The debate just finished a while ago and I stayed up to watch it in Amman (4am). Divided between foreign policy and the economy, the latter seemed to get a bit more emphasis which is only natural given the times. I think both candidates presented themselves differently. On the one hand you have Obama who was as cool as a cucumber, appearing confident and perhaps a bit presidential, and then you have McCain who could often be seeing walking around and interacting a bit more with the audience; restless and circling for a kill. Suffice to say, the rhetoric of the past few days coming from both campaigns, which was largely attacks on the fellow candidates on a personal level was a bit absent tonight. Instead the attacks centered on being critical of the other candidate’s proposed policies.
Already behind in the polls, I think McCain put up a pretty good fight and kept Obama constantly on the defensive. He did nothing short of pour lighter fluid on him, yet, Obama kept his cool, which is also telling. When he wasn’t wasting most of his allotted time defending himself, Obama was able to get his solutions across more clearly than McCain who spent most of the time pointing to his record in an attempt to demonstrate the contrast of the two candidates (a strategy that isn’t so bad with the undecided votes up for grab one month out). However, if the last debates demonstrated anything, I’m not so sure political aggression is the best way to score points with either the undecideds or the general electorate sitting at home.
Most interesting question of the night: how would each candidate react to Iran attacking Israel? Would they wait for a UN resolution? More dancing around the answer but I think the beneath the rhetoric and campaign poetry there was a “no” to that last question. For me, it conjured up the ancient old wondering of whether the average American voter has actually thought about why Israel is so important in the first place?
I think it was McCain who suggested that Iran’s acquiring of nuclear weapons would mean “all the other countries would get them too.”
Is there a waiting list?
I’d like one.
Actually, No. The average American knows squat of why Israel is so important. The problem is that the American Mainstream media, as is the case in our beloved Jordan, fails to tell it as it is, and always reporting what sells. i.e Paris Hilton. As you might already know, the show “American Idol” or even “to catch a predator” have more people attached to them then those who care to raise their voices against the war in Iraq, the Jewish lobby, or puling out of the Kyoto protocol. I am hoping that Obama makes it into the white house for the sole reason that he has not spent enough years in Washington for corruption to infest itself into him. He still has his ideals and aspirations and does not have the baggage that McCain has accumulated over the years.
I watched this, along with the first one, and the VP ones…..they were all BORING! What’s so hard about actually answering the questions asked?
“and then you have McCain who could often be seeing walking around and interacting a bit more with the audience; restless and circling for a kill. ” Dude McCain’s just old, that’s what old people do.
“Instead the attacks centered on being critical of the other candidate’s proposed policies.”….. and voting records! I heard more about past voting records of the opponent than proposed policies for the future of the candidate.
“For me, it conjured up the ancient old wondering of whether the average American voter has actually thought about why Israel is so important in the first place?” Considering this question was asked by someone that came off as “the average American voter” John Smith from Nashville who is a vet (I think he said he served) that answer would be NO. I was a bit surprised by the question and the source.
“I think it was McCain who suggested that Iran’s acquiring of nuclear weapons would mean “all the other countries would get them too.— He first said “aside from Israel’s security” (which I breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing)it would destabilize the region because all other countries would get them and that goes back to Israel’s security. So I unbreathed the sigh of relief.
“I’d like one.” For what?
speaking of answering questions, im not sure if any of you are familiar with the “Palin Debate Flow Chart”
if not, enjoy
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/3/43222/8057/718/618653
“For me, it conjured up the ancient old wondering of whether the average American voter has actually thought about why Israel is so important in the first place?”
I think that the average American in the south particularly knows one thing regarding Israel… it has to be protected for biblical reasons.
“I think it was McCain who suggested that Iran’s acquiring of nuclear weapons would mean “all the other countries would get them too.—
only then will the game be fair and square. It’ll just take one country trigger the nuke and the whole earth will burn into ashes!
such a naive thought, Mr. McCain!
and what if Iran acquire Nuclear weapons?? i think this will only assure us of one fact: they will make rational decisions regarding Israel. Heck, if they nuke Israel, they will be nuked off the face of earth. they aren’t as naive as McCain is!
yawn
i dont watch them but i see the clips on the news .. to me theyre like productions more than actual debates .. they seem so scripted and rehearsed .. plus none of the crap they say concerns me anyway so bleh
i want obama to win btw
asoom: “For what?”…i like shiny toys.
“For me, it conjured up the ancient old wondering of whether the average American voter has actually thought about why Israel is so important in the first place?”
If you recall how many American voters are Evangelicals, the answer might write itself.
As for the rest of us, well, the U.S. government doesn’t particularly like to lose, does it? That’s why Israel is at the center of… well, lots of things. It’s what we have “succeeded” at.
As someone with a cousin living in Israel, I find it’s not an easy question to think about either way.
