Matthew Yglesias » Wrapping Up

Oct 7th, 2008 at 10:42 pm

Wrapping Up

There was really nothing here that we hadn’t heard before, though Obama came up with a wittier way of making his basic point about Iraq. On some level, it’s not so surprising that we didn’t hear anything incredibly new. On another level, it’s extremely surprising to me, tactically, that McCain didn’t try to do something new. Instead, McCain took the same talking points (earmarks bad, tax cuts good, earmarks very bad) that have seen him fall behind and decided to repeat them with less energy. I would be shocked if this exchange gained any ground for McCain and not at all surprised if he just continues to slip.

Comments
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22 Responses to “Wrapping Up”

El Cid Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Is his right wing base, currently screaming about how the Fedrul Gubmit caused this mortgage crisis by interferin’ with the market for them black people, going to be happy with McCain’s recommendation that the Fedrul Gubmit buy up American mortgages?

I think it possibly could be a good idea, but it’s a bit odd to stick in at this point, particularly given the BLAME FANNIE & FREDDIE line they’ve been working off of.
chris09 Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Did anybody else notice that, after the debate, while John McCain and the Obamas were shaking hands with the audience, Cindy McCain merely followed John around with her hands behind her back? This cries out for a week-long story on how Cindy McCain is an elitist who refuses any sort of contact with the general public.
gordon gekko Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Where you watching the same debate? McCain just promised a homeowners bailout. Can’t say I agree with the policy (you do of course) but it is a great way to buy votes.
Why oh why Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
McCain: “I know how to get Bin Laden”.

But he won’t tell us or the FBI how, unless he gets elected???
ronathan richardson Says:
October 7th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
The best thing I heard tonight was Obama comparing his green jobs/technology plan the internet/computer boom. That’s the only answer I’ve heard that, to me, sounds like it would actually work as a government intervention to spur economic growth–akin to getting in on the ground floor in a big growing industry and then selling the technology worldwide. Big win–Obama should repackage that message as it would convince the many people (including the cnn focus group) that think neither candidate has real specific answers about how to fix the economy.
Comment Says:
October 8th, 2008 at 12:21 am
Obama destroyed McCain like a neutron bomb - Obama’s
neutron bomb left no visable damage, but killed
all the life within McCain’s campaign.
Colatina Says:
October 8th, 2008 at 1:28 am
I don’t think I’d trust a campaign manager who thought the way to turn campaigns around would be to pull crazy stunts in debates. Perhaps *McCain* has people who could think like this, but I doubt they would. There are some tactics that are so “risky” that they’re suicidal compared to staying the course and hoping for a miracle.

But if by “something new”, MY means some more sane change of course, I think he may have done that. He sounded less hawkish on foreign policy, and more to the left on the economy, the environment, and just about everything else. They both seems to be in the center, except when McCain shockingly proposed a massive bailout for homeowners. Of course it’s too little, too late, and Palin is a real drag on any centrist message.
Scott Lemieux Says:
October 8th, 2008 at 1:59 am
No, no, no, this is all part of a master plan from Team Sedona almost as brilliant as the plans of Isiah Thomas.
Michael Ben-Yehuda Says:
October 8th, 2008 at 3:58 am
I heard one major policy statement by McCain that was totally new. In regard to Social Security, he said “current workers will not receive the same benefits as current retirees do today.” That means that he intends on CUTTING Social Security benefits for the middle ‘working’ class.

He tried to make something sound new when he talked about the treasury buying out ‘bad’ mortgages, and re-negotiating them with new terms. THAT ISN’T NEW - it’s authorized by the bailout package voted on last week. McCain never read the 3 page proposal from Paulson; now it seems he hasn’t read the legislation he just voted for.

McCain suggested the former CEO of Ebay, Meg Whitman for heading up the Federal reserve. What she knows about money policy or economics comes only from business; nothing on the banking side. Another questionable choice, if you ask me.

The ‘other’ news is that Cindy McCain refused to shake hands with anyone - including Michelle Obama. The McCains left moments after the debate ended; a surprise for someone who is ‘comfortable’ in a Town Hall setting. The Obamas hung around for more than 20 minutes, shaking hands, signing autographs, posing for pictures and talking and greeting everyone personally. Big win for Obama on that; and it was noted on the press coverage as well.
JenJen Says:
October 8th, 2008 at 4:15 am
My friends, overhead projectors that power planetariums = BAD. Can’t you see why we’re in this economic crisis today?

Science sucks ass, my friends.
peahen Says:
October 8th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Sure don’t want those city kids to see any STARS (even fake ones). Who knows, they might try to like, reach for them, or move somewhere they can see them all the time. Eek!!
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Matt Yglesias

Wrapping Up

22 Responses to “Wrapping Up”

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