McCain's Failed Debate Offensive

John McCain did not have the debate he needed on Tuesday night.

McCain's style was aggressive, disciplined and occasionally punchy. He heaped criticism on Barack Obama, blasting his record on taxes, health care and earmarks, and at one point derisively called the Democratic nominee "That One." McCain made over 14 references to the candidates' "records," pleading with voters to put aside Obama's words and inspect his history.

McCain's policy rhetoric was populist, reformist and sometimes contrarian. He floated the name of Obama backer Warren Buffet as a potential Treasury Secretary, and pledged that his administration would swiftly "buy up" all "the bad home loan mortgages in America and renegotiate at the new value of those homes." (Obama's rapid response team immediately noted that the bailout bill already includes "authority" for the Treasury to buy residential and commercial mortgages.) After all the audience questions and Brokaw quips piled up, however, McCain still failed to upend the narrative. It's a major setback in a race that is trending towards Obama and running out of time.

While McCain attacked most of the night -- in spite of the intimate, town hall setting -- Obama stuck to a crisper, measured tone. He still returned fire when necessary, counter-punching a financial attack by noting that "McCain's campaign chairman's firm was a lobbyist on behalf of Fannie Mae." Obama swiftly pivoted, however, to addressing the economy from a regular voter's perspective. "But, look, you're not interested in hearing politicians pointing fingers. What you're interested in is trying to figure out, how is this going to impact you?" Then he touted his plans to "strengthen" home buyers and advance regulation instead of the free market fundamentalism that ruled over the past "eight years."

I think Obama's best moment came when he reprised McCain's attack from the last debate. "Sen. McCain, in the last debate and today, again, suggested that I don't understand. It's true. There are some things I don't understand," he said firmly. "I don't understand how we ended up invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11, while Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are setting up base camps and safe havens to train terrorists to attack us. That was Sen. McCain's judgment and it was the wrong judgment. When Sen. McCain was cheerleading the president to go into Iraq, he suggested it was going to be quick and easy, we'd be greeted as liberators," he explained, concluding, "That was the wrong judgment, and it's been costly to us."

Before the debate had even ended, the Republican National Committee was already spinning a disappointing night for McCain. In the 10pm hour, an RNC spokesperson sent reporters a post by Politico's Ben Smith, "Not really a town hall," complaining about the format.

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From The Nation.

Read more reactions to the Obama-McCain Town Hall Debate from HuffPost bloggers

Comments

[rwt1138]

I think it was a good response, but I think with the question about the use of combat troops he really missed an opportunity. I think he should have pointed out the very real risks of sending off soldiers to possibly die, pointing out that you can't just do it with airstrikes. That airstrikes put our forces in the position of having to inadvertently kill innocent women and children--just like John McCain said we were doing in Kosovo. in the 90's.

I figure with McCain's running mate running around having a conniption fit over similar sentiments when Obama expressed the vis a vis Afghanistan, we wouldn't want her to overexert herself. She'd probably feel more comfortable hearing it from John.

[taitafalcon]

I saw the 2nd debate but as usual, I get lost in all the rhetoric from both sides. I have to have t time to think, read blogs, and look at the polls. I don't feel good about this method, I like making up my own mind in my own time. But this is complicated stuff and sometimes you just need help. Here is what I think is true:

Conservatives for the past 30 years have been talking about 'trickle down' economics. Since then, we've had 2 major mililtary conflicts, record deficits during Repub administrations, massive deregulation and nationwide crumbling of infrastructure in every sector. The idea of trickle down was to promote corporate wealth that , would create and maintain good jobs, share the profit with employees and create tax revenues. Well, we:

-lost jobs to the outsourcing that reduced the taxbase
-permanently reduced job availability to profiteers seeking cheaper labor
-have the employees with the few menial jobs leftover paying to repair corporate foolishness and greed - knowing neo-con driven deregulation has turned big business into the wild west.
- have 4200 dead GIs
- have worldwide disgust at our behaviour - like a neighbor who lets his dog crap on everybody else's lawn
-an overstrained and busted military capability
-a political Minnie Pearl with delusions of playing 'Barbie' on the world stage

The 'tax and spend' Democrat left the White House in 2000 with a budget surplus and social programs intact - 'nuff said

[BarackMarley]

I think that McCain doesn't want to get Bin Laden because he till believes he's a freedom fighter. Once again he referred to the Bin Laden lead mujahideen as 'Freedom Fighters' at the debate. When does he think this is 1984?

McCain Called Bin Laden's Mujahideen Freedom Fighters
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/elections/mccain-called-bin-laden-a-freedom-fighter/

[wandering girl]

not really a town hall environment, but then again McCain is not presidential caliber.

