LIVE discussion: Nashville Presidential Debate #2
 

Okay... here we go!

I think going into this it's important to note that most of this debate will be about the economy, whereas the previous was supposed to mostly be about foreign policy. McCain generally polls higher on foreign policy, and Obama on the economy.

This has already been reflected by the live polling on CNN, as it's clear that Obama has seen substantially higher ratings so far.

eh, palin's not there, so nobody is watching

i do find it funny that mccain brings up freddie and fannie when his top advisor was receiving $45k/month from those two companies for his lobbying services.
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don't forget, cnn has the 'uncommitted ohio voters' lines. so far, women love obama

Senator Obama seems substantially more comfortable tonight than he was for the previous debate. He's making the transitions to energy, health care, and education almost seamlessly.

I was also glad to hear Obama say: "I'm cutting more than I'm spending". I think that's going to make a lot of people more comfortable with Obama.
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I'm not hearing specifics. I want to hear specifics.
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John McCain reached way across the aisle.... to Joe Lieberman? Yeah, he's more of a Republican than most Republicans.

Honestly, I feel that McCain is making more incisive remarks at Obama. He's undercutting my confidence in him right now (not by NEARLY enough to change my vote yet, though). Granted, I'm a bit burned out on debates and haven't been giving it my full attn this time around.

Doubling the peace corps? I wasn't aware Obama was interested in doing that. Very cool.

I'm watching it a bit behind so sorry for the delayed posts.

Do you guys find it funny that McCain said in his first answer "We have got to stop spending 700 Billion dollars a year to countries that don't want us...like us very much."

Is he talking about Iraq?

so far it sounds like mccain is more direct and it almost feels like obama is faltering a little. he seems to skirt around questions rather than directly answer them. even if mccain in´t really saying anything of substance it sounds like he is.

and here we go with mccain's attacking obama and when did middle income americans become 225K and above?

did anyone see 'gop watch group and dem watch group" racial mesh...

that was interesting

/sign what magnets said. McCain is really taking the limelight.

And...wow! The moderator just BULLDOZED Obama! Props to him (sorry Obama ;(. Lot of sharp attacks (some false!) I know you'd like to rebut).

@Pag: I quite agree with that.

Come on, my friends.

i didn't know that either and i'm actually in the process of applying....

i kinda wish brokaw had beent eh moderator for palin/biden. hes' doing a good job, overall.


btw, anyone notice mccain's inflections are now sounding more like palin's? the way he 'questions' in a forced whisper...

:lol: Yeah, that's just about the cheesiest thing ever.

This debate is a Grade-A train wreck. I thought this format (town hall) was supposed to be McCain's strength? He's coming off as a dick

Computer / internet? Flub? Anyone catch that?

They both need to stop bullshitting us on this idea that offshore drilling is gonna lower gas prices any time soon.

McCain's inflections remind me more of Bush's inflections. Sounds like Bush in 2004 debates.

Oh, that "I'm just trying to keep up with John" was a not needed comment by Obama.

Agreed. Obama needs to stop being so nice to McCain.

At least he called McCain on his continued lies about Obama and nuclear power.

Everytime Obama does a jab like that at McCain, his polls spike down a bit. McCain's are pretty much the same too, though.

I think that the polls are generally favoring Obama, though.

The debate format sucks.

Obama said the magic word! Prevention! Yes! Yes!

I agree, I'm glad Obama shot McCain down on those things. i think that's important.

I don't like McCain's determination to build thousands of nuclear plants.

Healthcare is a different issue, I don't like either of their plans, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd lean towards McCain's plan.

I don't like either, but I'd be more inclined to go for Obama's.

Then again I'm slightly socialistic.

i had a phone call right at the beginning of this. i've watched a few minutes, and mc-cain is annoying me. i get the sense he's talking down to the audience, and has been coached into streaming what he says through repeating buzzwords and integrating little talking points. this more a style thing than a substance thing. i haven't really heard obama say much that isnt more or less what one would expect. the format does, in fact, suck. but cspan is the venue to watch.

I totally agree.

Aren't nuclear power plants like $2 billion to build? Are we really really ready to spend trillions on nuclear power?

McCain "I'm going to answer the question. I'm going to fix social security by fixing social security"

Jesus, Ohio women want to jump Obama's bones.

lol, we're slightly nationalistic.

"America is the greatest force for good there has ever been in the world".

Ratings ^^^.

I'm not sure on the cost to build nuclear power plants, but I imagine the initial cost is extremely large. yes, afterwards they are very cheap.

But, neither candidate talks a lot about other opportunities. Wind power, solar power? They make little drops about it here and there, but McCain seems to be sold nuclear is the main answer, the others are just a few things here and there of interest. I think our power grid will become a conglomerate of various types of energy production. We don't need to switch from one strict energy producer to restricting ourselves to another energy producer.

I hate it when they continue to use facts that have been repeatedly been proven incorrect. 700 billion in foreign oil (not so much), 79 billion surplus in Iraq (not so much).

If you don't take care of your employees' health-- well, fuck you.

that 'my friends' thing is freaking annoying
i d'n twant a friend in office, i want someone who will do something i agree with..

obama just called out mccain on his iraq cheerleading.

seriously, do you need "My friends' twice in the same sentence.


oh, and nuclear plants become cheaper as they are built, huge curve at first, then they begin to get much cheaper. The biggest issue is securing places to build them bc of the NIMBY issue

My friends, my friends, my friends, my friends, my friends... Gez give it a rest my friend.

President Reagan is McCain's hero?

It's sounding more and more condescending.

I only just got home from work to catch this on TV, but I was listening to it on NPR on my way to and from work (work was brief). McCain seems to repeat himself frequently. In one response, he said the same thing three times over in regards to pork barrel spending/projects; it almost sounded as if he was stuttering.

Did anyone else see McCain kind of wander into the picture behind Obama when Obama was talking about healthcare as a commodity? McCain wandered into the frame, and the camera panned up just in time to see McCain shrug his shoulders at someone on the periphery and then go sit down. I wonder if it's difficult for him to sit for extended periods of time?

This is kind of boring, though.

Now McCains hero is Teddy R? Thought his hero was Ronnie?

Guess he changes heroes like he does positions.

it's not that this is boring, it's that they are ...i do'nt know what the difference is between this and the regular debate format other than other people ask the questions...

Certainly, it'd be more fun if they wore boxing gloves, but unfortunately that's not politics.

McCain's trying to deal with Pakistan is always a fumbling disaster.

Seriously.

And we saw how well "big stick" diplomacy worked for Bushco, though they largely forgot the "speak softly" part. Somehow I have a feeling McCain and crew would forget to "speak softly" as well.