The first question about specifics of what will be done saw Obama on his soapbox without answering the question, just the same tape-recorded message. McCain was only a little better.
A following question on why either candidate should be trusted led to Obama Bush-bashing, while McCain pointed to organizations who fact-check -- 'don't believe our rhetoric per se, check us against our records'. Obama admitted there was blame enough to go around, distanced himself, and went back to referencing his short recall of history: "8 Years".
On priorities in the economy, Brokaw asked to prioritize energy, health care, and entitlement programs: Obama talked to the government spending for energy. McCain spoke of opening access to drilling and nuclear power and 'all of the above'. I know something about energy, and you do not want the government driving energy, you want opportunity. There are millions of jobs in energy YET TO COME. Remember, when either says "the government needs to fund...", it is YOUR money they are talking about. Obama rightly (IMHO) prioritized energy, which he said would lead to "5 million jobs". He kep talking about us only having 3% of the world's oil supply, but no mention of our much, much higher natural gas reserves and how we can use them better, and how our BTU capacity in coal dwarfs Middle East oil. He wants "government investment" (YOUR tax dollars) in alternative energy, which will only slow the business opportunities and make millionaires off your tax dollars (Mike Skelley of Texas). How about dropping ALL corporate taxes, which are backdoor user taxes anyway? Then, alternative energy will have less a burden to create and be profitable....
Obama keeps running the Bush tape. He is shy on specifics. McCain is not too plentiful on details, either. Obama is a better orator, and actually handles this format well. McCain is almost overly empathetic, but does connect.
Obama does not, however, have a good grasp on businesses and how they work. McCain understands the generalities of economic flow.
Health care a commodity? Obama thinks it s a Bush problem ("8 years"). Keep YOUR plan, if you do not have one, you can buy it from the government. If you do not, you will be federally fined. Well, employers will soon bail, and everyone will be buying the government health care. And I really do not like McCain's plan. People, sell the boat and buy insurance! If your health care is not a priority for you, why should it be for me? Health care a right?!?!? Marxist/socialist thinking.
Note to Obama, deregulation has been supported by Clinton and Carter. Regulation implies some people who will never qualify for housing loans, and that your work with ACORN was part of the problem. Minor regulation is needed, especially in the turning loans. BTW, did you know that candidates keep for themselves money unspent on campaigning? That's one of the ways you become a millionaire in Congress...
USA's down economic situation a hindrance to our role as peacemaker? McCain touts his ability to recognize when and where to apply our military forces. Obama, well, is weak here. Obama, here's the 4-1-1: Iraq invasion was about regime change because of UN violations and the financing of terrorism in the Holy Land, liberating a deadly dictator who committed genocide on 250,000 to 500,000 of his own people, and WMDs, which everyone from 1992 on assumed he had. Brokaw hits Obama with the likes of Rwanda: he then speaks of moral obligation (like preventing genocide)...personally, I find our global interventions draining and would like to see them reduced substantially. Basically the discussion went back to debate 1.
The longer this went on, the more I realized I could have "debated" sides, both fell into their mantras. There was no knockout punch. McCain did not get the much needed win tonight; it was a draw, IMHO. Obama did not need a win, just not a loss. Neither candidate is very strong here, both pursuing expected party lines, with Obama seeking to lead by government "funding and investment and help" (his hand is in YOUR wallet), and McCain advocating a more opening of opportunity access (which will be difficult to take advantage of with such tight money). Both have scary tax policies.
In summary of both underwhelming performances, I am compelled to ask, "Did Texas reserve its right to secede from the USA when it became a state?"
;-)
Note: some news people think McCain "won", but not by enough to be a game changer. I still call it a draw. FYI: I agree with Democrats (according to online tests) less than 5% of the time, with the GOP less than 50% of the time, and with Libertarians and Constitutionalists 80+% of the time)
