The Blog Formerly Known As Vote '08
Slanted by Ideas & Enchanted with the Truth
Archive for the 'Debates' Category
VOTE08’s GREATEST HITS
November 1st, 2008, 1:10 pm by Dan LehrRevisit the Debates
Watch the 1st Presidential Debate here.
Watch the Vice-Presidential Debate here. Who won? Click here.
Watch the 2nd Presidential Debate here. Who won? Click here.
Watch the 3rd Presidential Debate here. Who won? Click here.
(image by Matt Brunson)
SHOWDOWN FOR THE SENATE
October 26th, 2008, 5:42 pm by Dan Lehr
Above: last night’s Georgia Senate debate.
This race is incredibly close.
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST: Based on what I’ve seen in this debate, I predict Chambliss will win. A close race, to be sure, but he’ll win. Watch how he easily is able to fend off not one but two challengers on the stage. The man appears far more comfortable in his skin than the other two. Jim Martin continually lets himself be interrupted, & he doesn’t convey a good speaking style that says “I’m in control.”
Of course, I could be wrong.
But if Chambliss wins, remember where you heard it first.
CAMPAIGN HISTORY, OCTOBER 21st
October 21st, 2008, 10:12 am by Dan Lehr
How Reagan “Closed the Deal”
Comparisons have been made with this year’s race to 1980, & they’re apt in the sense thatlike Reagan, voters didn’t appear to feel “safer” with Obama until after the debate. Will it have the same outcome? That remains to be seen, of course.
After the jump some commercials Reagan aired that year:
STILL, THE PARALLELS ARE SOMEWHAT STARTLING
October 16th, 2008, 4:41 pm by Dan Lehr
Barack Obama is certainly not Batman.
& John McCain is certainly not the Penguin.
But could I resist posting this?
No.
No, I couldn’t.
WHO WON THE 3rd DEBATE?
October 16th, 2008, 10:55 am by Dan Lehr
[image by Matt Brunson]
…you mean other than plumbers?
I would say that in terms of issues, substance, & attacks, John McCain had his best of the three last night.
But because of the debate’s ’sit-down’ format, he lost the debate on an entirely different level.
Details after the jump.
THE 3rd PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
October 16th, 2008, 8:56 am by Dan Lehr
Did you miss it last night? You’re in luck - I’ve got the entire debate in full & in order after the jump. (My analysis will be in the next post)
LAST CLASH PREVIEW
October 15th, 2008, 11:28 am by Dan Lehr
As we said yesterday, McCain says he does plan to bring up the William Ayers issue at tonight’s debate. That’s after much goading from his supporters - & his opponent (”say it to my face“). Obama said today he’s ready for that attack.
It’s all turned, essentially, into this:
But is there a chance it could turn out that it’s McCain’s tongue that sticks to the flagpole?
McCain’s in a quandary. Mentioning Ayers has the potential to grab some of those “unpersuadeds” in the electorate. Yet it’s a double-edged sword - the vast majority of undecided voters want talk of the economy & nothing else. It’s a gamble. I don’t think I’d advise him to do it, supporters be da(rn)ed. It will certainly not keep those supporters home on election day.
What can McCain do to turn the election around? People from all sides of the aisle weigh in here.
I do hope you watch tonight. This is the last chance we’re going to see these two candidates on the stage at the same time, outlining their visions for the future. If you have plans, I’d recommend changing them if you can. History will happen tonight.
& in case you’re unable to view it, I hope to have the entire debate posted on this blog (it’ll be the very next post after this one) by 9am EDT tomorrow.
Between now & then, I’d like to ask your opinion. What advice would you give both candidates tonight? Please weigh in in the comments section!
WHO WON?
October 8th, 2008, 5:36 pm by Dan Lehr
SO sorry about the lack of posts today.. I had to come in late & then deal with the normal newscast I have to put together & then try to find out why my post I filed yesterday about Tactics vs. Strategy in predicting last night’s debate seemingly disappeared.