I watched the debate last night while I was doing my homework. When I heard one of the audience questions about how each candidate would react to Iran attacking Israel? I was WHAT!!! Do you want to tell me through this terrible financial calamity Americans want to know how to protect Israel? Dear American citizen do you really think Iran is going to attack Israel? Why? Why? Why?
You missed a couple of things:
1- McCain called Obama “that one”, also he wasn’t able to look Obama in the eye, not once, just like the first debate.
2- Obama grilled him on foreign policy when McCain suggested that he is more “stable” to handle the issues.
3-McCain, will face some problems with his base, he suggested a new 300 billion bailout.
By the way, all snap polls showed obama winning by 2-1. excepts Fox’s which showed McCain winning 9-1 🙂
I also think that you should know that Obama doesn’t like to attack, thats who he is.
And regarding Israel, I think you know who swing voters are? Jews in florida and penselvania.
Natalia: “how many American voters are Evangelicals”
-> not every american evangelical is a christian zionist. a better answer would’ve been “florida voters” or “aipac support”.
Mohanned: the israel wonderment i posed was more rhetorical
“I also think that you should know that Obama doesn’t like to attack, thats who he is.”
in an american election that’s usually a bad thing 😉
I would agree with @Nas – indeed – not every Evangelical is a Zionist.
That said, a problem exists in that moderate Muslim voices, such as those so eloquently expressed here, aren’t getting their message out to the typical Evangelical in the U.S.
For example, I shocked a good portion of the Christian blogosphere when I wrote a post about the Mosque in Madaba with a dedication to Christ ( http://is.gd/3IIs ).
It is in fact one of the primary reasons I run blogJordan.com – as a means of speaking out to my own that we need to pipe down the rhetoric and engage ourselves in dialog, conversation and hopefully dinner with various cultures whom our media has painted as inapproachable.
Another example, I was appalled by Obama’s jog through Jordan this past summer. Instead of pointing out to the American people that “look, here, in the Hashemite Kingdom is a model that works” … he poses by the ruins, not even bothering to venture into the adjacent museum to give a nod to history (and/or the dead sea scrolls), and what … spends an hour at the most with His Majesty, the King?
But off my soap box – personally I think Obama would be a bad choice in terms of issues Middle East. In “running away” from his Muslim roots, he will likely make take great strides to appear exclusively Israel friendly – at the expense of neighbors such as Egypt and Jordan – just as he’s thrown other loyal friends of his under the bus during the course of his campaign.
“in an american election that’s usually a bad thing ”
Not really, and it doesn’t have to be the candidate’s job to attack, it turns people off.
Dean,
“In “running away†from his Muslim roots, he will likely make take great strides to appear exclusively Israel friendly ”
McCain also jogged by, and announced jerusalem the capital of israel for the same mountain top. And regarding the “roots”, you mean his father? His father was an athiest, who drank and hung out with women, and most probably obama’s mother married him just for the sake of helping him. so the roots argument actually doesn’t make sense, since he only met his father twice. Besides, when the american right chases him, he gotta run if you know what I mean.
@Mohanned by “his roots” I mean what Obama wrote about himself with regards to his early education in his own autobiography.
Is that not substantial enough?
Does the average American voter know why the US gov’t needs to protect Israel? No. And more than likely, neither does the US government know half the time either. It started off as a way to p!$$ off the Soviets and now political leaders just say it to get the Jewish vote and Jewish lobby. At least, that’s my $0.02.
The question of the tanking economy is on the minds of everyone in the US right now (except those of us who don’t have 9 houses to spare) and all of the analysts that I’ve heard talking about this subject were complaining that the debates were so light on economics.
For Dean, I would question the assumption that the Jordanian “model” works. I love Jordan, but there are plenty of things broken in the political system there. And I’ve been to that museum. The ruins are much more impressive.
Overall, the campaigns this year have been pretty lackluster and I’m not enthusiastic about either of them. But I will be likely casting a vote for Obama/Biden because McCain/Palin is a joke of a ticket.
If McCain wins we will have hard times in Jordan. this guy talks about sending AID to states who does not like The US.
statistics show that the Jordanians are the biggest hater for the US in the middle east , at the same time we get 1 Billion dollar from US yearly !
“in an american election that’s usually a bad thing â€
That’s outright false. Actually, public polls around college campuses and campaign parties/events/speeches as well as local debate son either side show that audiences despise an attacker and compain about them “wasting time fighting instead of elaborating.”
This is not based out of one crowd or state. It’s a general concept this time around, maybe with this election only, I’m not sure.
Also – I agree 110% that the average American EITHER:
1- Has no idea how we relate to Israel.
2- Has no idea we support them on any level.
3- Has no idea why either of those points exist.
Shaheen – please source those statistics for me because I’m pretty sure Jordan is one of our strongest allies in the Middle East and the “unofficial hotel country” for our inactive troops.
Some of my buddies even settled there in common “American sides of neighborhoods” where inactive soldiers have to stick around and wait on an objective for Iraq.