A historic night: The first presidential debate of 2008
Scroll down for updates and liveblogging…Obama hammers Bush-McCain theme, McCain emphasizes — sigh — fighting against “climate change…with Sen. Clinton”…McCain hits his stride on the war, foreign policy, Obama’s no-preconditions bungle…Gaffe of the debate so far: Obama trying to respond to McCain on his military/moral authority: “I’ve got a bracelet, too!”
What a week, huh? The high-stakes presidential debate at Ole Miss starts at 9pm Eastern. Hang out here and share your thoughts. I’ll liveblog for as long as my stomach can take it.
Expectations: Low.
Ole Miss has a debate site here.
The moderator will be PBS anchor Jim Lehrer. The debate format:
– Each debate will have a single moderator and last for 90 minutes…
– During the first and third presidential debates, and the vice presidential debate, the time will be divided into eight, ten-minute segments. The moderator will introduce each segment with an issue on which each candidate will comment, after which the moderator will facilitate further discussion of the issue, including direct exchange between the candidates for the balance of that segment…
– Time at the end of the final presidential debate will be reserved for closing statements.
***
A reader proposes the first drinking game suggestion:
Michelle, how about a college-style drinking game tonight – where everyone takes a drink whenever Obama says “Bush” – in his laughably ridiculous ongoing effort to link McCain to Bush.
If you’re looking to get inebriated quickly, start drinking every time Obama says “Uh.”
Or every time McCain touts bipartisanship.
***
9:08pm Eastern.
First question on the need for solvency and security: Where do you stand on the economic recovery plan?
Obama: He’s reciting his bailout talking points…Oversight, returns to taxpayers, no CEO golden parachutes, help homeowners. Failed economic policies by George Bush supported by McCain.
McCain-Bush! Take your first swig, people.
McCain: Mentions Ted Kennedy being hospitalized. I’m not feeling too great about things tonight, but tonight I’m feeling a little better…touts bipartisan efforts to forge a bailout deal…Republicans and Democrats sitting down and negotiating.
Bipartisanship! Take another swig, people.
More McCain: This is the end of the beginning of the crisis. We’ve got a lot of work to do. Eliminate dependence on foreign oil.
Lehrer: Do you favor the plan, Sen. Obama?
Obama: We haven’t seen the language yet. There is constructive work being done there.
The question is how did we get here? Obama takes credit for warning about the problem.
McCain: Reminds that he warned about it, too. Says he will vote for the bailout. I’ve been heavily criticized for calling for the resignation of the SEC chairman.
He’s going on an anti-greed screed.
Obama: Attacking McCain for claiming the fundamentals of the economy are sound. Lehrer tries to get them to talk to each other directly. They won’t.
I agree with a commenter below. Obama is wearing too much make-up.
9:19pm Eastern.
Still on the economy.
McCain: We need to control spending. He’s talking about earmarks as a gateway drug. Refers to his friend Tom Coburn (also cited as a friend of Barack Obama). Obama has asked for $932 million in earmarks. Points viewers to Citizens Against Government Waste for documentation. That’s one of the fundamental differences between Obama and me.
Obama: Earmarks account for $18 billion in the budget. McCain wants $300 billion in tax cuts to wealthiest corporations and individuals.
McCain-Bush, McCain-Bush!
Bottoms up. Take another gulp.
McCain goes after Obama for $800 billion he supports in new spending. Obama says he’ll close corporate loopholes. Expand health care.
9:25pm Eastern. McCain is defending his business tax proposals. He really should challenge Obama on the Bush talking point.
Side note: Obama’s got a shiny flag lapel pin.
9:34pm Eastern. Sorry, tuned out for a moment there while Obama was burbling about building broadband lines.
McCain turns to defense spending. He’s recounting all his pork barrel fights.
I wonder if this debate will ever get to the stated focus: Foreign policy.
9:36pm Eastern. Another “Bush’s failed policies” line from Obama. What’s that now? 10?
Lehrer keeps hectoring the candidates to answer his question about how the financial crisis would change how they govern.
McCain says he’d call for a spending freeze on everything except defense and entitlements.
Obama’s babbling about something or other.
McCain goes after Obama on nuclear power, dependence on foreign oil…and CLIMATE CHANGE, “an issue I’ve been involved in for many years along with Sen. Clinton.”
Gag.
9:42pm Eastern. McCain is repeating his lines about cutting spending. Okay, I think he’s got his message across on that.
