Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain took to the stage Tuesday night in a town-hall debate in front of 80 selected, undecided voters with the rest of the nation watching live on all the major networks and news channels.
It was inevitable that the economy would be the primary focus with Congress recently passing a bailout plan to aid the failing financial industry. Both candidates promised they had a better plan to lead the country through which both referred to as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. An hour of the 90-minute event was used to discuss economic issues with McCain offering a plan that had been already proposed by Obama.
Obama blamed the financial crisis on deregulation and the fiscal policies of the Bush administration, which he continuously linked to McCain. McCain, on the other hand, attempted to portray Obama as an advocate of spending and higher taxes, while portraying himself as someone willing to reach across the aisle and sometimes at odds with Bush — a maverick, if you will.
During a discussion on energy, McCain criticized Obama for his support of the 2007 Bush-Cheney energy bill and dismissively referred to him as “that one”:
“It was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate, loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney. You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one. You know who voted against it? Me.”
McCain needed a success to possibly help in the polls, but it’s unlikely. Reaction groups polled by the major networks all declare Obama as the winner. The latest Gallup poll shows a 9-point lead for Obama, which ties his campaign high.
VIDEO OF THE DEBATE
As much as I agree with so many of your comments, please do not underestimate people. Please VOTE!! We cannot afford to have McCain and Palin in office. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!!!
@ dukesman2000
I will vote for McCain.
The issues that affect me, the ones that i care about are listed as following
Taxes
Immigration
Abortion
Education
What I like to call soldier issues
I disagree with Obama whole hardly on all of these issues. He has not said one thing in my favor. I dont believe in what he is saying and by reading his platform I dont see that we see eye to eye. Now I have to admit that I question him as a person and I have a lot of un- answered question about his personal life and some other things. My intrest was peaked in 2002 after I heard him speak and didnt now who he was.
I vote in every election. Weather it be county clerk or us senate. Even while in Iraq and a few other countries I made sure I was heard on the ballot.
Now by all means if Obama speaks to you and you agree with him please vote for him. You know whats important to you more than I do so I would not persume to tell you who is right for you.
I think the bottom line is Mcain just doesn’t seem to respect Obama. He’s probably a little annoyed by the fact that he’s losing to a black hopeful who he feels is far inferior to him due to his relative youth and lesser experience (and race?…).
Maybe he was being so dismissive all the time because he feels thats what he need to do to create a false sense of superiority and seniority. Either way it reeks more of weakness and desperation than anything else.
@ Karlita
We are in fact a nation of racist. My granddad still uses the term “white man” when talking about authories and every other week CL post a song with nigg* in it. We call each other names and lose I minds if someone who has the same color as us disagree with one thing we say. I dont like it but its true. You can say we are not and we will have to agree to disagree. Try listening to a song or watching something on TV were race is not the butt of the joke. The next time you hear someone say what the white man has done to them you make sure you give them the same spill you just gave me.
Now the point I think you are missing is the fact The bail out dosent not cover home owners ( read the bill you can find it on the Congress website) that means more money from tax payers. Now these homes still sit in a county. Counties have taxes too, thats how we pay for education in the United States.
Like I said before
The issues that affect me, the ones that i care about are listed as following
Taxes
Immigration
Abortion
Education
What I like to call soldier issues
I dont agree with Obama on any of these issues. And nothing you can say will change my mind, I dont hear what I need to hear from Obama and you cant say it or think it for him. I’m not tell you to vote for McCain. He might not speak to your needs as he dose mine, but respect my right to vote for who has my needs at heart. That’s why America is the greatest country on earth, because who ever win this will still be America
I noticed that too last night Angel. Everytime a black person asked him a question he couldn’t even look them in the face. McCain is from those lynch-a-
nig@!h days so you know he could careless about the black man. I could’ve sworn
he was that kid in my 7th grade history book that stood in the crowd and watched as a black man was hung.
@ JA,
Understanding that you entitled to your opinion and your vote is your own, I just wish to enlighten you about a few keys things that helped me determine which candidate to vote for. Our economy was not destroyed solely by the greed of wall street and the financial sector. None of them would have ever been able to do anything without the deregulation pushed by president Bush and senator McCain. McCain admitted his involvement in similar deregulation actions in the early 80′s in which a CEO went to jail. Also he intends to give tax breaks to those who directly benefited from his deregulation. He is actually purposing to treat our employee health care coverage like the housing market. His tax ideals will destroy health care to promote to us that we will receive and tax credit. Ask yourself this, if taxes are important to you, would you give up your health coverage provided by your employer for a $5,000 tax credit. Check your paycheck stub and see if that tax credit will pay for your current medical coverage. I believe that this would be a more important factor to you if you were in the hospital and you found yourself arguing with you insurance company over a procedure that could save your life and your insurance company is making their decision with a cost benefit analysis compared to state and federal regulations. If McCain becomes president, when we need medical care it will depend on how much money you have not how sick you are. Now, exactly when has McCain ever detailed a plan regarding education. All I hear from him is everything Obama isn’t doing. In this election i believe the most important thing should be the health care reform because the bailout plan is already passed and the new president does not have much say in it now. With all that said, there has not been one thing I can say that McCain has said that would warrant me voting for him.
