Presidential Debate #3

Yikes! Noting like turning on BBC first thing in the morning and running into … the last Presidential Debate!?

A few notes (coming in a little late):

Um, attacking McCain’s health care plan is not an “attack ad” on McCain. Get serious.

Obama brings up the problems at the McCain/Palin rallies. McCain tries to turn it into an attack on veterans and all his supporters. “I’m proud” of them. Sure, a few fringe, we’ve “always” said it’s inappropriate?

Ayers thing comes up. McCain is all “I don’t care, but WE NEED TO KNOW!” Obama addresses the whole Ayers/ACORN thing very simply, plainly, effectively. McCain just repeats the charge.

Obama lauds Biden. McCain lauds Palin. Reformer! Breath of fresh air! (!) Reformer! And, um … special needs! Reformer! Obama won’t attack her directly — it’s up to the American people. Capable politician and special needs, that’s nice. But, of course, special needs are going to require added funding, and an across-the-board freeze would hurt that. McCain says Biden is qualified, but has voted wrong a lot (against GW I, in favor of partitition).

McCain turns the special needs thing into SPEND, SPEND, SPEND! And raising people’s taxes!

Energy. We can eliminate dependence on Middle Eastern and Venezuelan oil (Canada is okay). Nukes — store and reprocess (!). Nuclear power plants on navy ships is okay, safe, no problem! (Eek!) Obama — reduce in 10 years, that’s realistic. Biggest problem right now. Yeah, making some domestic drilling, but that’s not it alone. Glancing at notes. Alternates. Domestic US high-mileage car — that’s something we can work on.

NAFTA. Free trade cool, but Bush admin is “any trade treaty is a good trade treaty.” Environmental and labor concerns. Car imbalance in South Korea. McCain attacks because Obama’s only “looking at” offshore drilling. Free trade cool — and we need more (Columbia!) — and Obama hasn’t traveled — and Columbia free trade agreement Obama opposes, and they are helping us on the war on drugs! Travel down there! Neener! Obama notes violations and killings in Columbia’s labor movement — need to stand up for human rights. Need a president who likes free trade but who will stand up in the face of problems.

Need to lean on automakers — provide some loan support, but also get them to do both more fuel-efficient cars and other manufacturing alternate energy stuff. McCain: doesn’t want free trade with our good ally, but willing to SIT ACROSS THE TABLE WITH HUGO CHAVEZ!   He wants to restrict trade and raise taxes! Hoover!

Controlling health care costs over expanding coverage? Obama, need to do both and that’s what our plan does. Anecdotes. Describes plan. Like what you have, great; otherwise, get to join the federal employee pools, preexisting conditions, negotiate on drugs, IT, preventive care … (all good, probably insufficient). Costs money, but long-term savings. McCain: Fines if you don’t have health care! Health care bureaucracies! Single payer system! Canada and England! Obama: No, just described. Joe the Plumber pays zero — exempting small business. Just larger businesses — who are dumping costs into Medicare of uninsured.

And the McCain plan. $5K plan — employers will dump 20mn people, higher pool costs, taxing people health care benefits, $5K doesn’t cover squat vs $12K. And it strips state-based rules, cherrypicking and excluding insured. McCain: mangles the small business thing. Mandates! Big government! 95% of people will get more money under my plan — current (taxed) benefits, plus $5K, except gold-plated cadillac coverage. Democrats! Government spending! They’ve been in charge the last two years!

Obama: You just heard my plan. US Chamber of Commerce has condemned McCain plan.

Roe v Wade! Could you nominate someone to the SCOTUS who opposed you? McCain – I’ve never had a litmus test. But it’s a bad decision. State-based decisions. Nominate based on qualifications, not a litmus test. I voted for Breyer and Ginsburg. Obama voted against Breyer and Roberts because they weren’t ideologically right. Strict adherence to constitution. I believe in quals — not a litmus test, but can’t imagine Roe v Wade support being strict adherence to constitution. (So … what’s the difference?)