Obama: Bush-McCain! Bush-McCain!
McCain: Repeats his “I was not elected Miss Congeniality…I’m a maverick and so’s my running mate.”
Lehrer moves to the war. What are the lessons of Iraq?
McCain talks strategy, surge, praises Petraeus, we will come home in victory.
Obama pats himself on the back for opposing the Iraqi invasion, rattles off body count, claims al Qaeda is resurgent, complains about military spending.
9:48pm Eastern. McCain does well, finally, in attacking Obama on his surge flip-flops and not visiting the battlefront.
Obama’s answer: “I’m proud of my vice presidential pick.”
Joe Biden: Obama’s human shield!
McCain says “Obama doesn’t know the difference between a tactic and a strategy.” McCain recounts his visit to Baghdad two Fourth of Julys ago and how troops told him, “Let us win.” McCain gives a counterinsurgency 101 lesson. McCain points out Obama voted to cut off funds for the troops.
Very good fusillade from McCain.
Obama getting antsy.
McCain engages Obama on setting specific dates for withdrawal.
9:55pm Eastern. Lehrer turns to Afghanistan. Do we need more troops?
Obama: “Yes. I’ve said that for over a year now.”
9:58pm Eastern. McCain is “not prepared to threaten Pakistan as Obama said he would do…You don’t say that out loud…I’ve been to Waziristan…need a strategy…”
Sidenote: Email from reader Rich…
MM,
Overall so far…McCain is not quick enough on the uptake. Obama is more focused and clearly more prepared with the details and populist counter-arguments. McCain needs to respond quickly from two perspectives….1) What he would do moving forward, and 2) What he has done over the last 25+ years, esp bipartisan efforts.
Q1: Why did McCain say he has “spoken out” about Fannie and Freddie instead of talking about his introduction of legislation in 2003 to provide further regulation/oversight of F & F.
Q2: Obama immed answers a question of what he plans to cut during this financial crisis with a laundry list of his proposals for new spending programs. McCain misses an easy opening to say just that…”Obama was asked what he would cut and answered how he would spend”.
More later..
Rich
USMC (Retired)
Obama comes back at McCain for singing “Bomb, bomb, Iran.”
McCain returns fire with his record on Lebanon, Somalia, Kosovo. “I have a record of being involved in these national security issues which involve the highest responsibilities you can have…”
McCain recounts his Matthew Stanley bracelet story. Talks about troops, families, refusing to come back with defeat and dishonor.
Obama: I’ve got a bracelet, too!
He has to look at it…uhhh…to remember whose bracelet it is.
10:06pm Eastern. Obama attacks McCain on Afghanistan. McCain responds: “You would think if he were so concerned, he would have gone to Afghanistan.”
McCain wants a “League of Democracies.”
10:14pm Eastern. McCain takes a dig at Obama’s presidential seal…”I don’t have a seal yet”…
should have probably explained the joke a little…
10:15pm Eastern. McCain attacks Obama’s pledge to meet tyrants without preconditions.
Obama blusters on his preconditions/preparations line.
10:18pm Eastern. McCain is strong on North Korea.
Obama cites Kissinger.
McCain comes back: He’s known Kissinger for 30 years. Obama is parsing words.
10:26pm Eastern. McCain sounds forceful on Russia/Georgia. Obama follows up meekly.
10:30pm Eastern. Last question. What’s the likelihood of another 9/11?
McCain: Less than it once was. Recounts teaming up with Joe Lieberman on formation of a 9/11 investigation commission…Bush opposed us…we reached across the aisle…long way to go on intelligence services…trained interrogators so we don’t ever torutre another prisoner ever again…America is safer today than it was on 9/11, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a long way to go…he really should tie the war on terror overseas — not just in Iraq, but worldwide — to homeland security…and what about border security…
Stop. Oh, my god, he just mentioned doing a better job on our borders.
Knock me over with a feather.
Obama: He’s talking missile defense. al Qaeda in 60 countries.
McCain should have covered that.
10:34pm Eastern. Obama credits McCain on the torture issue and then gives us his Big Idea for making America safer? “Restoring our standing in the world!” Making us more “respected!”
McCain: Obama doesn’t get it. If we fail in Iraq…it would lead to defeat…Americans will judge…right path or wrong path…this is the central issue of our time.
10:40pm Eastern. Wrapping up.