Hell yeah Angel, he said “that one” twice even if u don’t agree with him you still have to show that man respect he deserves to be on that stage as much as mccain does. Im really not feeling Mccain for that shit.
I WONDER WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH OBAMAS HEAD WHEN HE REFFERED TO HIM AS “THATS ONE” VERY RUDE HE HAS A NAME AND IS HUMAN AND NOT AN OBJECT!
@ Reg
First of all. Lets be truthful. Bush has never support deregulation. That’s just not true. Second I have health coverage from the Department of defense. The Army is hiring Soldiers and civilians everyday. I just show my ID card and I’m good. I’m not going to get involved in politics that have nothing to do with me. If you don’t like McCain’s plan go with Obama. Do you please.
I believe in NCLB(no child left behind) McCain supports it Obama not so much. I think teacher with no progress need to find another line of work, I don’t believe in good teachers or bad teacher. I don’t believe in teacher bonuses and pats on the back. That’s what wrong in this country, everyone is waiting for a pat on the back for the job the are suppose to be doing. I digress. We need testing so we can identify weakness in schools.
Now you should know that McCain was found to not have acted in an illegal manner. What was big to me is he said he was sorry it appeared he did something wrong. If I were you I would check his record after that. And the deregulation bill did not pass. That means a lot of people didn’t vote for it. Not just McCain. but you are welcome to think what you want.
Now you must know that Fannie mae started as a Government program. It was LBJ that moved it and other programs to the private sector. Now if we were so concerned with regulation in 2006 when the congress change there was a chance for regulation and McCain and a few others to include Bush asked for the change, but because it would affect programs like ACORN it had no chance.
So like I said I vote on issues that relate to me and I suggest you do the same
@Ja
You have to understand that although today the concern is the housing sector and deregulation within it, tommarrow the crisis will be health care. Now, if you understand Obama’s position regarding the NCLB program, he feels like the program and its direction for the past eight years has made it an underacheiver! For a long time it is understood that teachers are underpaid and to say they are not is just silly. Their importance for the growth of our society is undeniable and i personally they should be paid accordingly! Obama has said mutiple times that one of his main issue he would address is making education affordable to all. I am a father and one day I want my son to decide where he wants to go to college not based on how much it will cost, but where his dreams want him to go. Just supporting a program that has already been established is not changing, but accepting the current condition as ok! Nothing that has been done in the last 8 year has been ok!
Just because you work for the department of defense does not mean that you do not pay for health insurance. what ever you pay will be taxed and that is money out of your pocket. Don’t worry because you will get back through a tax credit. that sound good, but being an accountant I know that mean that your tax liability is reduced by 5000 and you will receive the difference between that and the taxes that have been withheld. Average people will only receive maybe 1000 back. that is a joke!
Regarding McCain involvement in those securities scandals, he admitted that he made a mistake lobbying for that CEO and the situation was one of the saddest moments of his life. Also, deregulation is not a bill, it is a fundamental thinking that within a free market without oversight can correct any problem. He just recently wrote in the wall street journal that he help deregulate the financial market and will do the same for health care.
Lets look at the facts. 1. Was wrong about the war. 2. Was wrong about the housing market. (Funny thing, he continue to say that 2 years ago he wrote a letter warning about the financial crisis, but did not sat that the actual letter was written in regards to the accounting issues the financial institution were having. I.E Worldcom) 3. Wants to give us a tax credit, but tax our Health Benefits, causing 25 million people to loose health care coverage. 4. He spent the first half of his campaign jumping on Obama about his lack of experience, then make Palin his running mate.
I am sorry, I know there are flaws within Obama and i know there will be thing that he will promise and not come through with, but everything that McCain is running about is no different that what we are going through now! What makes it even worst is if he does become president we are a heart attack away from the president being Palin.
