I Despair

Jen & I just watched the first debate. We were so upset by the crap McCain let Obama get away with. Jen goes crazy when Obama says 95% of Americans will get tax cuts. McCain needs to call him on it and explain it. I go crazy when he doesn't make more of a big deal on Obama spouting nonsense on Afghanistan.

Then we listened to some commentary afterwards and had to ask.....what was Michelle McPhee listening to? She said McCain wiped the floor with Obama. Come again?

Then Michael Graham said that McCain coming back again and again to "earmarks" was his way of keeping Obama off of some of McCain's economic weaknesses......I guess.

I wanted McCain to come out swinging, but it was a little more subtle. I guess there were some points scored, but they were few and far between.

McCain already has an ad out highlighting the fact that Obama agreed with him on several points. The pundits at Fox also pointed out the McCain was not so conciliatory, he said several times the "Senator Obama doesn't understand".

Maybe because I am so into this, but the "I wasn't voted Miss Congeniality" line needs to go. It's old.

Obama talked about his budget proposals and Lehrer asked what he'd change in light of the current economic crisis. Obama dodged and McCain let him. McCain proposed a spending freeze on all but the essential items. That was good, but he didn't hit hard enough with it.

During the discussion of healthcare and funding it, I wanted McCain to make more of not turning it over to the federal government. He said it, but it was more of a throw-away line.

Then we finally get to the foreign policy part of the debate and Lehrer comes up with a question that ties Vietnam to Iraq. I guess you can take a guy off of PBS, but.......well, you know.

Obama makes the "we took our eye off the ball" crack about Iraq and Afghanistan and McCain doesn't make him explain it. Obama talks about American troop levels in Iraq vs. Afghanistan and McCain doesn't point out the coalition troop levels.

Obama remarks that "Oh, there's no doubt. Look, over the last eight years, this administration, along with Senator McCain, have been solely focused on Iraq.".......McCain doesn't call him on it and say "Really? Eight years? We've only been in Iraq for five. Get your facts straight, boyo."

Or how about this one, McCain lands one with "Senator Obama is the chairperson of a committee that oversights NATO that's in Afghanistan. To this day, he has never had a hearing."

And Obama responds "Look, I'm very proud of my vice presidential selection, Joe Biden, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and as he explains, and as John well knows, the issues of Afghanistan, the issues of Iraq, critical issues like that, don't go through my subcommittee because they're done as a committee as a whole."

Why didn't McCain come back and question that? If your subcommittee doesn't have any reason to hold hearings, why doesn't it exist? Was it just to give you something to pad your resume, Senator Obama? Why isn't someone mentioning Biden's harsh words for Obama's MIA status with this sub-committee?

Arggghhhh!