John McCain accused Barack Obama of compiling "the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate" Friday night as the two rivals clashed over taxes, spending, the war in Iraq and more in an intense first debate of the White House campaign. "Mostly that's just me opposing George Bush's wrong-headed policies," shot back the Democrat.
Obama said his Republican rival has been a loyal supporter of the unpopular president, adding that the current economic crisis is "a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by President Bush and supported by Sen. McCain."
The two men were polite but pointed as they debated at close quarters for 90 minutes on the University of Mississippi campus.
McCain said he would consider a spending freeze on everything but defense, Veterans affairs and entitlement programs in order to cut back on government spending. Obama disagreed, saying, "The problem is you're using a hatchet where you need a scalpel.But then, as the conversation continued onto Foreign Policy, Obama showed too much deference to John McCain saying "John McCain is absolutely right" too many times for my taste. At the same time, John McCain began to repeat the condescending phrase he "just doesn't understand" to defend his policies against Obama's objections. And the McCain campaign wasted no time capitalizing on Obama's bipartisan, 'reach across the aisle' tendencies. Here is the web ad that appeared on You Tube within minutes of the conclusion of the debate.
"There are some programs that are very important that are currently underfunded," Obama said.
He agreed that the government needs to cut spending in some areas, but he said other areas, such as early childhood education, need more funding. McCain repeated his call to veto every bill with earmarks.
Obama said the country "absolutely" needs earmark reform but said, "the fact is, eliminating earmarks alone is not a recipe for how we are going to get the middle class back on track."
McCain and Obama also tangled over who would cut taxes more. McCain said he would lower business taxes in order to encourage job growth in the United States, and Obama said he would cut taxes for 95 percent of American families.
Some say Barack Obama won by standing toe-to-toe with John McCain, when the senior (in Senate seniority not referring to his age) Senator claims foreign policy expertise. On the other hand, McCain has had a terrible political week and yet he rallied to hold his own and land some body blows on Obama. Round one a draw. Two more to go. Register to vote.
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Comments: (31)
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By: Toya on 9/27/2008 12:46AM
I think Obama could have and should have done better on the Economy questions. Overall he handled himself well.
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By: Jackie on 9/27/2008 12:43AM
I think McCain and his supporters underestimated Senator Obama's intelligence, He showed he is informed on foreign policy. Yes, at times Obama agreed with McCain, but he also disagreed with and pointed out at times when McCain was wrong. That video is once again a distortion of a few words, who cares if he agreed with McCain, sometimes people agree.
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By: love-breeze on 9/27/2008 1:22AM
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 serving in a wrongful 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 biology 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 Wallstreet 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.
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By: love-breeze on 9/27/2008 1:26AM
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.
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By: WATCH US EXPLODE on 9/27/2008 1:51AM
McCain's "Obama just doesn't understand" charges did annoy me as well and I wanted Obama to respond directly to the comment. It was condescending, and I think we all felt it. In fact, I think McCain was quite condescending throughout much of the debate, and Obama just didn't do very much to counter him, which might be to his detriment.
I also don't think McCain looked at Obama, or even in his direction for the entire 90 minutes, while Obama addressed him directly quite often.
Overall, I'd agree that the debate ended in a draw. However, I really don't think there are voters out there who were swayed one way or another by what they saw and heard tonight. I think at this point, just over a month away from election day, most, if not all voters planning on casting a ballot have already made up their minds on who they intend to vote for.
Lastly, I couldn't help but wonder how others across the country (especially in those proverbial swing states) were taking it all in. We saw a black man and a white man, opponents in what amounts to an intellectual competition, on screen, as opposed to a basketball court, or football field (zones where we, black people, have come to be accepted). I wondered if their words ultimately meant nothing, as viewers where quick to identify with either candidate in the most superficial of ways - skin color. As we all already know, race will indeed play a factor in this election.
All that being said, it's all theatrics and not much more!
