Politics
OPEN THREAD: Final Presidential Debate, Obama vs. McCain. Thoughts, Comments & Who Won?
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Amad
October 15, 2008 at 8:44 PM
anyone watching and wanna live blog??
AsimG
October 15, 2008 at 8:47 PM
McCain said he is going to kick the ‘you know what’ out of Obama in this debate.
I don’t see how this is possible considering McCain will be sitting right next to him and can’t exactly avoid eye contact and walk around the stage in anger like last time
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 8:55 PM
Ok, Asim, you’re IT.
The prince's girl
October 15, 2008 at 9:22 PM
Hmmm… in my head, Obama is so far ahead, He already won in my book. Unless McCain comes on and annouces he fired Palin, or that he is now promoting someone worth being my president. Obama will still have my vote.
Sigh, i really think we need a box that says, “try again… you still have 2 months until inaugeration day to find a guy who is NOT an idiot.”
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 9:23 PM
McCain is winning debate, he is going to loose election landslide. 340+ for Obama!!
The prince's girl
October 15, 2008 at 9:33 PM
no disrespect, but since Muslimmatters.org is not purely a site for americans, i have to ask, are you bloggers americans who can vote? or from other countries?
amad
October 15, 2008 at 9:47 PM
I suspect the majority of readers are eligible to vote, because the majority of traffic is from America and 18+
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 9:56 PM
Joe the plumber may get lot of redneck business now.
McCain is on full offensive, I do not think it is going to pay off
amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:05 PM
ok couldn’t resist
Joe is getting all the fame. I liked Obama’s response for Joe.
McCain is desperate. He can’t talk about his own policies, but just attack, attack, attack.
Will Joe buy it?
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 10:08 PM
Joe is already redneck, southerner republican…
shirien
October 15, 2008 at 10:09 PM
lol joe is definitely famous.” Redneck, southerner republican?” sounds like joe lives down the street from me.. or a professor of mine :)
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 10:14 PM
No Joe is real person.
I do not understand how easily McCain equated universal healthcare to socialism, while his republicans (Bush and co) already made USA a semi socialist state
amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:19 PM
Nice rebut on the abortion votes in Illinois senate. Disingenuous of McCain to give the half-truth on it. Makes him look stupid.
On the tax/medical issue, I think Obama stretched the truth on that. So if someone gets 10k from his employer for insurance, and is taxed at 35%, then he pays 3500 tax on it, so the 5000 credit will more than cover that. A breakeven employer reimbursement seems to be about 15k. So in most cases McCain’s program will put more money in more Americans’ pocket. Did I get that right??
ibnabeeomar
October 15, 2008 at 10:20 PM
these guys got nothing on dubya.
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:21 PM
From CNN
ibnabeeomar
October 15, 2008 at 10:29 PM
“careful stewards of your tax dollars” ?
mccain better be careful, who talks like that anymore? using big words like ‘stewards’ might alienate the redneck vote he’s banking on.
S
October 15, 2008 at 10:30 PM
i like the nice change in tone…..terrorism isn’t synonymous for muslims in this debate thanks to ayers.
yay!
tomorrow’s headlines: “Ayers Admits Truth, Actually Muslim”
dang
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 10:32 PM
McCain seemed nervous and blinked a lot.
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:33 PM
thats funny S
Who’s Abdullah Ayers?
So, what do you all think, those who watched most of it? I only got in a half of it I think.
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:34 PM
McCain always blinks a lot, while Palin winks a lot.
I think lies keep flying into his eyes.
ibnabeeomar
October 15, 2008 at 10:36 PM
i watched about 10 minutes. i was busy watching Disney’s “Cars” for about the 58th time with my 2 year old.
Here’s my assessment of the debate: I would rather vote for Lightning McQueen than either of these two :)
ibnabeeomar
October 15, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Anyone want to start a McQeen 08 write in campaign with me? He can float like a cadillac and sting like a beamer. Plus with Doc Hudson in his pit crew, he’ll have all the decision making advice he will need.
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Not that it matters a whole lot… but it is interesting that if people see enough polls one way, it starts affecting their own perception of who did better.
So
http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/15/debate-mccain-obama-oped-cx_fs_1016debatepoll.html
go vote in the poll (for obama)
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Where’s my analysis team, the ones not watching cartoons??
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
October 15, 2008 at 10:57 PM
bismillah. i caught more of the debate than i had expected to (between dinner, and going for maghrib/isha in the masjid. every time i saw McCain on the attack. and i never saw Obama react with more emotion than to smile and lower his head as though McCain were a crazy uncle (and Obama’s got some crazzzzy white relatives).
i wanted Obama to just look at him, smiling, pausing — long enough for McCain to be uncomfortable — and then tell him “everything’s going to be okay. all of your attacks on me, all of your campaign’s slurs, all of the insinuations, all of it — i forgive you because you once sacrificed so much for our country. and when i am President, i will still take time to listen to you, no matter how discourteous you have been or will become, because no one can take from you the good that you did.”
