Tampa, Florida -- Friday night, all over America, people gathered in their homes, in convention centers and anywhere a television was available and Cafe Hey was no exception. Cafe Hey is a tiny coffeehouse opened less than one year ago on the outskirts of downtown Tampa. It's also just a few miles from the University of Tampa where so many young people care and participate in the politics of this country. Nevertheless, the cafe packed in its' small space over fifty people of all ages, both democrats and republicans to watch this most important debate.
Cheong Choy and Anne Vela, co-owners of Cafe Hey, graciously opened up their facilities as a community hub for its patrons and broadcast the Obama/McCain debate. Choy used his personal computer to link up and project the debate on a large screen set on one side of the room. Chairs and a few tables lined the rest of the room. They served coffee and snacks and even allowed the patrons to bring in their own "drinks". I saw one table with wine and beer. Vela told me that she wanted to do this "forum" for the people and for her patrons to come together for civilized dialogue to discuss politics. It reminded me of the old time block parties where people gathered to talk with their next door neighbors discussing pertinent issues of the day and socializing.
Vela and Choy plan to broadcast all the debates.
People began filing in hours ahead of time to see the preamble to the debate, a screening of "Slacker Uprising" by Michael Moore. Late comers had just enough room to stand in the doorway after the Cafe filled, and stand they did, three and four deep. People came and parked bicycles outside the door to watch. Many appeared to be students with book bags crammed full. They said they just wanted to see this debate and for some of them this was the only way they could watch it.
While the screening was being viewed I had the chance to speak with Jensen Kistler who works for the Cafe and asked him what he was looking for in the debate. He puzzled for only a second and said, "I'm looking for the truth, the most truthful of the two." But how do you do that, how do you determine who is the most truthful I asked. "I check facts, research and go online looking for the truth", he told me, "I just want the person who wins to make the right decisions for America, for America to be alright". A rather large order given the state of the Union today.
Finally, the moment of truth arrives. The debate begins. There is an air of somber attentiveness. All eyes are on the screen. It was fascinating to watch the gamut of emotions. The reactions went from laughter to nervous shaking of the head, frowns, anger and even sounds of encouragement urging on their favorite.
It appeared that the older folks in the gathering paid much more attention to the speech on economics than the younger folk and conversely the younger folk paid more attention to the speeches on security, on Iran and on Afghanistan. Perhaps it is that older people are looking at this economy thinking I have been saving all my life and now what, what is going to happen to it? Younger people are looking at it like its a bump in the road, they have not yet started that lifetime savings. They do not have the experience of a generation coming out of a depression or of the children of that generation. One anonymous viewer noted it was striking that Obama talked so much about the middle class and McCain did not even mention them one time.
At one point the host, Lehrer told Obama who was not looking at McCain but at the audience to "tell it to McCain", and McCain quipped "Are you afraid I couldn't hear him?" that brought a peal of laughter from everyone.
Some thought McCain held his own for a debate he almost missed, but most felt Obama owned the debate with only a couple of downswings. That's something McCain could not afford. He needed to clearly win the debate because of the downturn in the past week of his campaign and some of his supporters felt that did not happen.
Afterward, patrons gathered in groups discussing with each other different aspects of the debate. It was lively and friendly.
Shawn Tuckett a University of Florida graduate who studied History and US Foreign Relations is a McCain supporter and says he liked both tonight. Both were willing to stand up to their base on energy, Guantanamo, reform and the surge. But McCain's statements in the past - that it was more important win the war than to win the election - is what he likes best. He thought McCain crossed the aisle to be bi-partisan more but that both candidates understood the threats of Iran and the middle east. He likes McCain's superior experience in foreign lands.
A 23 year old radiology student at Hillsborough Community College, Sarah Kneeshaw who is a republican, tells me that she is voting for Obama. She had been undecided until now. She says she likes the democratic stance on economics and gay rights. She like Obama's knowledge and experience especially his law experience. What better way to uphold the constitution than with someone that knows the law, and someone who cares about the constitution. Sarah also said that after listening to her family who are also republicans talk about McCain, she realized that the conversations really had nothing to do with making America better, but was strictly their religious choice. She feels people should vote for the betterment of America, not to put their religious beliefs in the presidential office.
Cheong sighing, says it's nothing new, same old rhetoric from both sides, "I did not learn one new thing tonight". Maybe we will get more out of the other debates. He looked hopeful even though he was terribly busy with so many people at his and Vela's small establishment.
Justin Lampbert told me that it was a hard decision, he liked McCain and respected his service to America but felt Obama would put a "better face" on America. Obama could bring back the respect we lost in the world in the past few years. Justin said, "I've been following Obama for years, even read his books and this is the first time I have voted " for" a candidate rather than against a candidate. You know, the lesser of the two evils." He said McCain had moved too far to the right. McCain used to be a moderate but it seems to win he had to go further right and he did not agree with that tactic. Others felt the same, but thought if McCain won he would move back to the middle. Justin did not agree.
Clearly the people each had their favorite but a few did in fact come out of this debate with a different view of the other candidate. Whether it was the economics or Iran or any of the other topics it left them with a better feel for each of them. That's really what debate like this is all about after all. So "we the people" can get to know, get a feeling for, our candidates. This is what makes or breaks our final decisions on who to vote for. It was heartening to see so many young people from this neighborhood so interested in who and how this country will be run.
Slowly the groups broke up and one by one everyone left to ponder the debate in their own minds hoping, perhaps praying, that the one who wins is telling the truth.