McCain: “I don’t need any on-the-job training. I’m ready to lead now.”
Obama is talking about his name. Filibustering about “investing,” “The Children,” etc.
McCain gets the last word: “I know how to heal the wounds of the war, I know how to deal.”
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Categories: Barack Obama,John McCain
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John did a good job, more aggressive in a presidential way, more tolerant, more knowledgeable. It’s a damn shame the guy is so liberal in so many other ways…drilling for oil, close the boarders and remove the illegal aliens and the man made Gorbal Warming crap. No matter how these debates go, if it were not for ‘Palin Power’ Juan would not win, if he does. He will does not care about the base, period.
first hour McCain slight edge
last half hour was a slaughterhouse, McCain clear winner.
Am I right people? Or, just a republican fan boy?
Hmm… royal we’s and big ears. Perhaps he believes he’s related to the Windsors?
Yes.
On both counts : )
CNN is saying Obama disagreed with McCain on policy, McCain was condescending to Obama.
Thank you Michelle. ‘Night all.
G’night BSR, navy, etc…
It’s a pleasure, blog buddies. I’m sorry the citizen of the world, swiss miss, doesn’t get us. I’ll cry in my glass of Zinfandel for her.
Nite all…
Who knew that Obama is really Sir Mixalot?
I like big butts and cannot lie!
TXRose, tks for reminding me. Thank you MM for all you do for us, your devoted fans and some of those others.
Can’t help you here, I’m in the same position.
Can someone clear something up for me? When McCain said he would vote for the bailout bill, was he talking about the Paulson bill?
Oh, wow…seeing that Edelweiss is a Swiss Miss says a lot to me. No wonder she made those comments about how “we” are not respected in the world.
As a Swiss citizen, I will grant that she doesn’t “get it” when it comes to understanding what it takes to be a world superpower, and when we’re called on to lead and protect the world. It’s not something the Swiss are used to.
Duh-on got the rug pulled out from under him, especially when he kept harping about bush/mccain, then mccain says you’re so stubborn just like bush was over the new strategy…the look on duh-one’s face was priceless.. that is a ad in the making….
Looks to me Krauthammer is on drugs or needs to be. Anyone notice as of late he seems to be leaning to the left or am I being partial?
no, the paulson bill has been scrapped..
edelweiss,
What’s a matter? Nothing good to say about ol’ Obie?
I feel your pain from Houston!
Missed most of the debate, but really enjoyed the comments here! Sounds like McCain was on his game tonight! Barry…uh, er, um, ah…
rightisright, i know my thoughts exactly..
krauthammer and barnes are both slapping mccain’s abilities or statements
The one thing nice about the Swiss is that the next time we save the world, they will know precisely what time it is.
Aren’t the Swiss still defending the Vatican with halberds?
wow.. 1300+ comments already. Missed the first 25mins, and came where Obama was repeatedly failing to answer the question asked and giving a stump speech instead. Obama did better than I thought he would, and will fool a significant number of people with his “McCain is absolutely right..” lines, and thereby appearing (to some idiots) to take ownership of McCain’s responses as if they were his own, when in fact they were often rebuttals of Obama’s original answers.. very very slimy.
Now, hold on a minute. Now, hold on. Now, hold on, uh, uh, just a minute there. What a putz. Didn’t his mom teach him any manners? Can’t stand him. I wish McCain would have hit him more on his gaffes about the Russia/Georgia conflict.
Anyone can MEMORIZE talking points on foreign policy. We know the “real” BO by his votes and previous comments.
Go vote on Drudge … before the Obamabots get to it.
Things I took away from this Debate:
1. Obama can’t tie a tie
2. Jim Lehrer had a better tie than either McCain or Obama, but John McCain was a close second.
3. Michelle O needs to work on that butt. It crowded everyone off the stage.
And now for the sillyness:
McCain has the guts to demand a spending freeze, I thought Obama was going to swallow his silver spoon when McCain said that.
The golden boy Obama couldn’t come up with enough negative adjectives to describe the financial mess, but when someone dare mention that the financial crisis might forestall his precious financial pandering and pork barrel spending the thought was nearly too much for the lad.
As for military policy, It’s a shame McCain didn’t say something like “You know I can’t shoot hoops in the base gym, so instead I went and met with our troops when I was over seas.”
