There was no "WOW" moment produced during Friday's highly-anticipated debate between the two men who would be president. But that doesn't mean the first face-to-face showdown between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain didn't provide a fascinating look at the politics of belittling the opponent.
It was difficult to keep track of the number of times the Arizona Republican stamped Obama as lacking knowledge, not having the foresight, missing the point, or just being too inexperienced on a number of topics key to running the country ranging from talking tough to Pakistan's leaders to the importance of winning the war in Iraq. ...
It was a tissue-paper thin strategy by McCain to turn the youthfulness of the junior senator from Illinois into a liability.
But McCain ran into one huge problem.
Obama showed a far more thorough command of the facts. Whether the subject turned to the federal bailout plan, the Russia-Georgia conflict, or the lessons of the Iraq war, Obama displayed a calm, reasoned rationale while keeping his occasional elitist tones in check.
And to his credit, Obama was the only candidate on the stage to even address issues like sending your kids to college, filling your gas tank, and providing affordable health care for Americans. You know, the kinds of subjects you and I deal with every day.
Even if you disagreed with his answers, it would be hard to say Obama lacks the temperament to lead this nation – especially against the presidential backdrop provided by the Bush Administration.
After its failure Friday, maybe McCain will drop that page from his playbook. I wouldn't bet on it, however, because painting a minority as being just a step behind the curve is as old as the hills.
The talking down tactic McCain laid down on Obama was nothing more than a campaign strategy, I know. But excuse me for wincing more than once as it struck a personal chord.
I'm sure I'm not the only black man who heard in McCain's tones the criticism of white co-workers or supervisors, sometimes directed at me – other times at other minorities, questioning whether we "had what it takes" or "if we fully grasped the situation" because we merely questioned how or why a particular deed or task was performed. We might have even had the audacity to suggest a new approach.
Maybe I'm just a little over-sensitive – seeing how close this man of African descent is to becoming our president. Maybe I'm feeling a little overprotective. But I think I'm justified.
Let's be honest for a second, no matter who you plan to vote for. After watching Friday night's debate and recalling the past 8 years of Republican leadership, during which our incredible shrinking president has brought us a nation where gas prices rise, home values fall, and even the Wall Street crowd is in a near panic, how can anyone in their right mind challenge Obama's intelligence or readiness for office?
Ready for more honesty?
If the polls are to be believed, how the hell is this election this close?
__________________
Paul Shepard blogs the Democrat side of the election for BlackVoices. He has been a journalist for 16 years; on the national urban/minority affairs beat for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and for The AP in Washington, D.C.More Election Coverage
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Comments: (39)
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By: love-breeze on 9/27/2008 1:32AM
The majority of the journalists that commented after the debate stated that Obama’s debate was most impressive and effective. I absolutely agree with Obama that America has lost its' capacity to project power and respect to many nations because of the wrongful attack on Iraq, and I believe that Obama is the candidate that's prudent enough to rectify that. Obama's concern is truly for the working poor Americans who are deeply affected by America's economic calamity, as well as the many troops who have lost their lives or arms and legs, and can't get adequate healthcare after being ordered to serve in a war that was completely wrong. Those Iraqis begged Bush not to start a war, that they didn’t want a war. McCain cannot identify with the painful experiences of low income Americans because he was born into a wealthy family, and since he has been in politics he has been supplementing his wages with six figure incomes by working for the rich lobbyists’ agendas, instead of what is best for all Americans. It looks like he was a participant of all that Washington greed too. So how can he empathize with the majority of Americans when he has never experienced the pains and struggles that we have faced; and yet, he continues to bring up his five year war ordeal, in which he involuntarily stated in his brief biography before the debate that he gave up military secrets, while so many Americans have suffered far longer. McCain staunchly justifies Bush’s wrongful war that has caused so many other nations to feel disdain toward Americans; and not to mention the lost of Americans. And I absolutely agree with Obama when he said that Bush’s refusal to talk to dignitaries of other nations doesn’t intimidate them. In fact, it only allows them to feel less reluctance about making nuclear weapons, or doing any other anti-humanitarian deeds. McCain is the one who doesn’t understand the issues that affect most Americans, nor does he have good military discernment. In addition to that, approximately a week before the economic calamity with the banks and Wall Street was made public he said that the economy was just fine. That goes to show you how little interest he took in the American economy, because his bank account and portfolio was fine. Now he says that there has to be a stop to Washington’s greed, and the greed of the major financial institutions: Well if he knew greed existed there, then why didn’t this so called “Maverick” do something about it? And didn’t he feel that this greed was wrong to American taxpayers? We work hard for our money, and with this unequal pay for men and women, and with so many deadbeat fathers out there, we need that hard earned money to provide for our children.
And for him to post an ad that says he won the debate, shows you just how out of touch with reality he really is. Majority of everyone on tv says Obama won that one.
You are absolutely right, Obama is the only one who addressed the concerns that affect average american, and he mentioned his concern more than once.
