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Arianna Huffington, formerly a Republican, credits her shift in political views to colleagues Al Franken and Robert Scheer. Before her change in ...
Read more about By Arianna Huffington, Tribune Media Services.
Arianna Huffington, formerly a Republican, credits her shift in political views to colleagues Al Franken and Robert Scheer. Before her change in ...
Read more about By Arianna Huffington, Tribune Media Services.
The Winner Of Debate II? 'That One'
By Arianna Huffington, Tribune Media Services
In Debate II, John McCain twice laid out the criteria for how the
American people should judge the candidates: In tough times, we need
someone with a steady hand on the tiller.
By that measure, Obama was the clear winner. He was centered where McCain was scattered. Forceful where McCain was forced. Presidential where McCain was petulant.
In the first debate, McCain wouldn't look at Obama. In this one, he referred to him as "that one." The contempt was palpable, and unpalatable.
In the run-up to the debate, McCain lowered himself into the sewer in a desperate attempt to portray Obama as dangerous, untrustworthy, a risk too big to take.
But Obama's measured reasonableness totally countered that caricature. You could fault Obama for not being particularly inspiring, but you could not miss the rock steady competence he exuded -- authoritatively delivering substantive answers to questions on the economy, health care, taxes and foreign policy.
He scored with his history lesson, reminding voters of the economy the Republicans inherited, and how they squandered that inheritance.
He scored with his reminder of how much the war in Iraq is costing America and the enormous strain that puts on our economy -- as well as our national security.
He scored when he declared that affordable health care is a "right" of every American and not, as McCain put it, a "responsibility" of . . . he actually didn't specify who.
And Obama scored big when he gave voice to the vast gulf between the two candidates' -- and the two parties' -- position on the role of government in our lives, invoking JFK's commitment to put a man on the moon in 10 years as an example of what can be done in fueling a new alternative energy-based economy, and pointing out how government investment played a key role in developing the tech advances that have driven our economy for the last two decades.
McCain, like Palin last week, couldn't decide if government is the enemy or the deep-pocketed benefactor that is going to buy up all the bad mortgages in America.
Is "a government-bought house on every lot" the 21st century equivalent of "a chicken in every pot"?
McCain also provided the debate's strangest moments, twice chiding Obama for backing an "overhead projector" in a planetarium, and raising the idea of "gold-plated Cadillac" insurance policies that pay for hair transplants. Huh?
McCain also told us he knows how to fix the economy, knows how to win wars, and knows how to capture bin Laden. Is there a reason he's keeping all these a secret?
The debate ended on a question Tom Brokaw described as having "a certain Zen-like quality": "What don't you know and how will you learn it?"
Both men used the opportunity to pivot from the Moment of Zen into impassioned but familiar stump speech stories about single moms (Obama) and absent fathers (McCain), about the American Dream (Obama) and the putting country first (McCain), about the need for fundamental change (Obama) and the desire for another opportunity to serve (McCain).
At the end of the debate, Brokaw asked McCain to get out of the way of his Teleprompter, so he could sign off.
Brokaw might as well have been speaking on behalf of the future: Senator McCain, can you please get out of the way so we can get on with it?
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Arianna Huffington's e-mail address is arianna@huffingtonpost.com.
(c) 2008 Arianna Huffington. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.
This news arrived on: 10/09/2008
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Posted Comments:
11-01-2008 04:39
JCE wrote:
What no one seems to notice is that if the government did it's job, there would be peace and prosperity for all in this country, not just for the very rich. And the only ones who can make the government do its job is the American people. And how do you keep them from doing that? Have them fight each other, keep them distracted, take away their jobs, get them in a controversial war, make sure that they can't afford health care, or food, or gas, etc., make them angry, keep them from a good education, and they will lose their power. Wow! That is just the situation that we find ourselves in, and it is coincidentally, how governments more evil than ours take power. While we have the best government that money can buy, most of us don't have any money. We did start out with the best form of government that there is, we just blew it. Now we have a change to take it back, but more people seem to be willing to keep it the same, by not voting, having voter fraud, voter intimidation, or just voting for more and the same.