It’s now horrifically clear that Obama is merely parroting platitudes and has absolutely no understanding of military policy including the difference between strategy and tactics. The ONE lesson of Vietnam we needed to learn was “Never telegraph your punches.” Unfortunately for the country Obama proudly admits over and over again that he’s too stupid to understand that simple lesson and he does it in such a way that the truly ignorant and misguided think he’s actually got a clue.
Obama’s over polished remarks proved every time he opened his mouth he’s little more that a meat puppet for the Barney Franks, Charlie Rangels, Ted Kennedys and Nancy Pelosi’s of the left. Most telling was his weak embarrassing blathering over the energy crisis proved that he’s completely out of touch with reality, grasping for pie-in-the-sky unproven technologies to rescue the USA while he turns his back on proven, reliable, clean technologies because they’re unpopular with an angry isolated pocket of society.
McCain’s call for a spending freeze, advancing nuclear technology including reprocessing spent fuel rods, and realization that the Surge worked shows that he’s the man in the race fit to be president.
Obama’s gaffe a day running mate Joe Biden (who seems to think TV existed in the living rooms of Americans in 1929 and that FDR was elected in 1928) and his continued lies about his father entering this country (Why did he say his father wrote letters trying to come to America in the 60′s when he had been here since 1959?) prove intellectually he’s incapable of being president. His desire to continue spending like a drunken republican congressman in the face of a financial melt down show he’s too stupid to face a crisis when people’s lives are on the line, and the fact that he’s incapable of acknowledging the reality of Iraq show he’s probably one of the least fit men in the Untied States to be commander in chief.
Every time Obama opened his mouth tonight a true blue died in the wool Democrat reconsidered Ralph Nadar.
I definitely sense a pattern with edelweiss…
umm.. came in where..
I don’t think it was spcified, not sure myself. I do believe he was referring to the bill that seems to have been approved by both parties in the house this afternoon..
If I came away with one thing from this debate… McCain appeared Presidential… Obama did not.
McCain conducted himself like a statesman and Obama conducted himself like a car salesman, (him being the ‘car’). Overall, McCain came out of this looking TOUGH and ready – not the sick tired old man the left has been desperately trying to paint him. Obama didn’t leave a scratch on McCain and that fact alone left Obama at a disadvantage after this debate. McCain is the easy winner.
Lol, you are so funny. I have 3 nationalities: USA, Switzerland and France, and 50% of my relatives are American of 3rd or 4th generation, 25% French and 25% Swiss-German (Deutschschweizer). Both my parents were born in USA, I was born in USA, I went to KG and elementary school in MD-USA, middle and high school in Switzerland (John Kerry attended the same swiss school back in 1954), college in VA-USA and finally medical school in MD-USA. BTW French govt is paying 90% of my tuition at Johns Hopkins (merit-based grant / bourses d’excellence) so I don’t need to get a student loan.
Me, too, and he was SO calm and sincere as he lied. Breathtaking. My husband said he was going to turn off the TV if I got too out of hand!!
I thought McCAin did OK. As Michelle pointed out, he missed some opportunities to hammer Obama like on Obama’s “Cuts” would be that he’d add a little less to his spending increases.
McCain also let Obama say we were solely focused on Iraq and Obama used Pakistan and Afghanistan as axamples of where we needed to focus. We’ve not been solely focused on Iraq. Fer cripes sakes we nabbed along with Pakistan’s gov’t the planner of 9/11 in Pakistan. Khalid Sheik M. And a host of others. Not to mention the gaggle of bad guys we nabbed in Afghanistan that now have a room in Cuba courtesy of the US Military. Plus we’ve been working with Gov’t all over the freakin globe getting bad guys. Spain… Germany.. UK and the list goes on. McCain needed to set that straight but he let it go.
He did an ok job of separating himself from Bush on some issues but could have done more.
So I think he did Ok given this started with the Economy.
McCain should have brought up ACORN. There were openings. he missed em.
Oh.. and Obama.. in talking about another 9/11… he cicrles back to socialism.. healthcare… blah blah blah. Shuddup already Barry. We know you’re more like Stalin that Stalin was….
Thanks Michelle.
What’s depressing is what Frank Luntz’s focus group thought–the majority thought Obama won the debate….One woman says McCain was too reflective–I didn’t want to hear about his history–I care about the now.
I swear half the country is disconnected with what I believe and feel.
Does anyone know if we have corporate loopholes worth 800 billion dollars?
That is how much Hussain wants to spend more.