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By: Ann on 9/27/2008 1:35AM
McCain's frequent and annoying comments that Obama doesn't understand and he is naive are particularly telling of his strategy to appeal to whites who often like to see themselves as superior in knowledge to blacks no matter what their relative positions are. However, Obama clearly showed he does understand and I might add, this is not the first time he has. It is strikingly odd to me that this notion of Obama being unknowledgeable or a novice in these matters has never been true and throughout this campaign he has shown a striking command of the issues and his solutions. I don't buy this ongoing argument that the people don't know him, who he is. Truth is, they know what they want to know. Many of those same people claiming they cannot or will not vote for Obama because they just don't know enough about him are more than willing to jump over to McCain's camp and vote McCain/Palin when it is clear beyond a shadow of a doubt Palin couldn't see her way out of a paper bag. This argument is tired and entirely too obvious. The clear truth is that if people want to know Obama they have had ample opportunity to do so as he has laid out his policies and plans thoroughly and comprehensively. Let's see, there's his website anyone interested could visit and read up on who he and his family are, his policies and plans. There are his two best-selling books one could read to find out who the man is and let's see, there is more than a year of campaigning, debating and stump speeching in which America has seen this man day after day and night after night. Obama and his family have laid themselves out to America. Those who choose not to vote for him for other than ideological differences are making a clear statement that they simply won't vote for him because he is black. What else could it be? If you say you were a Hillary supporter but you will not vote Obama now, you are clearly making a racist statement when both Hillary and Obama agreed during the primary that there was very little difference between the two on their policies. If you say you were a Hillary supporter but you will not vote Obama because you wanted a woman to head the ticket, you are lying because no sooner than it was clear that Hillary lost and conceded, you jumped over to McCain's camp and he hadn't even pegged Sarah Palin yet. John Grisham said it right and countless others have said this as well, (it is only the media who seem to be dancing around this obvious truth), if Obama loses this election it will be solely and purely because he is black and for no other reason. That is the reason this race is (let the media tell it) so close. Why won't they just come out and say it instead of constantly intimating there is something wrong with Obama he needs to correct?
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By: Jackie from Jonesboro, GA on 9/27/2008 10:32AM
I really wish someone would weigh in on this one; I am 57 years-old and was raised in Birmingham, Alabama. I distinctly remember how whites used to blatantly ignore Blacks when addressed as if they failed to look at us or acknowledge us during communication that that would automatically render us as insignificant.
Was this the tactic that John McCain tried to use or is it just my racial paranoia?
I grew up watching this as a child and haven’t seen this type of thing since. (Thank God) Clearly I believe this to be rude , covertly and overtly condescending. Evidently McCain feels that this type of thing will appeal to voters of that ilk.
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By: Fierce on 9/27/2008 10:44AM
Obama came of the gates swinging! He was eloquent, knowledgeable,
precise and focused as a laser!
John McCain, well how much time do you have?
The geezer was rude, arrogant(he refused to look at Obama),DUMB as a rock and very annoying. You can tell he has the same handlers as sarah Palin, because for the most part their knowledge is very limited, so the strategy is to bullsh!t through the stuff they don’t
know (which is a lot). They ramble, babble and get incoherent. Sometimes I got so dizzy I couldn’t remember what the hell the question was!
What was that heavy breathing towards the end? Was he snoring? It was past his bedtime! We also know he did a lot of memorizing all those foreign leaders! He was probably exhausted. Who gives a sh!t if you can spit all those foereign leaders names out, or if you have been to Afghanistan? You’re still DUMB! That also means you have bad judgement. HELLO?
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By: Fierce on 9/27/2008 11:24AM
McCain obviously has napoleon complex. He's short and he knows that every one is talking about how stupid and erratic he is, so he preemptively tried to talk down to Obama, who undoubtedly does not even belong to the same league as that dumb ass McCain.
The sad thing is, that tactic would work on McCain's dumb ass republican base. That is the same base Bush played with that I am like you; all religious, bible loving, abortion hating, "good value" crap.
They were stupid enough to believe him, even though as soon as they leave the White House Carl Rove would laugh and call them "the NUTS." They got played & were too stupid to know it. As far as I’m concerned they deserve each other! Small minds think alike & birds of the same feather flock together!
I wish Obama, would not seem as intimidated by this sh!t as he did. STOP seeking McCain’s approval. He is nothing but an old fart!
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By: Rae Jackson on 9/27/2008 5:44PM
I enjoyed the debate and thought Obama did very well. McCain on the other hand was the one who didn't understand, McCain is the who just does not get it. So one said it well when they posted a comment about McCain, saying he is like an old teacher who has been in that position for years and is stuck in the old ways of thinking and unwilling to listen to anyone ideas. Obama is something new and fresh, that is what America needs right now.
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By: joe on 9/27/2008 4:00PM
McCain should win!
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By: Tyrone on 9/27/2008 5:58PM
I think the black community is only voting for obama because he is black. Mickey mouse is black and if he ran for pres the black community would vote for him as well. And I dont want to hear about the slave thing. Every race were slaves at one time or another.
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By: chas jr on 9/27/2008 6:04PM
You would have to be an idiot to think Mcain has all american's interest at heart. oh and that whiteman's way of showing disrepect was not lost on me, in fact it made me dislike mcain even more. Obama was prepared and talked about the things that I'm interested in
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By: frantzy germain on 9/27/2008 7:02PM
obama should win
b/c Mccain dont have anything new for us
we cant get in other bush program again
if that happen where we gonna be what we gonna do
to get back in track we need 12 years democrate in the white house
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