I Like Obama

For those who know me or follow this blog, the fact that I like Obama is in fact not a given. As a Clinton supporter, I was very invested in her and still believe that fundamentally she was a better candidate. Nonetheless, Obama's performance in this debate and his command of the facts, hit display of competence and wit, really won me over.

 

Specifically, Obama made some comment in response to McCain's word-splitting about preconditions for meeting foreign leaders and said that jsut because you don't have preconditions doesn't mean you're gonna invite them over for tea. I laughed. I felt it inside. A click. I liked Obama.

 

This is an event I knew (perhaps hoped) would happen for months, but I didn't see it coming. Bang. 

 

I think Obama won the debate. Preeminent presidential scholar Karlyn Kohrs Campbell (who I was sitting next to among an auditorium full of public address scholars) thinks McCain won due to short emotional responses that will resonate with the average voter. I disagree, I think Obama was able to clearly and simply articulate policy details and on a few occasions wittily turn McCain's own terms and statements back on him demonstrating a superior capacity to manage the debate. I think he was more in control throughout the debate. We'll see what the press says tomorrow...

 

Below is the transcript of my liveblogging on Twitter from the first debate:

Preeminent pres. scholar Karlyn Kohrs Campbell says McCain won via short emotional responses. I disagree, but it's not entirely unfounded...8 minutes ago from web

McCain: "Jim, when I came home from prison..." - A collective noise of disgust encompassed the auditorium of presidential scholars. 14 minutes ago from web

Oh my god. The last question: how likely is another 9/11 - are you fucking kidding me? What a ridiculous question! 26 minutes ago from web

McCain may have "won" the debate 5 hours before it began, but Obama is making a killing an hour into it! 31 minutes ago from web

Oh my god. it just happened. I LIKE OBAMA. it was the you don't invite them over for tea comment. Bang. Intelligence. Wit. Competence. 41 minutes agofrom web

Wait, is his tie red stripes? Now I'm not sure. It definitely hurts my eyes.But maybe it's red after all...not watching a clean digital feed about 1 hour ago from web

A note on ties. McCain's is black and white stripes. It hurts my eyes. But props for confronting the boring blue/red standard. about 1 hour ago from web

Obama is masterful at using McCain's statements back against him. about 1 hour ago from web

What is McCain's obsession with the word "strategy"? about 1 hour ago from web

McCain admits it was a mistake to leave Afghanistan when we did. - good move. about 1 hour ago from web

Obama is in control. He clearly articulates the details behind McCain's sound bytes and McCain hasn't shown the same command of the facts. about 1 hourago from web

Obama: "John, you like to pretend that the war started in 2007" - finally! about 1 hour ago from web

Obama: It was your president that presided over this "orgy of spending" about 1 hour ago from web

Obama: "The problem with the spending freeze is you're using a hatchet when you need a scalpel" about 1 hour ago from web

Obama: McCain called me the most liberal, basically that means I opposed Bush's policy's - nice ;o) about 1 hour ago from web

Obama assertively interrupts McCain to give a clear description of actual tax policy. Nice authoritative move! about 2 hours ago from web

Obama: we've gotta grow the economy from the bottom up. - Finally! Logic returns to the White House. about 2 hours ago from web

Obama: the problem is an economic philosophy that says regulation is always bad - Damn right! about 2 hours ago from web

McCain on the financial bailout: This isn't the beginning of the end, it's the end of the beginning. - What the fuck does that mean? about 2 hours ago from web

Ready to liveblog the debate on twitter while I eat my free belated dinnerabout 2 hours ago from web