Is it possible to plug loopholes and tax only the top 5% and get enough money to pay for universal health care, give more money to public school teachers, reinforce the infrastructure, develop alternate energy, strengthen Social Security, and give tax breaks to 95% of tax payers?
Is it a tax break for middle-aged Citizens, if the payroll tax cap is lifted, and the capital gains tax is raised on their savings?
Yeah.. Barry was talking out of both sides of his mouth.. especially on unconditional talks, Russia and some other things. I hope independents saw thru it.
And there’s Biden saying McCain was condescending
FNC’s “dial group” liked BO best … huh???? … but no wonder … they held it in Las Vegas … a highly liberal state and city as well as Dingy Harry’s backyard … pretty dumb idea … might as well had held that group in Pelosi’s living room …
The problem with that line of reasoning is simple: if we forget history, we are doomed to repeat it.
whoa! 1335 posts already? i guess i missed something….
zombywolf, yeah.. these ‘undecided’ and i use that term loosely, thought McCain stuttered but the uuhhh, errr Duh-One didn’t. Duh-One was clear and concise, provided detail? McCain was antagonistic? What? I do not think these people are undecideds, they were split 50/50 between bush voters and kerry voters. that tells ya all you need to know. if they would vote for Kerry, well…of course they think Duh-One is articulate.
Obama made the claim we only have 3% of the world’s reserves.
Is this meme true? I hear Reid and Pelosi make this claim all the time.
As far as I am concerned, McCain “won” this debate.
He should have hammered Obama’s more ridiculous claims immediately, though.
Who won the debate?
Overall I’d say McCain won on points… He stomped Senator Obama on national security but on the economy I’d call it draw.
Plus the lingering thought that someone who has been through that history will be far more prepared to recognize the best course of action in the future. Obama is a first day taxi driver in a new city that McCain helped design.
I saw that myself…i saw Johns comments more of his qualifications to be president…now what has the 0 dumbo done, oh yeah, spent 140 days in the senate then proceeded to run for the highest position in the world.
I scored it a big win for McCain, some of these idiot commentators on cable are dismissing his effort.
WTF?
Clearly McCain took the lead and schooled the young senator.
RogerCfromSD said:
Obama made the claim we only have 3% of the world’s reserves.
Yes it’s true, but it’s based on old data. There has been no survey done for over 25 years, since both production and exploration has been banned by Democrats. So the Democrats can say stupid stuff like this, and no one has any data to refute, because it does not exist.
The USA has 27% of the world’s coal, coal to liquids technology was invented in the 1920s. It’s easy to make gasoline and diesel using the Fischer Tropsche process.
@FireBlogger Absolutely, Obama should his naivety particularly on national security but McCain I don’t McCain handled the questions on the economy all that well.
I thought McCain won it, and although I’m biased, I was biased towards Bush too, and I thought he flat out lost the debate in 2004 — to the point where I actually wondered if he was trying to lose the election.
And I agree with whoever said that the “undecideds” weren’t really.
Yep, that’s what frustrates me so much about that woman’s comment. “Not interested in (his) history–wants to hear about NOW?” Sounds like a petulant, present-oriented, self-centered child. We need to get away from that type of mentality in this country.
The hubby made a good point. McCain didn’t tip his hand with respect to the economy. There are two more debates which will undoubtedly address the economy which is supposedly Obama’s strongsuit. Well, the McCain camp can analyze Obama’s positions as stated tonight and go from there. Possibly, making BO eat his words. Strategy, folks. McCain has a great military mind.
Slow and steady wins the race.
Three nationalities? No, dear, you can’t have three nationalities. Obviously you have no allegiance to the USA. And what is your point? Many Americans have lived abroad longer and in more places than you have referenced. Does going to middle or high school in Switzerland make you more sophisticated than people who went to school here in American? Are you really that much of a pretentious snob?
I have relatives who spent a great deal of time overseas between 1917 to 1918 and 1942 to 1965. Some of them didn’t come home or some came home and passed away shortly afterwards. Like I said, the Swiss will always know precisely what time it is when the Americans save the world next time. But, it looks like they will stop caring and stop being grateful precisely 30 seconds afterwards.
But, thank you for clarifying that you conned the French into paying for your medical school. I’m glad that the rest of the nation you look down your nose at is not footing the bill for that.
