Saturday, September 27, 2008

Debating the Debate

Ah, middle age! "Sleeping in" means getting out of bed at 7:00am instead of 5:30. I read the Times and the Sun and graded some papers with the always craptacular Morning Joe on, in s special post-debate Saturday edition.

Hot topics of discussion so far? Obama looked darker, more menacing. McCain looked like your crazy grumpy uncle, and it was strange that he never once looked at Obama during the debate. Thank goodness for this in-depth analysis.

Unfortunately it's this kind of bullshit that wins the debate--not the actual remarks of the candidates. The pundits score appearance, mannerism, aloofness, hipness. Like this dipshit talking about Obama closing his eyes too much. That's how I select presidential candidates--their rate of blinking.

Because Cha's boss is the daughter of well-heeled NEA/Education big-wigs who move in donor circles at the Fed level, she scored us tickets to a debate watch shin-dig at the DNC headquarters last night. Luky accompanied us because she's getting her Master's in Government at JHU and she's an inner-city teacher and advocate for the kids in B'more and she needed to be there. We mingled with former secretaries of Ed and drank Yellow Tail and sat on the floor in front of a giant projection screen as the Bluest of the Blue applauded Obama and booed McLame.

Obama scored a couple good blows but failed to deck his opponent. He was too cautious. McCain failed to demonstrate his vast experience and was fumbly. Neither was a clear winner, but I thought Obama showed himself to have the demeanor and smarts for the job, and McCain failed to connect to issues important to the middle class. The guy has lost his sense of humor completely. Many who doubted Obama's capacities saw them last night. As presidential debates go, it was better than any I've seen in recent memory, mostly because of the absence of a truly stupid guy for the first time since 1996. But like all debates, it was disappointing.

I can't wait to watch Joe Biden eviscerate Sarah Palin Thursday. She is truly a cream puff. If the lightweight Katie Couric can't keep Palin's stupidity from the public, then Biden is going to put the dunce cap on her and sit her in the corner on national TV. Of course Bush was moronic every time he appeared on television and he got elected twice--with catastrophic results. If Biden is too cruel to Palin people might feel sorry for her.

1 comment:

fernie said...

McCain scored the only funny last night when the commentator was trying to get Obama to talk to McCain and he said he could hear him. Glad you saw something totally different than we did. Of course you always do.