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By: Brother Martin on 9/27/2008 2:41AM
It was more of the same. Mccain was right for trying to duck the debate.As was expected he lacked content of any kind.I wlll asmit that he does have extensive experience in combat. At best he may serve as an advisor on military issues in the obama adminstration (must be bipartisan). His stratergy of killing the clock with war stories is commendable, considering the fact that had nothing to bring to the table(as we wittnessed when summoned by the president to offer any insight with respect to the economic crisis).
We look foward to the palin/biden debate.
It might be a good idea for palin to acknowledge the subpina before they issue a warrant for her arrest.
A lot of heads are rolling these days and it would not help our global image with a nominee for the second highest seat to fail to arrive at the debate, as we watch her handcuffed and wisked away.
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By: Brother Martin on 9/27/2008 2:45AM
It was more of the same. Mccain was right for trying to duck the
debate.As was expected, he lacked content of any kind.I wlll admit
that he does have extensive experience in combat. At best he may
serve as an advisor on military issues in the obama adminstration
(must be bipartisan). His stratergy of killing the clock with war
stories is commendable, considering the fact that had nothing to
bring to the table(as we wittnessed when summoned by the president to
offer any insight with respect to the economic crisis).
We look foward to the palin/biden debate.
It might be a good idea for palin to acknowledge the subpina before
they issue a warrant for her arrest.
A lot of heads are rolling these days and it would not help our
global image with a nominee for the second highest seat to fail to
arrive to the debate, as we watch her handcuffed and wisked away.
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By: Brother Martin on 9/27/2008 3:40AM
By the way, the numbers indicate that obama overwhelmingly won the debate.
Aol, you might want to look at your own poll.
You're embarrassingly incongruent!
Some how your subjectivity always clearly becomes apparent.
When a candidate becomes a one trick pony in multidimensional debate, it's far cry from a contest.
As far as Iraq goes,the so called reduction in violence amounts to beating down the local resistance.
Al Queda is not in Iraq.They had moved to Iran long before the surge.
Al Queda/taliban have been successful mostly because of the training they recieved from the CIA when in the afganistan/russia conflict.
If your wondering why Russia is ready to defend Iran, it's because previous to aryan and moslem invasion of the region, it was slavic territory.
Iranians are actually slavic not arab.
It was renamed Iran after the aryan invasion.
And, the reason why obama responded with respect to the Russian attack on Georgia that both side should be restrained, is because an agreement was forged in the NATO agreement that Russia would recede from throughout the world but eastern europe would remain their field of influence.
That agreement was breached when president bush persuaded poland to allow for the installation of a missle shield that would prevent russian missles from being launched and furnished Georgia with weapons to incite an internal coflict within Georgia.
This is clearly acts of aggression committed by the United States.
And, who approved the billions of tax dollars allocated to improve the infastructure of Georgia, when our own economy is in such dire straits.
It's unfortunate that we had to experience an economic collapse,in order to, become aware of the gross mismanagement of our hard earned money.
To add injury to insult, taxation of money earned by labor is not constitutional.
Taxes are to be paid from profit(that would be merchants and investors that make a profit from the sale goods,services, stocks or bonds).
It is the very same people and institutions that illegally benefitted from tax breaks and dergulation that did nothing to decrease unemployment. Instead they outsourced our labor to improve their tax free profit margins.
This not the first time this has happened.
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it!
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By: Ethel Munson on 9/27/2008 10:43AM
I am not even sure that Sen. McCain was remotely aware that his comments "[Sen Obama] just does not get it" were condenscending. However, he did come across as aserting "moral superiority" as well as knowledge supremacy. Now, why he has taken such a position, I cannot answer. I believe that Sen. Obama took the high road by agreeing with him on factual issues but challenging him on Sen. McCain's "puffed up" opinions. Notice, how small Sen. McCain was - he never agreed with Sen. Obama even once and especially when the facts supported Sen. Obama's position. However, the decision who should lead America belongs to the voters- to me it is easy - do you want 8 more years of Republican domination or do you want them to pack their bags and vacate 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue!