Obama: Not a litmus test, but Roe v Wade was right. Abortion is very difficult, a moral issue, good people on both sides — but women are in the best position to make this decision. Right to privacy, not subject to state referendum, any more than First Amendment is. Pulls decision over the the Lilly Ledbetter decision; I supported the effort to change law, and McCain opposed it. McCain: trial lawyer’s dream! And we need courage and compassion to help women. Attacks Obama record for what he supported or voted “present” on all sorts of “pro-abortion” things. Obama: explains the situation on the Illinois votes, clearly. Abortion issue divides us — but surely there is common ground we can try to prevent unintended pregancies, through better education, adoption, etc. All in the Democratic platform this year. McCain: “Health of the mother” is a weasel phrase. Dinging Obama’s “eloquence.”

Education. We spend more per capita than any nation, but math and science K-12 trail the world.

Obama: Huge economic and national security issue. We need to invest — early childhood education, proven benefits. Recruit new teachers. Graduate debt. And parents need to be responsible. McCain: civil rights issue of the 21st century (?). Equal access to schools, but failed schools. Choice and competition among schools. Charter schools. Merit pay for teachers. Fire bad teachers. Need to provide folks school choice. More money not the answer — worst schools get most money (!). State certification rules inflexible. More student loan and affordable ones, and key to inflation.

Federal government / money? Obama – tradition of local control is good, but feds need to step up and help. NCLB, but money left behind, unfunded mandates. Ditto with special ed. Also need a way to get rid of bad teachers, yeah. But vouchers don’t secure problems with education. And McCain’s record against college affordability, dinged as an “interest group.” McCain: vouchers in DC cool, and you’re ignoring that example! NCLB – first beginning. Head Start not doing the job, need to reform and fund, but Dems oppose. Need reform! Transparancy! Accountability! Funding! Autism — I have Sarah Palin! We’ll fund and spend the money to research, and Americans will support that. I will fund stuff that is useful. Vouchers! Obama circles back to vouchers in DC. McCain’s voucher plan only expands the DC voucher program. Need to look at it nationwide.

Final statements.

McCain: Thanks, thanks. Need a new direction beyond last 8 years. Reformer! (Not Maverick, Refomer, I guess). Long record. Steward of tax dollars. Health care. Education. Stop spending. It’s all based on trust of you on steward of dollars, security, prosperity. My entire life in service of this nation, country first, long line of McCains, honor of my life, hope you’ll give me an opportunity.

Obama: Thanks. Tough times. Last 8 years, and decades of neglect from Congress. Biggest risk is to adopt the failed policies and politics of last 8 years. Fundamental change. Last 20 months — invited me in, fundamental generosity and decency. Need to invest in American people, tax cuts, education, health care, energy economy, policies to increase middle class. Not going to be easy or quick, but we need all come together.

Summary: Not much of a winner on points from either side. Obama was calm and cool, didn’t respond to needling, held his own rhetorically, addressed (in too much detail) some outstanding issues. McCain recycled a lot of standard talking points, stood his ground on the same ones even when addressed.

The more intimate across-the-table format probably favored McCain — no walking the stage, more “intimate.” There was definitely more interplay and interruptions between the two.

The McCain rhetoric was basically, “I’m a reformer, he’s a spender. I’m not about personal attacks, but he needs to answer these charges. Oh, I’m a reformer, by the way — here are a few more talking points and buzz words.” The Obama rhetoric was essentially, “Here is my plan, here’s how his plan won’t work, here’s the mystery explained, let’s band together.”

Not surprisingly, given the tenor of the campaign, Obama, the outsider and party-changer, seemed a bit more — if not assured of victory, then certainly the front-runner. He seemed presidential, despite McCain’s snarky and repeated snipes at his “eloquence.”  McCain was the “feisty underdog” again, but didn’t seem to be able to raise his points without dragging the conversation kicking and screaming to make them.

I’d give the debate slightly to Obama overall, though it was by no means a blow-out. Most importantly, I don’t see anything happening here likely to take away the momentum and lead that the Obama campaign holds.