Senators Barack Obama and John McCain took the stage Friday night in the first of three presidential debates. For a little over an hour and a half, the two candidates went at it over the financial crisis as well as national defense. So, the big question is: which candidate was the big winner of the first debate?
Neither.
I thought that both candidates did a good, not great job, and neither one came out as the clear cut winner, despite both campaigns calling for a decisive victory for their candidate. So, let’s look at some moments that stick out in the debate.
I thought what Senator Obama needed to do was come out and look just as "presidential" as Senator McCain. Because of his inexperience when compared with McCain, it was important for Obama to show that he was just as ready to lead a country as McCain, and I thought he did this. I thought his appearance and answers to questions came off very well (although I will admit when he was reading obviously prepared remarks while looking straight into the camera, it seemed a little too forced and too prepared). One thing I think was a huge plus for Obama was his willingness to look at McCain, whereas McCain never looked at Obama when he was speaking. This made it seem like Obama was more engaged with the debate, even though McCain’s answers proved he was listening. If the saying that ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ is correct, this picture paints a thousand good ones for Obama.
In a debate that was supposed to focus on national security, a topic which was thought to give an overwhelming advantage to McCain, I thought Obama left the debate without being crushed, which I view as a victory of sorts for the Obama campaign.
Even though I think Obama appeared a little better than McCain and came out with a slight victory for himself by the fact he was not embarrassed, I think on the issues, McCain had the clear advantage. McCain accused Obama of responding naively to Russia's invasion of neighboring Georgia last month by calling on both sides to exercise restraint. In what I consider to be the greatest sound bite for him Friday, McCain repeatedly said “I just don’t believe that Senator Obama understands.” McCain has the experience of dealing with foreign leaders, and actually has a plan that would include bringing Georgia and the Ukraine into NATO.
Also, I think Obama took a huge hit when it came to Iran. Obama came out and said he would personally meet with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, without preconditions, but instead with precautions. In, I think the best line of the night, McCain replied, “So let me get this right. We sit down with Ahmadinejad, and he says, ‘We're going to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth,’ and we say, ‘No, you're not?’ Oh, please.” I think the point McCain was making - that if we meet with Ahmadinejad without them agreeing to preconditions we will be legitimizing their beliefs - is a strong position that should be followed.
McCain repeatedly said that Obama wants to increase government spending by $800 billion in new programs, and Obama never came out and denied that number, which is troubling for an economy in this state. Whereas, McCain repeatedly said he wants less spending, less taxes and a smaller government. I think if people look at the debate solely for substance, McCain would win. However, with the fact that Obama looked better and that he held his own on foreign policy, an issue where many thought he would lose badly, it is a small win for Obama and a small loss for McCain, resulting in an overall tie in the debate.
One last thing. For a campaign that prides itself on bringing hope and change to America, Obama only mentioned hope and change once respectively. This is troubling to me. I feel that if one's primary platform is bringing something new and hopeful to the American people, something no one has done in a long time and something that will change Washington, then this candidate did not say much of anything new.
In fact, I feel that if John Kerry, Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, or any other liberal stood up and said word-for-word what Obama said on Friday, it would not sound unusual at all. The fact is that Obama’s platform of ‘hope and change’ is actually the same platform as the Democratic candidates of years before.
------------------------------------------ So, who do you think won the debate?
Clearly McCain won the substance part of the debate. he was much better versed in foreign affairs, and showed it repeatedly all night.
i'm not refuting your point, but please give examples. from my POV, there didn't appear to be a terrible gap in knowledge of foreign affairs, but instead between their stance on those affairs.
and you may say that the ability to speak well is not an issue, but i do not want our head of state 'facing down' another global leader on the world stage and absolutely butchering his name. this doesn't embarrass you?
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