My husband and I were also talking about the Pakistan issue (invading vs. diplomacy)…where Obama was blatantly revealing what he would do…not a very bright strategy for an aspiring world leader to put all his cards on the table like that…John McCain seemed coy about his response…military experience scores again!
I could care less if you have dual/triple citizenship. I do find it ironic that you’re relying on a social welfare state to pay for your education. Many people, especially in the USA, work their way through school and rely on a mixture of loans and scholarships as I did. I guess it just shows that some people are willing to suck on the public teat to get whatever goodies they want without actually earning them honestly. I wonder how the native French folks would feel about your good fortune? Especially those tax-paying, native, French citizens.
Who makes a decision to cast a vote for the POTUS based on the stupid criteria of some of those “undecideds?” McCain stumbled on a few answers. I smell a plant.
Right now the poll on my blog is show 58%/42% McCain.
No one has three nationalities. You have one. Pick one.
the fox poll was 82% McCain and 16% Obama with 1% undecided.. bwahhahahaaa
emjem24, you provincial peasant, you just don’t understand! Edelweiss is oh so sophisticated (très chic) because she summers in Europe. You know, Gstaad, Berne, Montreux….Oh, wait, you’re an American. You couldn’t possibly know….
Drudge has McCain ahead as well.
“Undecided” must be Obama’s daughters and granny….
What does it say about a person who finds their worth in whether or not they have a passport?
I cant find those on the map !?!?!!?!? Is that in Louisianna or Kentucky?
Reference please!!!!!
Boy I hope so. There were several places where I was screaming at McCain to throw a punch like that Obama was the #2 recipient of campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and then top it off with a question to Obama whether or not quasi government ‘banks’ should be making ANY contributions at all? And on the topic of safety post Sept 11, 2001 (OR in rebuttal to Obama’s using 5 brigrades to chase Osama at altitudes over a mile high in the mountains of the Pashtun tribes); at least mention the war against al Qaiada is not just in Iraq or Afghanistan, it is all over the world and there have been no attacks on us since.
I hope this is just a case of McCain keeping his powder dry for later debates; I hope he throw some harder punches in the future.
Try West Virginia. It is America’s Switzerland only the people are evidently less pretentious.
The Wall Street Journal’s online poll has it 58.2% Obama / 34.4 McCain / 7.4 neither.
Obviously they both won with their bases, the real question is how did they with undecideds?
I tend to think it’s toss up their.
I don’t think McCain’s base is 58.2%. It looks like he picked up one or two undecided.
MSLSD live poll results are:
Ueberdork must be wearing out his mouse button!
There was a funny quote a few weeks ago.. a woman said she prefered to work in Europe rather than the US, because she had the opportunity to work in several different countries. But in the US she could only work in ONE.
I think those are called STATES here!
For reference, Germany is the size of Colorado and Texas is as large as EUROPE itself.
Basically Sarah Palin governs a state (country) LARGER than all of Europe….
CBS results of “uncommitted voters”
Obama’s collosal flip-flop that Iran is not a threat and then .. Iran is a grave threat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaG6s05MKeM
edelweiss,
So are are you more proud to be a citizen of
1. a country that couldn’t even take a stand against the Nazis and even had a policy of turning back fleeing Jews after it was known they were being sent to death camps
2. a country that went out of it’s way to enter a war tos ave Europe at a cost of 500,000 lives, millions of injured and great sacrifice for the vast majority of it’s citizens?
Did they even teach real history at your high school or was it all about political correctness?
lol, you are so funny.
Rabbid:
Gstaad is a German-speaking village in Switzerland (south of Kanton Bern). It’s a famous and very expensive ski resort in the heart of Berner Oberland (Alps).
Bern (pronounced locally as Bärn) is the federal capital and a German-speaking city in Switzerland.
Montreux is a French-speaking town in Western Switzerland (Canton de Vaud), North-East of Lake Geneva. It’s one of the wealthiest town in Switzerland. Charlie Chaplin used to live 5 miles west of Montreux, in Vevey (also Nestlé is headquartered in Vevey).
Couldn’t watch the debate at all.
Just watching a socialist reformer (McCain = Gorbachev with American twist) versus Stalin-Hitler communist (Obama = the Nero of Amerikkka) duke it out.
It’s all just Stalingrad warmed over. Who cares who wins?
The last bastion of freedom, America, is still destroyed in the tumult no matter the result.
Horrible.
