Monday, September 29, 2008
I HAVE A BRACELET, TOO!
Among all the points and counterpoints, often brilliantly done, in the presidential debate in Oxford, Mississippi, one poignant moment stands out in the mind of this observer.
It was Barrack Obama’s line in response to a human emotion anecdote of some length by John McCain. He told of the mother of a soldier lost in Iraq giving him a bracelet with words to the effect, “Wear this and be reminded to see that my boy did not die in vain.”
Barrack’s simple reply was, “I have a bracelet, too. It was given to me by a gold star mother who had lost a son in Iraq. She said, ‘Wear this as a reminder to let no other mother suffer what I have suffered in losing my boy needlessly in Iraq. Stop this awful war.’”
This one poignant moment topped all of the McCain warrior rhetoric about “victory,” “winning this war,” “not suffer defeat,” and “come home in honor.” The light of the glory of “the surge” was strangely dimmed.
Although McCain scored points with those who agree with his party’s positions for the last eight years, to others he seemed irascibly locked into their same party line on the economy, on the Iraq War, refusal to talk with some national leaders, tax policy, and other familiar issues. In trying to be emphatic, he often seemed just unnecessarily aggressive and angry.
McCain came across as an older, crankier version of George W. Bush, one that you would not want to have a beer with.
To his credit, Obama did not allow McCain to get by with reckless accusatory statements similar to those he has made on the campaign trail. There were frequent words like, “You know that is not true,” followed by an explanation why.
Evidently it was McCain’s debate strategy to put Obama on the defensive much of the time. If so, this strategy was essentially nullified by Obama’s counters. Nevertheless, McCain often made more quick, critical thrusts than Obama had time to note or to parry. Thus, some escaped rebuttal.
Polls indicate Obama won the debate handily. He appeared to be a Cassius Clay matched against the slow, lumbering, strong-armed champ, Sonny Liston. As Ali characterized himself, “I float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee.” The talented Obama often left the aggressive McCain stumbling, flailing, and fighting air.
However, McCain deserves credit for rallying his base. Conservative republicans should have liked what they saw. Their man was out there slugging, armed with the time-worn, individualistic, free market tenets of republican philosophy. Sure enough that hardcore 34% of the electorate polled thought that McCain won the debate.
The hope was that these points would resonate with blue collar, working class males, even though such would require ignoring their own personal and family welfare. It remains to be seen whether this happens.
McCain’s theatrics just before the debate turned everybody off. His threat not to attend the debate, and his thwarted attempt to take charge of negotiations on Capitol Hill, were ill-conceived and transparent even to political dullards. He simply frustrated those negotiating in good faith.
Lying to David Letterman was a terrible goof.
Now McCain’s own conservative editorial columnists are attacking his vice presidential choice, after her confused, dismal performance in television interviews. His party’s congressional delegation apparently considers him irrelevant, and some in his party are critical of his posturing. He did not have a good week.
Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
It was Barrack Obama’s line in response to a human emotion anecdote of some length by John McCain. He told of the mother of a soldier lost in Iraq giving him a bracelet with words to the effect, “Wear this and be reminded to see that my boy did not die in vain.”
Barrack’s simple reply was, “I have a bracelet, too. It was given to me by a gold star mother who had lost a son in Iraq. She said, ‘Wear this as a reminder to let no other mother suffer what I have suffered in losing my boy needlessly in Iraq. Stop this awful war.’”
This one poignant moment topped all of the McCain warrior rhetoric about “victory,” “winning this war,” “not suffer defeat,” and “come home in honor.” The light of the glory of “the surge” was strangely dimmed.
Although McCain scored points with those who agree with his party’s positions for the last eight years, to others he seemed irascibly locked into their same party line on the economy, on the Iraq War, refusal to talk with some national leaders, tax policy, and other familiar issues. In trying to be emphatic, he often seemed just unnecessarily aggressive and angry.
McCain came across as an older, crankier version of George W. Bush, one that you would not want to have a beer with.
To his credit, Obama did not allow McCain to get by with reckless accusatory statements similar to those he has made on the campaign trail. There were frequent words like, “You know that is not true,” followed by an explanation why.
Evidently it was McCain’s debate strategy to put Obama on the defensive much of the time. If so, this strategy was essentially nullified by Obama’s counters. Nevertheless, McCain often made more quick, critical thrusts than Obama had time to note or to parry. Thus, some escaped rebuttal.
Polls indicate Obama won the debate handily. He appeared to be a Cassius Clay matched against the slow, lumbering, strong-armed champ, Sonny Liston. As Ali characterized himself, “I float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee.” The talented Obama often left the aggressive McCain stumbling, flailing, and fighting air.
However, McCain deserves credit for rallying his base. Conservative republicans should have liked what they saw. Their man was out there slugging, armed with the time-worn, individualistic, free market tenets of republican philosophy. Sure enough that hardcore 34% of the electorate polled thought that McCain won the debate.
The hope was that these points would resonate with blue collar, working class males, even though such would require ignoring their own personal and family welfare. It remains to be seen whether this happens.
McCain’s theatrics just before the debate turned everybody off. His threat not to attend the debate, and his thwarted attempt to take charge of negotiations on Capitol Hill, were ill-conceived and transparent even to political dullards. He simply frustrated those negotiating in good faith.
Lying to David Letterman was a terrible goof.
Now McCain’s own conservative editorial columnists are attacking his vice presidential choice, after her confused, dismal performance in television interviews. His party’s congressional delegation apparently considers him irrelevant, and some in his party are critical of his posturing. He did not have a good week.
Edwin E. Vineyard, AKA The Militant Moderate
