First Presidential Debate

Well the first presidential debate reaffirmed my choice of Obama. I don't think in terms of who won the debate except to see the polls of who other watchers think won the debate. Apparently the polls indicated Obama, some by very large margins. Here were the main things I noticed last night:

1. What's up with McCain never looking at Obama? I thought it came off dismissive.

2. Obama said something along the lines of "You're correct John on X" a number of times. After the debates, some of the pundits were saying that the McCain camp had already spliced together an ad showing how often Obama thinks McCain is right. Many thought it was a misstep on Obama's part. But what struck me most about it while I was watching, and my husband concurred, was that it seemed to be a way to reach across the aisle and find common ground as well as showed someone who is "fair" with the facts. So McCain keeps saying he's the bipartisan guy but he won't look at Obama and never once acknowledged any commonality with Obama. I also think in this climate of "right wing" vs "liberal" and all the spin, the fact that Obama was willing to acknowledge certain accomplishments and that both parties can agree on some things showed a thinker, not a knee-jerk partisan.

3. McCain has been discussing reform since his convention in an attempt to differentiate himself from Bush, but last night he seemed to go back to his experience. He seemed to be chastising Obama for not travelling as much as he, not being as experienced. Experience matters he says. The only thought going to my mind during this time was "and you picked Sarah Palin when experience is so important to you?"

4. The whole back and forth on Kissinger and meeting with Iran without preconditions. I was surprised McCain belabored it actually because on the Couric/Palin interview, this very topic came up and the video showed Kissinger saying exactly what Obama said. I guess McCain is hoping most folks aren't aware of those tidbits by pulling the "I've been friends with him for 35 years" bit. Secondly, I think the reason Kissinger and the Bush administration are now talking with Iran is because it is so naive to think that if you don't talk to them, they somehow cease to exist or continue progressing on their objectives! It's like sticking your fingers in your ears, closing your eyes, and repeating a blah blah blah mantra like a child pretending the world yields to your delusion.

5. I know some folks who are voting Republican and therefore for McCain because they can't stand "entitlements". Well, most entitlements are things like Social Security, Medicare, Govt Employee Pensions. Our entitlements absolutely need fixing and some cuts need to be made, but I think some who just freak out that all entitlements are bad aren't acknowledging what most entitlements are. Anyway, the thing I noted was that during the debate, when asked what he would have to give up in order for the $700B rescue to go through, he said what he wouldn't give up - defense, veteran affairs, and ENTITLEMENTS.

Though many are feeling this is all good from a historical perspective for Obama, I'm not counting my chickens yet.

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