10-19-2008 17:56
msattitude69 wrote:
Family Values
Texas Katie, glad your still around missed your posts for about a week. Your are absolutely on the mark when you say that everyone over 62 has the right to healthcare why not those under 62. I think that what Tom B was really asking is have we evolved enough as a society that taking care of the sick in our country is a moral responsibility or not. A family value if you will. mccain clearly did not think so and Obama clearly understood the question. What you do unto the least of me you do unto me. Family values.
10-15-2008 22:05
deddy d'mahdi wrote:
Obama
I am an Indonesian who live so far from America. I dont care who will win the election of American president but I believe which is in this decade The worst will Lost. Obama look beter than Mc-Cain. Congratulation for american people , hope God chose you the good president who can make the world more peacefully, salute to each other , away from the war. The modern War is how to beat our bad habbit and make everything useful to other people, environment and to all the thing in this only our planet .PLZ......back to Allah SWT, the most gracious, the unlimited superpower, the best knows, the undying the most loves. The peace in the UNIVERSE is depend on all peopple who care of peacefull and not the depend on one person eventhough the General of Army or the President or the king, who all cant refuse the death when their time come. Allah Said I will follow what you are thingking about...You is meant all many kind of people, in Islam is said UMMAT (Ummah) ,
10-14-2008 00:51
Texas Katie wrote:
to Sunshine49
I forgot to mention the most obvious error in your reply.
"Katie wrote: Before you go on and on about that being another step on the way to socialism, let me remind you that every one of our citizens over the age of 62 have the "right" to healthcare!"
You reply, and I quote: Since most of them have "paid" for it, there is no reason why they shouldn't get it."
MOST of them have "PAID"?? That's right, not all have paid. In addition, folks like my husband who has been retired for 40 years have reaped much more than they have sown.
So I stand by my first statement ie: by your own definition, this is socialism. If folks over 62 can receive healthcare, why do you have a problem with those under 62 receiving healthcare????
"Katie wrote: Before you go on and on about that being another step on the way to socialism, let me remind you that every one of our citizens over the age of 62 have the "right" to healthcare!"
You reply, and I quote: Since most of them have "paid" for it, there is no reason why they shouldn't get it."
MOST of them have "PAID"?? That's right, not all have paid. In addition, folks like my husband who has been retired for 40 years have reaped much more than they have sown.
So I stand by my first statement ie: by your own definition, this is socialism. If folks over 62 can receive healthcare, why do you have a problem with those under 62 receiving healthcare????
10-14-2008 00:46
Texas Katie wrote:
to Sunshine49
Sorry, but you STILL don't get it!
Brokaw asked each candidate their own opinion - - NOT an interpretation of the Constitution.
And, NO, when you say and I quote "When anyone talks about "rights" in this country, it is ALWAYS in reference to their Constitutional "rights" as citizens."
Finally, you state and I quote: "Obama's plan will also cover the millions of non-Americans in this country. Is that right or fair since they didn't pay a dime into the system?"
First, you are conjecturing who Obama's plan will cover and second, you are also conjecturing that they didn't pay a dime into the system.
For your information, many non-citizens who use someone else's SS# in order to work DO pay into the system and will never get a dime out of it. So, you see, there are at least two sides to every story. Please don't constantly assume that your assumptions are always the only correct answer.
That is coming from your own frame of reference, and isn't the natural inference of everyone. We rely on clear communication to know the context.
Brokaw asked each candidate their own opinion - - NOT an interpretation of the Constitution.
And, NO, when you say and I quote "When anyone talks about "rights" in this country, it is ALWAYS in reference to their Constitutional "rights" as citizens."
Finally, you state and I quote: "Obama's plan will also cover the millions of non-Americans in this country. Is that right or fair since they didn't pay a dime into the system?"
First, you are conjecturing who Obama's plan will cover and second, you are also conjecturing that they didn't pay a dime into the system.
For your information, many non-citizens who use someone else's SS# in order to work DO pay into the system and will never get a dime out of it. So, you see, there are at least two sides to every story. Please don't constantly assume that your assumptions are always the only correct answer.
That is coming from your own frame of reference, and isn't the natural inference of everyone. We rely on clear communication to know the context.
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