I’m sure you’ve already read/heard/seen quite a bit of analysis about last night’s debate.. let’s go through my points quickly.
I think McCain did far better in this debate than he did the 1st one. He was far more “approachable” & considerate; he empathized (a la Clinton) with the questioners.. & he definitely appeared more animated in a good way.
I actually think Obama seemed a bit more ‘negative’ in his attacks on McCain, though it’s entirely likely that they were close to the same kinds of attacks as the 1st debate, but drawn into sharper relief in the town hall format.
But John McCain failed to effectively draw blood. He actually made a smart decision not to get down in the gutter, despite the pleas from the right. Doing so would have had him doing far worse. But rather than draw blood, the best he could do was scratches, or even red marks.
All Obama had to do was give off a “presidential” air. & so while he didn’t clearly win the night, he did nothing to change his upward momentum. & he certainly won over quite a few people who before tonight had not seen him discourse for 90 minutes.
Which is bad news for John McCain.
Body language note that I haven’t seen pointed out: there were several times in the debate where John McCain actually walked backwards to his chair & talked at the same time. Think about the visual symbolism that that body language represents. Not a good move.
Those are my initial thoughts.. I’ll try to have more later. What I really want to hear is what you thought of it. So post a comment!
THE 2nd PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
October 8th, 2008, 5:22 pm by Dan Lehr
PRIOR PRESIDENTIAL PATHS: OCTOBER 7th
October 7th, 2008, 3:35 pm by Dan Lehr
The Grandaddy of ‘em All
Above: watch how it worked for the first year this ‘town-hall’ debate format was tried, in 1992.
JOE BIDEN: OCTOBER 6th
October 6th, 2008, 6:45 pm by Dan LehrPlease enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
Roger Ebert on Biden’s Best Debate Moment
The film critic says
Biden said, “I know what it’s like to be a single parent raising two children.” He did not know if his sons would survive the auto accident that took his wife and daughter. For a moment, he lost his composure. Looking at the moment again, I believe, as I did at the time, that it was genuine emotion, and not stagecraft. It could not have been anticipated by Palin. The next camera angle was above and behind her. She paused. The silence seemed to anticipate words of sympathy and identification from her. But Biden had ended in a sentence using the word “change,” and her response, reflecting no emotion at all, cued off that word and became a talking point about McCain. This felt to me, at worst, insensitive and callous. At best, that she had not fully heard Biden. In either event, her response troubled me. If a man had responded in that way to such a statement from a women, he would be called a heartless brute.
SARAH PALIN: OCTOBER 3rd
October 3rd, 2008, 6:47 pm by Dan Lehr
Most Over the Top Palin Reviewer
That award goes to the National Review’s Rich Lowry, whose viewpoint - up until I read this one - I happened to take seriously:
“A very wise TV executive once told me that the key to TV is projecting through the screen. It’s one of the keys to the success of, say, a Bill O’Reilly, who comes through the screen and grabs you by the throat. Palin too projects through the screen like crazy. I’m sure I’m not the only male in America who, when Palin dropped her first wink, sat up a little straighter on the couch and said, “Hey, I think she just winked at me.” And her smile. By the end, when she clearly knew she was doing well, it was so sparkling it was almost mesmerizing. It sent little starbursts through the screen and ricocheting around the living rooms of America. This is a quality that can’t be learned; it’s either something you have or you don’t, and man, she’s got it.”
Someone get that man a cold shower.
Here’s a summary of all the ‘winks’ we saw in the debate Thursday night:
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VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE ANALYSIS
October 3rd, 2008, 9:28 am by Dan Lehr
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How did I think it went? See how much my predictions & advice played out after the jump.
THE VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
October 3rd, 2008, 8:50 am by Dan Lehr
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Above: part 1, beginning with opening statements.
After the jump, watch the entire thing. & let me know what you think!
