At the beginning of the 2^nd presidential debateall eyes are on McCain.  Obama hastaken a significant lead in the polls since the collapse of the economy.  Tom Brokaw welcomes us in the same ominoustone that broke the news of 9/11 to us. He says that much has changed in the world since the last debate and itsbeen for the worst.  And aspessimistic as it sounds, he unfortunately is correct.  It’s a dire time in America as theinfrastructure implodes on itself. We need a leader, and we need them now.  We’ll see if the candidates can give us one…

The first town hall question comes from an elderly man inthe front row regarding what is the worst economic fallout since the GreatDepression.  Obama blames theadministration of the past 8 years. Obviously the lassies-faire economic system of the republican incumbenthas failed.  The approval of theuncommitted Ohio voters running on the bottom of the CNN screen is at highestapproval of what Obama is saying. There is an immediate drop of approval as McCain takes the mic. 

McCain stresses energy independence… even though that wasn’tthe question asked.  He talks aboutthe burden of the debt (that was put on by Bush… who we all know is too muchlike McCain).  The old man thenappeals to elderly people by sympathizing with their decreased home value.  He now calls for governmentintervention in the stabilization of real estate market… ironic the amount ofgov. intervention he’s suggesting…

Sec. of treasury position- McCain jokes ‘not you Tom(brokaw)’.  He suggests someone wecan trust- Meg Whitman (CEO of ebay- epitome of the capitalistic/materialisticAmerican Dream).  Obama suggestWarren Buffett, and interesting choice, especially considering the distanceBuffett has from Obama’s strongest voting base (the middle class).  Then again, I appreciate his admirationfor Buffett’s success. 

Oliver Clark (audience member) asks what about the economicpackage is going to help everyday people. McCain responds first by attacking the greed on Wall Street and its affecton main street- a phrase that was overly played out by Palin in the VPdebate.  McCain claims he tried tostop Fannie May and Freddie Mack three years ago- and he does bring up a strongpoint about the high campaign funding of Obama by the two financialempires.  He says they were thematch that started this forest fire- never answering the question.

Obama starts by addressing the question, and what thepackage means for the people. Since the credit market is frozen, business’ can’t get loans, and payrollis getting increasingly difficult to pay. He now moves on to correct McCain’s claims- Obama blames thede-regulation of the financial market- and I concur with his claim (although,respectively my economic knowledge is limited).  He brings up the fact that McCain’s cohorts lobbied forFannie May- so much for McCain’s original stab.  He then slyly says that “you’re not here to listen topoliticians point fingers”… love it. 

Obama wants to keep ordinary families in their homes, ashe’s saying this, both the men and women in the uncommitted ohio group arestrongly approving.  Again, as soonas McCain starts to speak, approval goes down.

A woman asks how we can trust either of them of them withour money- obama understands her cynicism (but probably not the extremenervousness exemplified by her deliver). And then it’s the same jargon we’ve been hearing the whole campaign,health care reform, more affordable college educations etc.  McCain says system in Washington is‘broken” and that he’s always been a ‘reformer’… please, he’s just been Bush’syes man.  I smell a “Maverick”remark coming soon…

Tom Brokaw asks the candidates to put in order of priority:Energy, Health Care, and Entitlement (Social Security)

McCain says we can work on all three at one time.  Of course! He does posses a remarkableability to avoid answering a question directly.  He says they are compelling National Security Issues.

Poor Tom, has to keep reminding them that there’s a oneminute response time.  Obama saysthat priorities are essential- he puts energy at the top of the list, he saysnot only is it a matter of concern for gas prices and ordinary citizens, butit’s also a matter of National Security- our dependency on the middle east isdangerous.  He wants to invest 15billion on the project.  He putshealth cared second, with entitlement in the third slot.  Even if you don’t agree, you have toadmire that he actually answers the questions.

Again Tom reminds them of the time limit.  Way to go wordy politicians.  At least Obama’s words address thequestions asked.

What sacrifice do Americans have to make to get us out ofthis economic hole?  McCain saysprograms have to be eliminated, calls for an examination of governmentbureaucracies.  He wants tore-examine defense spending ( a refreshing thought from the republicans).  “We’re going to have to tell theAmerican people that spending has to stop in America.  There needs to be a spending freeze”- what does that evenmean!?  Doesn’t have anything to dowith the actual question, telling us we need to sacrifice without telling ushow doesn’t solve anything!  Weneed a leader!

Obama critiques Bush’s order for America to go out and shoppost 9/11.  The approval of theOhio voters here is neutral.  It’sno surprise as any discussion of Bush is naturally viewed more negatively thatother topics at this point- unless it’s outright Bush bashing.  He says that people need to be moreenvironmental conscious and conserve energy and resources.  He wants to double the peace corp. andother groups, taking some of the burden off the military to restore America.

Tom says that we’ve all gotten wasted (drunk on credit)- howis this going to be remedied?  Howdo we break our addiction to easy credit? He says that everyone has to tighten their belt, that everyone has tocontribute, that a total freeze wouldn’t work as its and unfair distribution ofburden.  He says that a totalfreeze (McCain’s idea) would be like a hatchet, and he prefers to use a scalpelto help those that need it, and put a greater responsibility on those livingabove average means.

McCain tries to preach his $5,000 tax credit private healthcare plan- what he doesn’t realize is that if every citizen is given 5 G’s forhealth care, insurance companies could just as easily charge $5,000 more fortheir services!  We’d be in theexact same spot.

Obama seeks to clarify the different plans of the twocamps.  Again, the same discussionwe heard in the last debate- Obama’s cutting taxes for the middle class, that asmall percentage of small business’ fit in the tax bracket of income over250,000 that would be taxed more heavily then they are now.

