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Original poster

No thread on the last Obama-McCain debate?

25 replies

OhYouBadBadKitten · 16/10/2008 12:42

Pity - I was looking forward to reading another good bun fight debate while I had my cup of tea and slice of cake.

OP posts:

IncontinentiaButtox · 16/10/2008 13:00

I think Joe the plumber has a lot of mileage. I'd vote for him.

Original poster

OhYouBadBadKitten · 16/10/2008 13:03

He could certainly try for mayor!!
I wonder what its like to be him - I bet he goes on to be really famous and then Hollywood will make a film about him.

OP posts:

IncontinentiaButtox · 16/10/2008 13:36

seriously, though, the tax/socialism fear button is the button McCain needs to press if he wants to win. Even Americans who believe in socialist policies are oddly terrified of the S word.

Don't think he will, though. He's absolutely dead in the water.

Original poster

OhYouBadBadKitten · 16/10/2008 15:48

I reckon you are right IB - its funny: Liberal and Socialism - the two great American fears

OP posts:

littlelamb · 16/10/2008 22:05

I'm watching it now Joe the Plumber fgs

nooka · 16/10/2008 22:09

I liked the bit where McCain warned the nation that Obamas plans would lead to health coverage like England or Canada... Oh, the horror! He also said that Obama would "spread around the wealth" as if this was some terrible contagion. Plus that women might have abortions on the grounds of ...health.

All with his weird little ticks and grins.

littlelamb · 16/10/2008 22:13

Yes! The ticks and grins. He has a serious case of rubber face...

policywonk · 16/10/2008 22:16

Is Joe the Plumber related to Joe Sixpack? Possibly his older brother who stands to inherit the family firm, while Joe Jr drinks to disguise the bitterness?

nooka · 16/10/2008 23:57

Joe the plumber is actually a real person who met Obama on the campaign trail a coupe of days ago. He's never met McCain though, and was a bit ambivalent about being mentioned so much on national TV. He seemed fairly intelligent, if a bit hostile, and is a natural Republican (why should I pay more taxes just because I'm more successful).

mabanana · 17/10/2008 00:01

McCain to me looks like an exhausted man who is desperate for the whole ghastly charade to be over, and he can retire far, far away from Sarah Palin and the hideous Republican hordes.

FangolinaJolly · 17/10/2008 00:01

I think McCain has some kind of heart/respiratory condition,he keeps sucking in his breath..

nooka · 17/10/2008 00:06

I think he has quite a few health problems, and try to bear that in mind when he moves around like a robot and puffs out his hamster cheeks. The presidential campaign is a ridiculously long haul.

FangolinaJolly · 17/10/2008 00:09

I really don't know much about him TBH.

Which is why I'm watching.Obama seems more self assured.The better speaker.

princesspeahead · 17/10/2008 00:30

Did McCain have some sort of abscess or swelling on the left side of his face? It just looked so odd, I couldn't make out if it was his jaw or if he had mumps.

Well, Obama clearly won. He came across as statemanlike and calm and capable and McCain came across as an old, fussy man.

FangolinaJolly · 17/10/2008 00:35

Was it on earlier?Am watching more 4.

SuperBunny · 17/10/2008 00:45

Why was it on so early?

Will watch the video later, when DS is in bed. Thanks for the link

nooka · 17/10/2008 00:49

He had skin cancer and a graft on his cheek a few years back. The debate was 9pm Eastern US time last night, so you must be watching a repeat, I guess.

princesspeahead · 17/10/2008 00:50

Ahh, that would explain it. I guess I'd never seen him for a longish period of time.

It was on BBC2 earlier, then a load of discussion about it afterwards

SuperBunny · 17/10/2008 00:54

Ah fuckit. It was last night? I thought today was Wednesday

alipiggie · 17/10/2008 04:15

Joe the Plumber - um well rumor has it he's not really a plumber, so who's plant was he ?

SuperBunny · 17/10/2008 04:18

I had to turn it off, I couldn't bear to listen to it. Weren't the questions the same that have been asked before? Because I swear, some of what they said was a word-for-word repeat of previous conversations.

Interesting about the plant. Perhaps not surprising though. I hate politcs

nooka · 17/10/2008 04:55

I don't think he was a plant. He seemed genuinely surprised at all the fuss, and said he'd not been told his name would be used. He did say he was asked to go to a rally. Maybe the McCain camp planted him at the Obama rally? He certainly seemed a staunch Republican of the conservative variety. Some of the lines were repeats word for word of stump speeches that had been made several times before. Certainly nothing said in the debate was new. It would be a bit surprising to have new stuff at this point though.

alipiggie · 17/10/2008 05:05

Roll on election day is all I can say. And then roll on the next Presidential Election when I should hopefully be able to vote. Then they all better watch out. .

littlelamb · 17/10/2008 17:53

It would make a great drinking game to watch all the debates again. Everytime someone called Joe is mentioned, gulp one down. Brilliant

IncontinentiaButtox · 17/10/2008 18:18

There is an interesting debate to be had about the 'spread around the wealth' idea, though. It's such an innocuous phrase, but there's an enormous amount of baggage to go with it. We never seem to discuss that over here now, socialist policy is just a given, but there are intelligent people who take the Davy Crockett line of saying to the government 'It's not yours to give'.

The Americans have a chance to reorganize healthcare in such a way that they might be able to avoid some of the pitfalls the NHS has fallen into. But no-one ever wants to have the conversation, it's all soundbites and scaremongering.

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