Candidate Square Off #2

John McCain did a good job debating last night. Barrack Obama did better. Senator McCain was able to show how very much he cares about this country in very broad terms while Senator Obama was much more detailed in his answers. And if keeping your cool has anything to do with it, Obama wins every time. As expected, Senator McCain provided solid answers relative to the military and foreign policy questions.

One of the most interesting exchanges from my point of view dealt with the prioritization of spending. Moderator, Tom Brokaw asked the candidates to prioritize health, energy, and entitlements. This was a question that I'd been hoping to hear. Senator McCain said simply that we can do all three. From my perspective, this was big time evasion. Senator Obama, who had the advantage of answering last in this instance, gave his priorities and his reasoning behind them. Frankly, Senator Obama really surprised me here.

Brokaw: We've run out of time. We have this one-minute discussion period going on here.

There are new economic realities out there that everyone in this hall and across this country understands that there are going to have to be some choices made. Health policies, energy policies, and entitlement reform, what are going to be your priorities in what order? Which of those will be your highest priority your first year in office and which will follow in sequence?

Sen. McCain?

McCain: The three priorities were health...

Brokaw: The three -- health care, energy, and entitlement reform: Social Security and Medicare. In what order would you put them in terms of priorities?

McCain: I think you can work on all three at once, Tom. I think it's very important that reform our entitlement programs.

My friends, we are not going to be able to provide the same benefit for present-day workers that we are going -- that present-day retirees have today. We're going to have to sit down across the table, Republican and Democrat, as we did in 1983 between Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill.

I know how to do that. I have a clear record of reaching across the aisle, whether it be Joe Lieberman or Russ Feingold or Ted Kennedy or others. That's my clear record.

We can work on nuclear power plants. Build a whole bunch of them, create millions of new jobs. We have to have all of the above, alternative fuels, wind, tide, solar, natural gas, clean coal technology. All of these things we can do as Americans and we can take on this mission and we can overcome it.

My friends, some of this $700 billion ends up in the hands of terrorist organizations.

As far as health care is concerned, obviously, everyone is struggling to make sure that they can afford their premiums and that they can have affordable and available health care. That's the next issue.

But we can do them all at once. There's no -- and we have to do them all at once. All three you mentioned are compelling national security requirements.

Brokaw: I'm trying to play by the rules that you all established. One minute for discussion.

Sen. Obama, if you would give us your list of priorities, there are some real questions about whether everything can be done at once.

Obama: We're going to have to prioritize, just like a family has to prioritize. Now, I've listed the things that I think have to be at the top of the list.

Energy we have to deal with today, because you're paying $3.80 here in Nashville for gasoline, and it could go up. And it's a strain on your family budget, but it's also bad for our national security, because countries like Russia and Venezuela and, you know, in some cases, countries like Iran, are benefiting from higher oil prices.

So we've got to deal with that right away. That's why I've called for an investment of $15 billion a year over 10 years. Our goal should be, in 10 year's time, we are free of dependence on Middle Eastern oil.

And we can do it. Now, when JFK said we're going to the Moon in 10 years, nobody was sure how to do it, but we understood that, if the American people make a decision to do something, it gets done. So that would be priority number one.

Health care is priority number two, because that broken health care system is bad not only for families, but it's making our businesses less competitive.

And, number three, we've got to deal with education so that our young people are competitive in a global economy.

But just one point I want to make, Tom. Sen. McCain mentioned looking at our records. We do need to look at our records.

Sen. McCain likes to talk about earmarks a lot. And that's important. I want to go line by line through every item in the federal budget and eliminate programs that don't work and make sure that those that do work, work better and cheaper.

But understand this: We also have to look at where some of our tax revenues are going. So when Sen. McCain proposes a $300 billion tax cut, a continuation not only of the Bush tax cuts, but an additional $200 billion that he's going to give to big corporations, including big oil companies, $4 billion worth, that's money out of the system.

And so we've got to prioritize both our spending side and our tax policies to make sure that they're working for you. That's what I'm going to do as president of the United States.

Comments

[PaulsHealthBlog]

The debate last night was very boring and I don't really feel like I learned anything new about the candidates.

I wish they would change the format for the next debate, and let the two spar off more on each other, talk to each other directly.

Otherwise, the third debate will be exactly like the first two.

[netta]

McCain looked (and sounded) like a withered up monkey dressed in a suit. I believed not ONE WORD that came out of his mouth. He kept saying "my friends" and that irritated the crapola out of me. I'm not your "friend"! YOU ARE MY EMPLOYEE.

Gah.

Hey, if you need some light reading, I recommend this: http://doublebitchfest.com/2008/10/08/aig-spas-and-the-daily-phucktard-award/

And if you want to know the *real* McCain, look no further: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/make_believe_maverick_the_real_john_mccain/

*sigh* Some maverick, all right. That guy scares the bejeebus out of me.

[JollyRoger]

I'd have to disagree about Johnny providing much in the way of sound foreign policy statements. Our biggest foreign policy blunder, the fiasco in Iraq, is killing us. We are either going to withdraw from Iraq, or sharply raise taxes and start drafting people; any other answer is a LIE. Johnny just babbled the stupid wingtard "till victory" talking points, while Obama rightly pointed out that the cost of the damn thing is crippling us right now and will lead to our downfall if not addressed.

[David Lamb]

I don't think was a particularly boring debate. Other than some economic suggestions, they didn't say anything new, but they did each articulate their worries fairly well.

[Cynthia]

Whenever I listen to Obama and McCain.. Obama just makes more sense, sounds like he keeps his head, and I just like listening to him. McCain always seems like he's struggling for what to say, or else he is just in a daze. Not that how they say things is as important as what they say. But it has just been something I have noticed.

[jona]

I am inviting you to join my weekly Meme/Contest, http://www.jonaverslife.com/2008/11/bols-brain-pain-november-30-2008.html

Don't worry it's not as painful as what the title says.

I hope to see you there! :-)

xoxo,
Jona