Come on boys, this is the same stuff we heard 12 daysago.  The people should bedemanding more!  I don’t wantrehearsed lines and talking points, let’s get down to the nitty gritty!

McCain says it’s easy to fix social security… he says weknow how to do it (then why aren’t we?!) he says he’s already taken on partyleaders on the matter in Washington, then why isn’t there a solution!?  This, John, is where you tell us how wedo it!  Then again, you are themaster at not answering questions…

The next question is ‘what would you do to keep congressmoving as fast as they did on the bailout plan, on other things like theenvironment, green energy etc.” McCain says that’s traveled the world with Liberman to see the effectsof green house gases… his solution: NUCLEAR POWER- he says that it’s safe andclean… they why is that we can’t dispose of it effectively, so we’re puttingnuclear waste in cement barrels at the bottom of the ocean that are expected todeteriorate within our lifetimes? How safe and clean is that?

Obama sees this as an opportunity, if we make a new energyeconomy, we can make 5 million jobs, he compares this move to the effect of theinvention of the computer- a bustling domestic job market would emerge- a pointmany middle class Americans must be in agreement with.  He wittily says that McCains right, weneed energy reform, and have for the last 30 years, only problem is McCain’sbeen apart of the gov for the last 24 years. 

Interesting Fact:

We have 3% of the worlds oil, and we use 25% of the worldsupply.  This has got to stop.

Tom again reiterates the time limit and the light that tellsthem when they need to wrap it up. He is such an epic man, its humorous to watch him try and corral theserowdy politicos.

Obama outlines his health care plan in depth.  Easing the burden on the middle classAmerican, lower premiums, better insurance from employers.  He points out that McCain’s plan callsfor a taxation of health care plan, for the first time in history.  He says that this is fundamentallywrong, and I couldn’t agree more. The Chamber of Commerce has said that McCain’s plan would unravelemployee health care (the chamber historically has supported republicans, sothis is an interesting anecdote). He counters that Obama would fine employers who didn’t provide healthcare for their employees- well why not! It’s better for the American people to have health care.  Bottom line.  The privatization of such excludes those on the other sideof the economic tracks.

Privledge, right or responsibility- health care

McCain- Responsibilty- nervous of gov. mandates, hisresponsibility and small bus. Responsibility- yet he says that small business’getting fined for not providing.

Obama says that it should be a RIGHT of every citizen of theUnited States (this earns clapping from the group gathered in my living roomwatching the debate), that it’s fundamentally wrong that his mother who spentthe last days of her battle against cancer fighting insurance companies.  He seeks to eliminate these battles andtake care of the American people. The uncommitted Ohioans are loving him right now.

Next Question: How does the economic crisis affect ourability to globally peace keep?  Hesays that American is the greatest crisis solver in history.  He says that we’ve been to all fourcorners of the world (fact check: The world is in fact round, therefore doesnot contain corners…).   Hecloses this statement out with a stab at Obama’s lack of work experience.

Obama:  How didwe end up invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11?  Criticizes Bush’s assumption that we’dbe greeted as liberators.  Says weowe gratitude to the troops.  WE SPEND10 BILLION DOLLARS IN IRAQ A MONTH. The Iraqi’s have a 79 billion dollar surplus… it just doesn’t quite addup.  He makes the historicalconnection between economic collapse and loss of military effectiveness- sayingthat b/c of our economic struggles, we’re having trouble providing foreignaide. 

Brokaw shifts the focus to foreign peace keeping efforts,quoting that there are 4.5 mil. dead in African Congo since 1998… where have webeen?

While we may not have nat’l security issues, we have moralissues.  Says we can’t beeverywhere all the time, so alliances are essential.  Senator Obama refers to Darfur, says our help wouldn’t costmuch if we could lead the int’l community into cooperation over the eliminationthe genocide occurring there.  Whata nice idea.

McCain refers to his hero Ronal Reagan.  Says our national security takesprecedence over the fine individuals fighting abroad, but they come 2^nd. 

There’s another reiteration of things we already know, Obamawants to send more troops to Afghanistan and encourage democracy in Pakistan,offering non-military aide.  Againboys, give us something juicy!

McCain feebly tries to present his policy on Pakistan.  Neither the undecided voters nor I areimpressed.  We are unenthused byall that comes out of his mouth. 

McCain says that when he looked into Vladamir Putin’s eyes,he saw three letters K-G-B… those are fighting words John… Be careful.

Is Russia and Evil Empire- obama says they engage in evilbehavior, not the soviet union.

McCain actually says ‘maybe’.  Seriously!  Hecan’t even answer a yes/no question… Seems as though he’s afraid of aresurrection of the Cold War, and yet he just said Putin was a member of theKGB!

All in all, I would say that Obama was more charismatic inthis debate than the first (perhaps a confidence boost because of his risingpoll numbers) and McCain shied further and further way from answeringquestions.  Perhaps this is becausemany of his ‘answers’ are coming under serious scrutiny as of late.

America loves a winner, so if the polls go up even furtherafter this debate, the fate of John McCain will be all but sealed… hopefully-the tension in between my shoulders is still intensifying, despite an increasedfaith in democratic victory. Perhaps it is my fear of the underlying racism baring its ugly head inthe voting booth, either way, we’ll have an answer in just a few weeks!

I’ll see you all on October 15^th!

Any Thoughts?  Iapologize for the severe length of this report, I’m just trying to give thoseof you unable to watch a legitimate (biased, yes) breakdown of the debatehappenings.  Let me know what’s onyour mind.

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