"I looked into Putin's eyes, and I saw three letters: a K, a G and a B."

[cerebel]

I think that the biggest tell of this debate was that McCain wouldn't look into Obama's eyes.

Both candidates were reluctant to address one another, despite the proposed format, but Obama managed to do it several times, and was even getting into the rhythm of it by the end of the debate. However, McCain, when refuting Obama, never used the word 'you', and never even looked in Obama's direction. It made him look scared.

Besides that, both candidates performed rather well, I thought. McCain had another weakness in how many times he said that Obama "just doesn't get it" - it made him sound like he was dismissing good suggestions and patronizing Obama rather than making him sound like he knew what he was talking about and Obama didn't.

Also, Obama made a few nice blows, like pointing out that Kissinger, McCain's advisor, had publicly supported talks with Iran without preconditions. In fact, the whole 'talks with Iran' thing made McCain look as though he was clinging with his fingernails to a piece of outdated "WE DON'T NEGOTIATE RAAAARGH" policy. Obama, on the other hand, looked like he was taking into consideration the things a lot of intelligent people were saying.

Another nice point on Obama's side was after McCain sidestepped, saying that he would never say publicly that he would attack Pakistan. Obama was all, I absolutely agree, a Commander in Chief has to be careful what they say, but from someone who publicly advocated wiping out North Korea it doesn't sound plausible. It was nice.

I'm not sure what to think about McCain talking all over Obama, like he did several times (while Obama said things like "That's not true" in the background). On the one hand, Obama never could effectively interrupt him; on the other hand, McCain would start rambling just so that he could not let Obama interrupt him. So, mixed feelings?

Obama did still sound a little like a professor; and McCain definitely blew him out of the water in the first few responses. But Obama came back, and he was snappy, and he was good, and I think that overall he came out ahead.

Incidentally. I wonder what three letters are behind *my* eyes.... O.o I hope they're not, oh, say, IN CYRILLIC.

Comments

[pxsarkany.livejournal.com]

relatedly, McCain never looked at the audience (us) either (Which Obama did almost every time:)

[cerebel.livejournal.com]

Sometime when Obama looked at the camera, though, he only flashed by it - which makes me think, as a film major, that he didn't intend to look at it, which makes him look nervous. That might just be the insane film person in me talking, though.

[sdwolfpup.livejournal.com]

I think that the biggest tell of this debate was that McCain wouldn't look into Obama's eyes.

I agree, although I think he was doing that to be dismissive of Obama, not because he was afraid of facing him. I personally found it way too antagonistic and insulting (as was never addressing Obama directly, or calling him by his first name like Obama did).

Overall, I thought McCain looked more prepared and calm than I thought he would, but I thought Obama looked more presidential and did a wonderful job. I was relieved!

[cerebel.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, he definitely came off as dismissive. I mean, when he talked over Obama, when he repeatedly said stuff like "Senator Obama doesn't understand".

Yeah, they both did a great job. I was impressed with both, but I think Obama came out ahead by a narrow margin. That's good, though, because this debate was supposed to be McCain-pwns-a-lot time, and it wasn't.

[vibishan.livejournal.com]

In the negotiations w/hostiles question, aside from the preconditions/preparation squabble, Mccain kept trying to claim that engaging in diplomacy with Iran at a presidential level would effectively endorse their apocalytic antisemitic ambitions. Which is, frankly, one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. Guilt by association? No thank you.

Also: "The lesson of Iraq is that we can't have a failed strategy that causes us to nearly lose a conflict."

LOLWHUT? Coherency, plz.

I felt like Obama didn't take Mccain to task quite enough on his BS, but overall I think he still came out of it slightly better off.

[cerebel.livejournal.com]

I wrote down that 'failed strategy' quote word-for-word. And loled. And pointed it out to a friend, who also loled.

And the friend later drew a Russian guy in a fur cap on my sheet of notes, and wrote (where his eyes should be) a K, a G and a B.

[demonqueen666.livejournal.com]

I, uh, don't have much political to say on the debate because I watched it as a drinking game. Y'all, I am a BAD AMERICAN. (Or a college student. One of those.)

I find that the three letters behind my eyes are often "WTF".

[cerebel.livejournal.com]

...watching it as a drinking game would have been hysterical. Unfortunately, I have to do a homework assignment on it. So alcohol wouldn't have helped. :P

I think those letters were behind *my* eyes for at least part of the debate XD