2008 Woodie Awards
RECAP OF LATEST DEBATE
ERIC KAPLAN,OBSERVER OPINIONS EDITOR
Issue date: 10/13/08 Section: Observations
The last presidential debate was marked by a considerably higher amount of vitriol than previous debates. Obama tended to restrain himself, but let loose a few more attacks than usual, while McCain's comments bordered on over-the-top rudeness and outright lies.
Obama answered the first question, obviously about the economy, by tying the failures in the financial market to President Bush, who was supported by John McCain. He reiterated his plan to give tax cuts to the middle class, rather than let prosperity trickle down, as McCain plans to do by giving tax breaks to the oil and pharmaceutical companies.
McCain, when asked by a young black man, Oliver Clark, what exactly was being done to help the people he knew going through a hard time, did not answer his question. Instead, he fired back by telling the audience that the criminals who got the ball rolling - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - were huge contributors to Senator Obama's campaign financing.
Obama took the opportunity to tell Oliver exactly what was in the rescue package, and why it was damaging to the economy not to do so. He informed Oliver that two years ago he wrote to the Secretary of Treasury (Henry Paulson) informing him of the pending economic crisis. Obama then said that, during this time, McCain continued to favor deregulation, because that's "how the free enterprise system works," and that Fannie Mae had a lobbyist on the McCain campaign.
When asked how either of them could be trusted, when both parties put them in the economic mess to begin with, Obama pointed out that McCain voted for four out of five of George Bush's budget plans - budgets that doubled the deficit from 5 to 10 trillion dollars. He pledged that he would re-prioritize exactly what is being spent, and his plans included more cuts than spending increases.
One of the next questions was from a child of the depression; the now 78-year-old woman asked what was going to be cut to help stabilize the economy and reduce spending. McCain told us that he was would pretty much freeze all programs except for, what he considered to be vital programs, such as Veterans Affairs (Does that surprise anyone?).
Obama answered the first question, obviously about the economy, by tying the failures in the financial market to President Bush, who was supported by John McCain. He reiterated his plan to give tax cuts to the middle class, rather than let prosperity trickle down, as McCain plans to do by giving tax breaks to the oil and pharmaceutical companies.
McCain, when asked by a young black man, Oliver Clark, what exactly was being done to help the people he knew going through a hard time, did not answer his question. Instead, he fired back by telling the audience that the criminals who got the ball rolling - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - were huge contributors to Senator Obama's campaign financing.
Obama took the opportunity to tell Oliver exactly what was in the rescue package, and why it was damaging to the economy not to do so. He informed Oliver that two years ago he wrote to the Secretary of Treasury (Henry Paulson) informing him of the pending economic crisis. Obama then said that, during this time, McCain continued to favor deregulation, because that's "how the free enterprise system works," and that Fannie Mae had a lobbyist on the McCain campaign.
When asked how either of them could be trusted, when both parties put them in the economic mess to begin with, Obama pointed out that McCain voted for four out of five of George Bush's budget plans - budgets that doubled the deficit from 5 to 10 trillion dollars. He pledged that he would re-prioritize exactly what is being spent, and his plans included more cuts than spending increases.
One of the next questions was from a child of the depression; the now 78-year-old woman asked what was going to be cut to help stabilize the economy and reduce spending. McCain told us that he was would pretty much freeze all programs except for, what he considered to be vital programs, such as Veterans Affairs (Does that surprise anyone?).
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