@ reg
I can tell you are not a soldier. We have included mandated by congress health care. No co-pay. I pay taxes that is true but the taxes go right back into my check since we are paid by taxes dollars. I’m sorry but i just cant identify with the health care plan you are trying to sell or the one that Obama had on his platform ( free health care for everyone weather you work for it or not)
And if you look up around 2006 about the mid of the year there was a bill floating around congress that call for amoung other thing regulation and more over sight along with reduced funding to Acorn.
Teachers pay is up to the school district that has nothing to do with the fed government. I do not want to pay teacher twice. If teachers want more money the need to take that up with local government. But most of all dont teacher if you are going to do a half ass job. McCain doesnt want to pay bad teachers at all. I dont know the last time you were at your kids school but trust there are some bad teachers there. And at the sametime school is not a day care center. Parents have step up. Yes Parents are part of education too.
With your agrument on high education. You get 12 years. free. That’s more than a lot of countries. You want to get in to what ever school you want to, work hard. In texas if you graduate in top 10% you get a free ride to any state school. That’s how I went. How about save money in a college fund instead of eating out or buying Jordans. I mean does the government have to do everything.
And what I hate is when people assume if they had a tough time everybody did. It’s funny how other people try to tell people “this is what you need to be concerned with” I can’t go with you on that. I’m healty, my husband is healty, kids fine, money in the bank , gas in the cars, and jobs. God is good and I cant complain.
I hear you and I feel you vote for Obama it is your right, but dont ask me to because you feel like I should share your view. I’m not trying to change your mind. I’m voting for McCain but if Obama wins I’m still going to be blessed and highly favored. People said the same thing when I didnt vote for kerry or gore. Still stand still doing great. But I guess according to you I not really ok I just cant see it. Thats funny
My President is Black!!!!!!
OBAMA YALL
JA #62, are you kidding me? Soldier issues?
(1) Taxes: How many soldiers make > $250k?
(2) Immigration: Again, you gotta be kidding. Read up on your dude’s platform.
(3) Abortion: Soldiers are pro-life? Yeah, ok.
(4) Education: Well this is where I can agree with you. Collin Powell is the only soldier I’ve ever saw that couldn’t use more of this
*I ever saw
As for NCLB, let me explain to you why it is simply a failed idea. The government gives teachers an incentive to perform, and then places the performance evaluation barometer under the teacher’s auspices. What happens then? Teachers will cheat and kids will lose. A study was actually conducted in the Chicago Educational District where this was established to be the case, and many teachers were fired. I will never understand why people refuse to learn.
@Ja
Education “Do well and you can go anywhere”
I graduated number 1 in my class with good test scores as an African American and got nothing from my state schools. If it wasn’t for student loans, and the letter my mother wrote to congress I would not have been able to attend college. Not every state is the same, and not every situation is the same.
Obama 08!!
@ Obama 08 and SMH
What you fail to hear is that those are MY issues and how I feel about things. I cant speak for you and I’m not going to try. I want whats best for my family and I’m sorry but what goes on at your house/ state doesnt concern me. I vote for what will make MY Family happy.
As for as education it is a state issue. The teacher incentive is offered by the state. NCLB pays less the 1% of a school districts budget. If you have a problem with the way fund run through you state you need to state at the local level nothing obama can do for you there unless he tries to increse Federal funding which will take power out of the parents hands. That the problem I am having. It ther is no incentive for student who do well in your state you need to talk to your mayor because that is truly sad.
@SMH
It’s not about making 250K a year. What I have a problem with is I dont believe the if you make more than me then You tax to income rate should be higher than mine. That is your money and you desever the same rights to your money as do I. I could care less what 50 cent pay in taxes. as long as he rate is equal to mine I’m fine. I do find fault with those of us who dont pay taxes and complain bout taxes like people that get more bake than they put in.
I think we need to enforce the laws on immigration. Pay tax, be legel or go home. Commit a crime go home. Me and McCain same page. If you were not born in America you should not have a home a job in America if you are not paying taxes. We have enough people born here not pulling their fair share we dont need extra.
I know you are trying to be cute with the whole abortion soldier thing and I’m glad you can get a good laugh, but something is wrong with a law that allows 13 yr old the do this to themselves without parents. It is illegal to get breast implant or heart surgrey without parents conccent. You dont have to have any type of special degree to preform abortion you just have to graduate from med school. I dare you name anything eles in medicne where this is the case. The doctor or nurse (p) dosent even have to advice you of health risk. And FYI people are still dying on the abortion table legal ans all. Read up on roe v wade and doe v bolton, and find out why these two women Sandra Cano and Norma L. McCorvey both go every year to have their own caes overturned.
It sound like to me you guy should have started you voing in 2006 locally. You got a lot of local problem that makes me glad I live in the Great state of Texas