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By: love-breeze on 9/27/2008 7:58PM
I think Barack Obama was excellent in addressing the important issues that America is facing today which McCain never one mentioned. He only mentioned the incident of a slain soldier and his bracelet, and I don't even think he remembered the soldiers' name or where he was from; yet, when Barack retorted he fervently remembered the name and hometown of the slain soldier whose story had affected him. If McCain was such a maverick that has been fighting against his Republican Regime then why is the economy in such a mess in America? Eight years ago America was the richest country in the world. When President Clinton left the white house, from which he had worked so consciously for the well-being of the American people, he had eradicated frivolous governmental spending and left the country with a surplus. Now after 8 years of George Bush neglecting Americans, and John McCain said on public television with millions of people watching him saying that he agrees with George Bush over 90% of the time, and now our country is nearly bankrupt, and owes China $500 billion dollars. The bible says the borrower is a slave to the lender. It's obvious that Bush doesn't know (just didn't understand) how to run a country, and if his chummy so called maverick friend knew how surely he would have advised him better. That would have given him a better stance for which to run for president, whose role is to serve the America people by initiating and implementing programs to strengthen or improve the lives of all Americans. Because when a war erupts, it’s all Americans, regardless of race or financial status that has to defend our country. For almost 8 years millions of Americans have been complaining that George Bush was neglecting us, while he was absolutely absorbed in war, while state and city services (policemen, firefighters, etc.) were being diminished because he was not allocating money for America's necessities. God gave us life, and we want to live, and in order to live we need affordable healthcare, food, utilities, education, and gas. President Clinton worked tirelessly to get healthcare for every American, which is essential, but the Republicans relentlessly worked against that just because he was a Democratic president. Now there are dangerously contagious and deadly diseases out there, such as the flesh eating disease, hepatitis, AIDS, MRSA, and others that are not contagious, but still deadly. Some of the diseases could have been detected and treated at its onset if people had healthcare and felt more inclined to go get medical care instead of trying to self-remedy themselves, which are not always effective because of their lack of medical knowledge. We have to have a healthy country in order to maintain and protect this country.
McCain has had many years with his Republican cohorts to make this country a better place, and if it was in him to do so – he would have done it. This is just his egotism at work in overdrive. You will always be able to identify a tree by its fruit. The man does not bear good fruit. He lies, he’s very evasive, he lacks wise discernment, and he hasn’t worked to implement very much at all for middle and low-income people. He wants to consistently emphasize and present the effectiveness of a surge in a war that should have never been started. Now look at the severe ramifications of his friend’s misjudgment. Why didn’t he advise him better? Bush thought that he was going to send troops over there to “shock and awe” the Iraqis with military attacks and seize control of their oil fields that he thought would finance his mis-justification, but because he was wrong the Iraqis’ resilience has left him in “shock and awe.” Now the Middle Easterns has raised the price of oil, therefore, adversely affecting America again. Now as a result of what Bush did, Americans are giving out of gas along roadsides, people are siphoning gas from other people’s vehicles, and some gas stations don’t even have gas. Now compare America to when Bill Clinton was president, when more people became millionaires than ever before, and to Bush’s reign, which has drove the country into a recession by trying to fight two wars at one time, and people are suffering more than ever since 1929. Anyone who votes for McCain is either politically, racially, or mentally impaired. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are the men to get this country back on track, and it’s going to take a lot of work and sacrifice from each American, because we got to give something better in order to get something better. His sensitivity for people and their hardships, knowledge, and prudence exceeds that of McCain.
By the way Barack, I think you should stop saying “we” did such or such whenever you refer to this fiasco that the republicans defiantly created. Lay the blame on the perpetrators. Now we look forward to Joe Biden’s debate!
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