McCain Scores in the Final Debate

Sen. McCain scored some serious blows in last night's debate. Although we expect that the Drudge poll would show a Republican lead (72% to 27% win for McCain), we are now seeing that even the notoriously left-slanted AOL poll is showing a McCain victory, as well (48% to 45% as of this posting).

Sen. McCain brought up facts and gave specifics over programs he would cut in the federal budget to lower our spending. He only stopped talking about programs because of time constraints, because McCain could go all day on cutting out the pork in gov't. Further, he was accurate in his condemnation of GA Democrat John Lewis's ridiculous comparisons of Republican rallies to racist rallies that were typified by KKK meetings. Meanwhile, Sen. Obama, grasping at straws, brought up a false accusation about people yelling "kill him." The US Secret Service says those accusations are unfounded, and are we now holding candidates accountable for what their supporters say? That's a can of worms the Democrats don't want to open, I assure you.

Final Debate: McCain A- ; Obama C- (like his college grades...or is it? Who knows?) Sphere: Related Content

Too Little, Too Late?

McCain hit his mark tonight. He needed to be John McCain in the first debate. Hopefully this is the turning point.

McCains' hits:

1. He finally, clearly distanced himself from Bush with his response, "I am not President Bush". He needed to do this early, BO has been running a campaign against Bush and is winning.
2. He articulated the fundamental reality that BO is a left-wing extremist. He clearly hit the point over and over again that BO believes Government is the answer to all problems, tax and spend, redistribution of wealth, and the coalescing of power in government. BO never refuted his radicalism. BO never distanced himself from the far-left wing of the party.
3. He highlighted that with Dem. in control and BO at the helm, spending will only increase. He tied BO to Herbert Hoover. Who, as BO plans to do, increase taxes and limit free trade forcing a recession into a depression.
4. He raised the question of trust and BO judgement by association with Ayers and ACORN. It is late in the campaign for character question such as Ayers to have much impact. But, BOs ties to ACORN will continue to unravel. Now that McCain has made it an issue, we are likely to hear very little about it from the MSM ever again.

McCains' misses:

1. BO set a trap with his "let's talk about issues" statement, which McCain followed up with the Ayers/ACORN associations. This may play badly as a negativity that has plagued McCain recently.
2. He had other opportunities to highlight the key point that BO is a socialist, and didn't. Such as BO education proposals including coalescing more control and increase spending with the Government.
3. His closing. He didn't tie it all together and make the final pitch that he is the experienced and BO unproven and dangerous. He could have delivered the trust and stewardship of the peoples' money better and articulated once again that this election is a referendum on free market capitalism.

Hopefully this ignites a tide in McCains' favor. He has ground to cover and he started the journey tonight. Hopefully he can continue to be the warrior and have a good closing game.

Your thoughts?

Signing off...JCB

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VP Debate Reaction: Neither won, but one strategy did.

Last night was a typical VP debate, statesman and inconsequential. Both Biden and Palin were very effective. Biden focused on tying McCain to President Bush, Palin focused on relating to mid-America. Both succeeded admirably.

To those seeking a winner, I would say neither or both of them won by delivering their message effectively. My question is who's strategy was superior? In my personal opinion, I think the Obama-Biden strategy for this debate, the previous debate, and the campaign has been to associate Bush and McCain. They are winning the war of words, despite reality and history, and it is working for them. If Obama-Biden wins in November, people will look back say one of their success points was defining McCain as another Bush. Similar to how we look back and say that Bush was successful in 2004 by defining Kerry as unpatriotic.

I hope that I am wrong. I hope that McCain-Palin's appeal to mid-America works with independents and the swing states. We'll see how the polls move this next week, but I think the Obama-Biden strategy was the clear winner of this debate.

Signing off...JCB

P.S. George S. has a good take on this: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/stephanopoulo-2.html Sphere: Related Content