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I have to tell you I didn’t expect much from last night’s forum, but I watched it nevertheless, and am happy to have viewed it.
Obama won the coin toss so he was first. McCain was in a soundproof room and couldn’t hear Obama’s answers to the questions.
When Obama was finished McCain was introduced and asked the very same questions by the very same questioner. It seemed to me to be the most fair forum I have seen in my lifetime. Instead of newspeople asking hardball questions of one candidate and lobbing softball questions to the other it was apples to apples and the answers were very revealing.
I’m going to link from the CNN videos so if you didn’t see it you will be able to view it now.
These videos take about two hours to watch, but come back and catch up later.
Written by ~J~
I was surprised when Obama said the wisest people he would consult would be his grandmother, his wife and some members of congress from both parties.
McCain said Petraeus, John Lewis because he battled the civil rights fight, and the CEO of Ebay because she started with five employees and made a big company of it.
When asked about abortion Obama hedged around and finally said it was above his pay grade. McCain immediately said life should be protected from the moment of conception.
When asked the most immoral things they had done Obama mentioned his drug and alcohol use while McCain said it was the breakup of his first marriage.
When asked if evil exists, Obama said it’s in the world and in our cities. McCain said he would go to the gates of hell to get Osama bin Laden.
When asked what each’s definition of rich was Obama said $200,000-$250,000 while McCain jokingly said five million and then said he didn’t want to raise anyone’s taxes and wanted everyone to get rich.
When asked which Supreme Court Justice he would not have nominated Obama said Clarence Thomas because he went to the court inexperienced. He needs to watch what he says because that’s one of the big criticisms as to why he shouldn’t be elected president. He is also disappointed with Roberts because he is giving too much power to the president and is glad he didn’t vote for him.
When McCain was asked he said he would not have nominated Ginsburg, Breyer, Souter and Stevens because he believes they should interpret the constitution and not make law from the bench.
It was a very interesting format and the answers gave us insight into the man who will become our next president, whoever that may be.
I did not watch, so I am glad you did and could write on this Q & A.
Read some of the transcript late last night and a few of the comments from the press. They seemed to lean toward McCain being better prepared and firmer in his answers.
Glad that you enjoyed though and liked reading your thoughts on the format. Maybe something which should be considered in the future instead of the gotcha debates we have seen as of late.
I’m for anything which allows voters to see the actual man running for president and not just the candidate from one party or another.
Thanks again for sharing!
And I actually thought that the intellectual bottom had already been reached.
It seem as though our elections have become nothing more than this the best that we can do contest. I some times wounder if we the voters are up to the task of putting the country in the hands of the best qualified or are we just going to keep electing people because they belong to the same party as we do. Is a man really up to the task because he gives a good speech and can read a teleprompter? Is the other because he was taken captive in Vietnam while others actually fought and died to be called a hero? If this is what we have come to, then God help us.
I will admit we don’t have a good choice in this election cycle, but these are the ones the people have chosen for good or for bad.
I will argue with you that no one would have volunteered to be a Viet Nam POW instead of “actually fighting”. I’m sure there were many times when those men in captivity had wished they had died. McCain can’t even raise his arms and you think he could have done better if he had fought and died? He did fight and that’s why he was in prison. If the military hadn’t sent him on fighter missions he wouldn’t have been shot down. How many more of our men are still over there suffering who knows what and you have the audacity to say they weren’t as good as the men who fought and died? I can’t believe it and sometimes I just don’t understand you.
The debate over who is a hero and who is not is one which is subjective.
Is the firefighter who sacrifices his life while rescuing a family more of a hero than the one who survives the same feat? For that matter, are they heroes at all? In my mind they both have completed a heroic task but to others they may view it as their job and while they praise their actions, don’t necessarily deem them heroes.
Same goes for police, ordinary citizens who do extraordinary things, or the members of the military.
You could go on and on with professions and individuals who might be deemed heroes but each episode would be framed in ones own opinion.
As for John McCain, he fought in a war which was vastly unpopular but the military did not send him to do anything but that for which he volunteered. And, the military does not initiate war(generally speaking) they follow orders to do so.
In my opinion, he is to be commended for his service to country as are all those who serve admirably.
To be clear I was not calling McCain a hero. That is in the mind of the beholder. I just took offense at the remark that the men who were in prison camps during Viet Nam were not as good as those who were fighting and dying. The prisoners also suffered and many died at the hands of their captors. That was my point.
I feel for any of the men killed in action, whether on the ground or in the air. They served and they served honorably.
Audacity? You make stating ones opinion sound so nasty.
J, it doesn’t take much to offend you. Sue, I couldn’t agree more.