[CharlesJ]

No it was not a town hall style debate, but it was what McCain wanted or shall I say insisted upon.
So who's fault was it really that John McCain was out of his element again? If McCain had really thought about it, he should have advoided any debates all together. Granted there were on both sides some distortions of truth, however in my opinion there were several out right lies on McCain's Part again. Particularily when it comes to the Tax Plans and Health care. On both ocassions McCain completely mis stated Obama's Position. He even brought up Clinton's plan to penalize those that did not purchase health care as being Obama's. What I found most interesting though is when McCain stated he had a plan to help home owners, by having the tresury buy up home mortgages, renegociate them at the existing value, reduce payments to reflect those adjustments and to lower interest rates. That already exists in that new 700+ billion bill and it was something Obama mentioned many times in his rallies as something though should be part of this bill.
All in all, Yes, Obama had a great night tonight.

[Kahill]

Did anyone notice McCain wandering around the stage like a lost old man while Obama was talking?

[carljr]

Yes, to go along with Cindy McCain's "hands behind the back" posture as reported in a number of post-debate blogs. You could perhaps compare this moment for McCain to Bush '41' glance at the watch moment.

[siciliabel]

I noticed that about Cindy McCain. I wonder if it has something to do with her hand (wrist?) injury. Unfortunately for her, it looked like she was afraid she would get "voter cooties" on her hands if she put them out where anyone could touch them. I also found McCain's hug/photo op command to be a little disconcerting. I don't think I've ever seen any two people less interested in being near one another.

[rwt1138]

My wife noticed. At one point she turned to me and even asked "where in the hell is he going?"

[jeannah]

I still wonder how anyone can still be undecided, but that's just me.
Obama exudes calm, intelligence and warmth. McCain looks old, frail and unpleasant. I actually used to like McCain, although I didn't agree with him much, but his campaign tactics are a disgrace.

I still think his choice of Palin shows his worst judgment. If he wanted to pick a woman, I'm sure there are hundreds more qualified whether they are politicians, businesswomen, professors.

As far as "that one", my jaw dropped to the floor. I don't think it's racial, I just think McCain thinks it's his turn to be president.

[MrCrowley]

Spot on. IMO the Republicans know that their reputation is too badly burned by the last 8 years and finally threw the bone to McCain since he's been clamoring for it for the past 20 years- fully knowing that he had an uphill battle.

And I agree, I used to kinda like the guy. He's shown his true grit though. He's a hater.

[okjoel]

I know.....if you're undecided, you haven't been paying attention.

[rich misty]

Excellent comment, I agree 100%

[Wildweezle]

To date, the political debates have been a joke!
The Media is lost!
Can we just shut them down now please?
Complete post here:
http://wildweezle.wordpress.com/2008/10/08/the-political-debates-are-a-joke/

[Sparty1]

That wasn't really a town hall. Whaaa, whaaa, whaaa.

[Ironquill]

This format was supposed to favor McCain. The problem with McCain was not the lack of a town hall format. In his answer to the black guy, Oliver Clark, who asked a question about real estate, McCain was guilty of sins of comission and omission, really inexcusable for a debater in whatever format. What McCain did NOT do was engage Oliver on a personal basis, what was behind Oliver's question, etc. Then unbelievably what he DOES do is ignore Oliver, the black guy, and points way across the room, "people should be allowed to stay in their homes, ...Americans like Alan", the white guy over there. If McCain had gotten personal with Oliver, he would have shown some brains and compassion. His pointing to Alan was at least thoughtless, if not intentional.

[TruthfullyYours]

there is one thing that mccain said last night that confuses me: he said he knows how to get bin laden, that he knows how to do it, that he will get bin laden when he becomes president. mccain is very close to george bush; that he can command bush to hold a meeting if it suits the mccain campaign; that he agrees with bush's policies 90% of the time. then why in God's name did mccain not tell bush what he knows? this election would be over by now. mccain surely will be the next president! it's still not too late for mccain, he can still advise bush how to capture or kill bin laden and his fellow terrorists. or, as sarah palin said, bin laden the "leader" of a terrorist "movement."

of course, mccain can't tell bush of his plan because he does not have one. he's just pulling our legs and hoping that we're all dopes and believe he's got one.

[rwt1138]

You will have to excuse him, John got a little carried away with himself; the reason he kept insisting "I know how to do that" about everything was that the campaign was staying at a Holiday Inn Express. His spokespeople came out and backed down from all of those assertions after the debate.

[Undecided082]

This person wants the american public to vote for him


http://wsivf.blogspot.com/

[ron ray]

McCain, as they used to say, is hiding behind the skirt. He sends the woman out to call Obama a terrorist and urge her partisans to the point of violence. But he won't say a word of it to Obama's face,

A coward without honor. Sad end to a long career.

[MinasTirith]

More like, long end to a sad career of entitlement over capability.

You don't stall and crash as many planes as McCain did, and continue to fail upward, unless you know someone on the inside... unless daddy and his acquaintances are covering for you.

[seenitall]

just continue to play that truly unhinged moment when McSame called Obama "that one". wow...it's bad...sort of like Peter Lorre...or Frankenstein's Igor....bad.

[Jokanaan]

I just hope that finally the American voter will respect Mc Cain's long and honorable service and Palin's dedication to the American Family

Send him home to rest

and let her go back to her family ....

[HurryUp1212009]

I want to see her on "Dancing With The Stars"!

[rwt1138]

You will, give it a few months.