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 10:57 PM
I missed 20-25 minutes because of isha. McCain is cartoon as well.
Honestly, I think McCain did much better job in every debate compared to what Bush did in 2004, and also a lot better than what Palin did in her one debate. He knows his stuff, he is good debater, sometimes aggressive. But unfortunately the whole context/environment we are living in is not helping him. So on many occasion, his many answers are more accurate and gives right assessment, but its just not working,
On the other hand, Obama is excellent orator and speaker, very decent debater. Plus everything is working in his favor, all he has to do is to stay cool (and he has been doing that). His few answers may not resonate with us or some, but people are overlooking these right now.
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 10:57 PM
Check out the video I just added….its TOOOOO funny.
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 11:00 PM
More on the poor (lucky) Joe guy, who is now going to be raking in the dough…
maybe McCain should ditch Palin, and make Joe his VP candidate.
Amad
October 15, 2008 at 11:04 PM
Joe for VP… Seems like Joe, the plumber,is more interesting, and probably more qualified (at least he has a work ethic) than Palin. Especially since we need to replumb America.
The only way that McCain can win over Joe is by making him his VP candidate.
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
October 15, 2008 at 11:08 PM
innalhamdolillah. it might work even better as an Obama ad. “Tribute to a American hero” or something like that.
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 11:14 PM
George W Bush, October 2001 approval rating 93%
George W Bush, October 2008 approval rating 23%
His party candidate saying he is not Bush, and republicans got happy and started distributing this one liner in a video.
Verily in this there is a sign for people who think
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
October 15, 2008 at 11:16 PM
bismillah. okay, this MM article is now Dugg. we can invite the whole Digg universe to this open thread — just digg it!
SaqibSaab
October 15, 2008 at 11:21 PM
Obamat. Ta marbuta.
sincethestorm
October 15, 2008 at 11:21 PM
McLame would throw a jab at Obama then nod/smile like he was winning this campaign. My campaign is about issues..btw you have connections with Ayers, you were on the board for Acorn…my campaign is about not raises taxes for anyone. (nod…smile)
When Bob asked Obama whether he thought Palin was fit to be president….i held my breath because I wanted him to say soooooo much more than I’ll let the American people decide that. I wished he would have just taken a tinsy winsy jab at her intelligence level…i know it wouldn’t have happened in real life.
I can predict the next SNL episode. Obama is going to be smoking a cigar and looking at his watch…like when is this debate over so i can go home! While McCain is going to be calling him names and blinking continously…sweating a little while watching Obama’s lead according to the poll numbers increase from 12, 14, 15, 16…aaaahhhhh OK the end! :)
Hassan
October 15, 2008 at 11:29 PM
http://joetheplummer.com/
ibnabeeomar
October 15, 2008 at 11:35 PM
deer in headlights video was funny. if obama stretched that out any longer, im afraid he might have a heart attack and we’d be discussing who palin’s running mate was going to be.
SaqibSaab
October 15, 2008 at 11:42 PM
http://www.palinaspresident.com
:P
ibnabeeomar
October 15, 2008 at 11:46 PM
that site is HILARIOUS!!!!! the dirk nowitzki picture was genius
AsimG
October 16, 2008 at 12:11 AM
Barack Hussein Obama for President!
We are probably the only group where his middle name isn’t a negative lol.
But yah the debate was meh. Obama has won the election unless he turns out to be a secret Muslimn or worse…an arab!
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
October 16, 2008 at 12:15 AM
bismillah. digg it up! 5 diggs and counting…
Travis
October 16, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Does anybody know where to go to get the mp3 of the debate?
ibnabeeomar
October 16, 2008 at 1:23 AM
olbermann ftw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xviHM2JUh90
ibnabeeomar
October 16, 2008 at 1:29 AM
full joe the plumber video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFC9jv9jfoA
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
October 16, 2008 at 2:14 AM
Power of Diggs? “John Cleese on Sarah Palin” 6333 Diggs and counting. I might never have found the video except that it was so popular when I found it — at least 3000 diggs earlier! That’s why we need to Digg the articles on MM, too.
I think the Cleese video is good (and clean, no crass comments). And the comments — about 500 of them — are interesting, too.
Wanna digg my comments?
What might Michael Palin say?
Palin want to be President?
Ahmad AlFarsi
October 16, 2008 at 8:39 AM
this time, probably due to previous criticism that he can’t make eye contact with obama, mccain was staring at obama with an extremely uncomfortable and visibly forced “smile” the whole time.
I was just looking at him and thinking, “man, does it really hurt you and is it really THAT hard to look at your opponent and smile at him…” … the anger inside of him really showed through his forced facial expressions…
AbuAbdAllah, the Houstonian
October 16, 2008 at 9:36 AM
bismillah. think either candidate would feel very bad about this one: Suspected U.S. drone attack in Pakistan, one killed?
why not be glad if the target was “legitimate?” US heavy weapons strikes have become a lot more precise since the Vietnam War, but one thing has not changed since then. when artillery and jets rain down destruction anywhere near civilians, especially on a regular basis, the populace grows to hate those pulling the trigger. and in Vietnam that spelled disaster for America. are our air attacks in Afghanistan also winning battles and losing the war? quite possibly. why do our leaders not see that it would almost certainly be the same in Pakistan?
