I were still undecided at this point I'd want them to stick firmly to the issues. As I've said, that's what I hope they do personally and that goes for both sides.
Annie
2 people like this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
7 Oct 08
I'm doing a quick fly by so I hope I don't repeat someone else's post. I really believe that both candidates have to be cool and in control tonight because the public will be looking for someone to snap. If either candidate decides to launch an attack against the other he risks appearing weak and with little or no platform of his own. It could go down a lot differently than this...or it could not go down at all but I think drawing first blood will be looked down upon by the general public and could sway the undecideds in the opposite direction.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Oct 08
I think that they should be themselves and answer the questions as they come. If the candidate feels a shot is the best answer for the question, then take the shot. If they feel the answer includes a rebuttal to a shot is the best answer for the question, rebutt away!
This is a town hall format. For the candidate that means that any question goes, so any answer that refects the candidates' true self should be encouraged.
We don't learn anything of any value at all if we make them act differently than who they really are. On the other hand, if we leave them free to be themselves, we learn tons.
If they have the opportunity to be themselves, but refuse to break character, well that teaches us most of all.
2 people like this
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Well, it's going to be a bit hard for either of them to bring up negatives on eachother without it looking painfully obvious. But McCain specifically has to worry about this, because he's got less savvy-factor that Obama does in regards to conversation.
Obama has to make sure he answers simply, but he also probably should find ways to turn around anything comes up against..his past for example, or other stances of her...particularly personal ones so that while he answers things straight...he doesn't seem like he's gonna lie down and take it, or that he's using sympathy for his past.
Which means he has to be as open as he can, and put things pretty simply, but he has to turn the subject away from himself without that being an obvious thing.
So to sum it up, I think for both of them tonight's debates will be a problem of smoothness and savvy in how they handle the whole thing.
McCain I believe, has to worry more than Obama at this point, since the main issue will undoubtably be the economy, and he's professed that not to be his strong suit.
If anything's perceived as a slight, or if he seems not up on the know enough...or not compassionate enough, it could really hurt him later.
3 people like this
@clrumfelt (5490)
• United States
7 Oct 08
I think issues would be a good topic for the entire debate. Hopefully, the voters will ask good questions and the candidates will stay on the topics and use this forum as an opportunity to abandon the attacks and give the American people some straight talk about the economic mess and their plans to help America get the ecomony back on its feet. Health care would be a good topic. McCain has given his ideas of tax credits to buy healthcare, but I'd like to know the part of his plan that will give healthcare to those people who won't have tax credits, for example. There are lots of other issues, and I'd like to hear the candidates' plans for them instead of attacks about what the OTHER candidate ISN'T going to do about them. Good discussion, Annie.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Thank you, and good response! I think no matter if some of us disagree on the issues and on which candidate we support we can agree on one thing - we DO want to know what each of them is going to do instead of what the other one is or isn't going to do.
I couldn't agree more that we need to hear more about health care. No matter which side of the fence we're on one thing is clear - health care costs affect the overall economy in a huge way so we really can't address economic issues without addressing health issues. That's my opinion, anyway.
Annie
2 people like this
@rodney850 (2145)
• United States
7 Oct 08
Annie,
I look forward to one or more of the voters actually pinning Obama down on some of the facts and issues he would rather avoid. I don't see McCain using this, his favorite platform, as a mudslinging contest unless, of course, Obama decides to start it! It is my firm belief that the inexperience of Obama will come out in this format. Why else would he shy away from them?
1 person likes this
@devylan (695)
• United States
10 Oct 08
Well, I'm a little late in my response to this. I wish they would have stuck strictly to the issues, and actually I guess they did a fairly good job of it, but they did go back and forth a little on accusations. At least they were accusations relating to the matters at hand, though. Lol.
1 person likes this