He doesn’t care. It was ridicule. No one cares about your posh snobbish lifestyle. Or your politics. I hate hitting a woman so hard, but c’mon.
Yeah, it’s the farmer chick in me, you know?
I spent a couple of days in Switzerland and it IS the most expensive country I’ve ever been to. It’s very expensive to live there. Americans complain about their standard of living, well, the Swiss have a lot more costs to contend with.
Living in Europe is overrated. Some are very friendly, but others like Swiss Miss seem to think she can lord it over us poor slobs who think that overly bloated social welfare states will eventually cave in on themselves. Swiss Miss neglects to point out how high the unemployment rate is in France. She neglects to mention how high their taxes are and the French pay up the nose for stuff like “free” public/university education, healthcare, housing, etc.
Nope… I’d rather be an American citizen than a citizen of the world.
Hey, is your call name a reference to Auburn University? I used to live in Montgomery when my husband got stationed there. We finally had to escape the internecine bloodshed and arguing between the University of Alabama and Auburn fans. Those folks take their football very seriously.
You know, for the first time in decades I don’t have a valid passport. But, after the last 4 years abroad, it really doesn’t matter much to me. Of course, I can’t walk across the bridge to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls any longer. There is a great German restaurant right at the top of the hill there.
It is funny how “Swiss Miss” fails to point out a few less savory facts about Europe. I lived abroad for over 12 years (4 countries, 3 continents). I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. But, I am always glad to come home to America, the actual land of the free.
I have been to Maxwell AFB. And yes, I am an Auburn grad. And we do take our football seriously down there. Frankly, it is very near to a second religion.
Right. Using 70′s date. Rush Holt D-NJ says same thing on his website… It’s BS.
And… even using those useless old numbers, if we used THAT resource for 20 years, we’d almost eliminate foreirg oil need. For that time period.
Plus if you ever looked at the record for Canadas reservices.. in 2003 they went from around 25 bill barrels to over 200 billion barrels. why? They actually looked for more.
I still think Obama will win because most of America is so brainwashed with liberalism they’ll vote this guy in with their feelings.
Lets hope that their so brainwashed that they think not voting is an appropriate liberal protest.
Yes, let’s have a debate on Friday evening so Rush can’t comment until Monday.
Goldwater Knight said:
I don’t think Obama will win. But I do find it sad that this is even a contest. McCain will beat Obama, but not by near as much as he should, given how far left Obama is… very sad.
Shhhhh. They dont speak English over there. Let me translate:
Ihre Militärstützpunkt sind gehören uns..
Morgen ist das Oktoberfest. Das Bier ist ser gut, ya!!!
sorry typed too fast #@$!@$!@$!
I had my accent going at the time…..
——————————-
Morgen ist das Oktoberfest. Das Bier ist sehr gut, ya!!!
Hmmm….. like they know what real football is? (pssst my little sister is available for recruiting) ::sigh:: I dont even know why we tolerate those yahoos over there. Does Forrest Gump still play for them?
You know, Alabama, Auburn….
I cant find those on the map !?!?!!?!? Is that in Louisianna or Kentucky?
Reference please!!!!!
Shhhh… I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m a Syracuse fan myself.
I’m also a Buffalo Bills fan but I’ve decided to pursue a life without football. I’ve decided to become a figure skating fan. It’s easy! The scoring is so screwy and convoluted that you never know who will win and why. Works for me!
I missed the debate because it was on in the middle of the night in Baghdad. Yet, if McCain did anything other than point out Obama’s far Left statements of his past and recent Primary contest then McCain missed an opportunity to highlight the real differences.
Girlfriend, ::snap, snap, snap:: you dont even know. That is so fierce, and do NOT get me started on the choreography either.
(BTW, where is that tramp Tonya Harding when you need her too? )
WHAT?????? Yes dear Im coming……..
NOooooOOOOOOO!!!! Im not blogging again…….
I SWEAR!!!!
I SAID IM COMING!!!!! ITS OFF!!!!!!!!
(Gotta go everyone… Night!!!!)
IM COMINGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! (jeez……)
You might want to get some smarter friends too.
Moseyed over to the NYT and Boston.com to post some comments.
They were short, polite and to the point.
And pro-McCain.
Just went back to check on any responses….and they have all been deleted.
Why are these people so easily threatened?
So very sad.