Hassan
October 16, 2008 at 10:20 AM
Did McCain really say this line:
“Governor Palin is breast of fresh air”
I am reading in different blogs, but do not know if it is joke.
AbuZakariyya
October 16, 2008 at 10:45 AM
Does the McCain healthcare plan just give you 5k cash and you can spend it anyway? or does it enforce somehow that 5k must be spent on healthcare? if it’s 5k cash, I like that better (islamically)…that way, we’re not obligated to pay for insurance…
Hassan
October 16, 2008 at 11:10 AM
http://webofdeception.com/joetheplumber.html
Background check for Joe the Plumber. Apparently he lived in North Pole, Alaska, and Keating Avenue in Arizona?
Hassan
October 16, 2008 at 11:13 AM
http://www.eisenstadtgroup.com/2008/10/15/joe-the-plumber-wurzelbacher-related-to-charles-keating-oops/
mulsimah
October 16, 2008 at 11:16 AM
salaam
the probem is brother that mcains healthcare plan is not a ‘solution’ for the millions of people who cannot afford healthcare. Obamas plan is definately better bc it is a solution and will lower the costs.
have you guys noticed that Obamas tax idea sounds like the Islamic ‘zakat’ as he says we should ‘spread the wealth’
The thing that really bothered me is that mcain kept saying obama is raising taxes. hes only raising for 5 percent of the people and the rest he is cutting. so when mcain keeps repeating it , it seems like mcain is just talking to the wealthy like always. he never mentions middle class or think s about themiddle class. that is probably bc he doesnt understand him. I didnt like how he was trying to put equal that obama and michelle were able to go to ne schools as eazy as mcain and cindy. thats not true and i wish obama said that but i guess he did before in a diff way. michell and obama were middle class they got lot of scholarship plus they were in alot of debt like how most of the students are now.
so mcains education plan is absoultely ridiculous as he sais he will just make it easier for more students to get loans and that just equals more students in debt.
mcain did a lot better than his other debates. but not good enough, that is probably bc he is who is he and obama is who he is.
mcains anger scares me, he seemed ‘jealous’ of obama bc he kept mentioneing obamas ‘eloquency’
i wish obama would say more how the mcains rallys were scary.
I also wish obama had put a better answer down for why palin is not ready to be president but i hink he was scared of coming across as sexist. but still i think he could of done it but i guess he just does not want to attack neone in neway.
Abu Umar
October 16, 2008 at 1:25 PM
The only thing I learned from this debate was both Obama and McCain favor the redistribution of wealth.
Hassan
October 16, 2008 at 2:37 PM
More McCain supporters, one calling him nig**
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRqcfqiXCX0
ibn alHyderabadee
October 16, 2008 at 3:20 PM
i watched the debate almost twice last night……while sittign through hurricane omar……
H
October 16, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Whoever wins, you American Muslims are in for a rough ride.
Abu Umar
October 17, 2008 at 12:21 AM
From today’s column by Justin Raimondo:
Do read the whole article.
movie fan
October 17, 2008 at 4:10 AM
it’s kindof sad that McCain and Palin have lowered people’s standards so far that, when they finally manage to put whole sentences together during their debates suddenly they either “tie” or “are really making strides in their campaign” Between the two of them, they’ve got the pity vote locked away for sure. As for their actual competancy….
mulsimah
October 17, 2008 at 11:54 AM
yah they are steaming really low
here is some of the stuff the gop has been doing now
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=12383
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/17/gop-pamphlet-ayers-is-ter_n_135526.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/16/massive-rnc-robocall-may_n_135348.html
so now lets act
tell mcain to end the politics of hate (suhaib webb also has this on his site)
http://therealmccain.com/mob/
mulsimah
October 17, 2008 at 11:55 AM
washington post endorses obama!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/16/AR2008101603436.html?hpid=opinionsbox1
Abu Umar
October 17, 2008 at 3:42 PM
Here is Justin Raimondo on the Establishment Messiah:
-Pls don’t cut and paste entire articles. This is against netiquettes and cumbersome as a comment. Jazakallahkhair for the good information though. -Editor
jay
October 20, 2008 at 4:36 AM
I dont have faith in either of these candidates, Im just a few days too young to vote, and even if I was old enough, I probably wouldn’t even bother. I think Mclame is going to win whether we like it or not, even if Obama wins he votes, some bull will be pulled again. If I had to pick one of them I would go with Obama, I think most people can agree that we need another democrat in office, I know ‘die hard republicans’ that are voting demo this year for that reason. clinton wasn’t a bad pres, everyone just got pissed at him cause he screwed and intern, thats his personal life, better than screwing the country
abu abdAllah, the Houstonian
November 1, 2008 at 5:00 AM
bismillah. i guess we go through another political open thread this sunday — lines in houston on today’s last day of early voting were as long as 8 hours!