Not a surprise to me when it comes to national security Obama doesn’t stand a chance against McCain. But I was disappointed that McCain didn’t spell out the fact that Obama wants to double the capital gains tax…that would be a disaster- especially right now! Around 100 million americans own stock…this has got to get out there. WHY DIDN’T HE HIT HIM WITH THIS TONIGHT???
Edelweiss/Swiss Miss:
A few observations.
So, you went to boarding school in Switzerland. So what? I was also educated at a boarding school in Lausanne. Yes, I know the Nestle factory is in Vevey, home of the big yodeling festival. Who cares? What is your point? How is that relevant to any of the discussions here?
If you are indeed a medical student, I weep for your patients. Empathy is an important quality in the medical field. You should work on that.
As immature high schoolers, we used to lurk in the cafes and snicker at Americans who would arrive in waves during the summer and stumble through with their fractured French, with what we derided as a desperate attempt to appear sophisticated and worldly. Unlike you, however, I grew up and realized how childish this behavior was, and that maybe they were nice people who just wanted to practice a language they had endeavored to learn and were excited to practice, and we were the classless boors for our arrogance and mockery.
It was during my years in Switzerland that I grew to know and love Americans– I fell in love with their openness, their generosity, their can-do spirit and zest for life. One of my fondest memories is a group of New Yorkers who met us in a bookstore in town and needed directions and after chatting back and forth for a bit, insisted we join them on their ski trip to Kitzbuhel. I am still friends with those wonderful people, 30 years later.
When I was at school in Lausanne everything and anything American was all the rage. One of the cooler & wealthier guys even had his dad import a vintage Corvette for his 18th birthday present.
It was during my last year of school, that I came to the realization that the put-downs and snide remarks and put-on airs from the Europeans were a result of unbridled jealousy and envy.
So, please spare us all your little lectures about anything “Swiss”. Everytime you do so, you are just confirming for all of us your petty insecurities. Clearly, the standards for boarding schools have gone dramatically downhill, because in my time, good manners and etiquette were just as important to our studies as civics and math.
Our hostess and her guests here have been very gracious and accomodating to you. Please do all of us a favor and put that Swiss boarding school education to good use and reciprocate.
Merci!
McCain is the comfortable old shoe. People have too many unanswered questions about Obama to vote for him. Right now I’m saying 370 votes for McCain in the electoral college.
I’m always amazed at how many people are STILL undecided at this point.
McCain was the better debater tonight. Obama was flummoxed, flustered, frustrated, and irritated, not to mention totally on the defensive. McCain basically held no punches. Round 1 to McCain. Anxiously awaiting Biden-Palin this coming Thursday….
Fellow Malkinites, what we have here is the very personification of the difference between a lady and a female.
Nicely done, YTZGal. Nicely done.
Or as my elder daughter would say,
PWNED!
A few things people seem to have missed:
-Good performance by McCain after the first half-hour or so, but his brain was outrunning his mouth. For example, Ireland’s growth is the envy of the EU, and it’s based off a little bit of EU cash being dumped in, but mostly on the low tax rates Ireland has. In pretty short order, Ireland is being transformed from a very poor country to a rather well-off one. Mostly on the back of the sort of tax cuts McCain was putting forward.
But without explaining those facts to the American public, the mention of Ireland’s 11% business income tax doesn’t say much – it really is a brilliant, illustrative point. Especially counterpointing the economic problems most of continental Europe is mired in as they try to rationalize the shackles of socialism.
-Near the end, McCain turned the “McCain = Bush” garbage right back on Obama by comparing Obama’s inability to admit he was wrong on the surge to Bush’s inability to admit he was wrong. “The next administration needs flexibility”. That point/clip needs to be broadcast from the rooftops.
These guys are used to thinking about issues but they’re not used to explaining them well to the American people. I guess that’s what Rush is for.
Went to bed after the debates and slept restlessly interrupted by a series of nightmares. Is this all we have for our country. I won’t pile on Obie, since his inability to lead is well known, but Mick with his nebulous responses, his condescending attitude and his stubborn refusal to address Obie directly really knawed at me. He came across as smug… instead of teaching Obie, he refused to even acknowledge him. His behavior mimiced spouses in the midst of a nasty divorce, who “reply” to each other through their attorneys. C’mon Mick, take the high road, and please prepare for the debate. You could have spoken to many of Obie’s shortcomings, but you missed them, or let them slide. Depending on the election outcome we can look forward to eight years of dismal mediocrity, or a complete trashing of America. What a choice. Damn you all.