VOTE08′S ADVICE FOR PALIN & BIDEN
October 2nd, 2008, 11:33 am by Dan Lehr
NOT TO BE MISUNDERESTIMATED
October 1st, 2008, 3:38 pm by Dan LehrPlease enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
I have heard quite a bit of crowing about how Thursday’s VP debate will be a wash for Joe Biden.
Many liberals/Obama supporters think they have this all wrapped up.
They don’t.
& they should be a lot more concerned than they currently are.
Case in point: watch the clip above, which shows a fairly decent performance on Palin’s part during the 2006 Alaska gubernatorial debates.
Couple that with the expectations-bar set extremely low — thanks mainly to the [frankly, pathetic] Katie Couric interviews — & there remains an excellent chance that Friday morning Palin’s performance will be judged as successful.
What do you think?
FURTHER READING: “On Small Stage, Palin Scored Big Debate Wins” - Politico
ROPE-A-DOPE
October 1st, 2008, 3:36 pm by Dan Lehr
Clarence Page on Obama’s seemingly ‘tame’ debate performance:
His dry, defensive and nearly humorless performance seemed to be quietly urging viewers to tune out and switch to another channel.
Where, I wondered, was the vision, the poetry, the rich metaphors and imagery that flow from Obama when he’s on top of his oratorical game?
THE 1st PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN 3D: THE ECONOMIC CRISIS
September 29th, 2008, 1:23 pm by Dan Lehr
(
LEHRER: All right, let’s go back to my question. How do you all stand on the recovery plan? And talk to each other about it. We’ve got five minutes. We can negotiate a deal right here.
But, I mean, are you — do you favor this plan, Senator Obama, and you, Senator McCain? Do you — are you in favor of this plan?
OBAMA: We haven’t seen the language yet. And I do think that there’s constructive work being done out there. So, for the viewers who are watching, I am optimistic about the capacity of us to come together with a plan.
The question, I think, that we have to ask ourselves is, how did we get into this situation in the first place?
WHO CLEANED UP AT THE DEBATE?
September 29th, 2008, 8:35 am by Dan Lehr
Barack Obama won the debate Friday night.
No, John McCain won the debate Friday night.
That may be so, but Barack Obama lost the debate Friday night.
Even if that’s the case, John McCain lost the debate Friday night.
What do you think?
INSTANT ANAYLISIS: A FOCUS GROUP’S THOUGHTS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE DEBATE
September 29th, 2008, 8:29 am by Dan LehrPlease enable Javascript and Flash to view this Flash video.
Above: Pollster Frank Luntz interviews a group of undecided voters (who split down the middle in 2004) of their thoughts immediately following the debate.
Pay close attention to the “what single word comes to your mind” answers.
What do you think?
THE 1st PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN 3D: OPENING STATEMENTS
September 28th, 2008, 5:20 pm by Dan Lehr
[Part 1 of our "Enhanced 3D Viewing of the Debate." Read our explanation of what that means here.]
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JIM LEHRER: Let me begin with something General Eisenhower said in his 1952 presidential campaign. Quote, “We must achieve both security & solvency. In fact, the foundation of military strength is economic strength,” end quote.
With that in mind, the first lead question.
VOTE08 EXTRA: THE 1st PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE IN 3D
September 28th, 2008, 5:00 pm by Dan Lehr
I’ve decided to focus on what was said during Friday’s 1st presidential debate in greater detail over the next few days.
It is after all the most important, most consequential decision we face as Americans.
So I’ve decided to start a new feature, one I will focus nearly exclusively on over the coming days.
I’d like to show you how the power of the internet can help you reach a more prepared, better informed outlook on this race.
So in the next series of posts, I’m going to go line-by-line through the debate transcript, with links, images & in some cases video clips that I hope help you become a better informed, better prepared voter.
It is not my intention to convince you to vote one side or the other.
It is my intention to help bring you relevant information about everything said.
There will be times in posts that I may want to make a point.
When that is the case, it will be clearly designated by the symbol, followed by text that is in dark brown like this.
As always, feel free to become a part of this discussion by posting a comment.
THE 1st DEBATE
September 27th, 2008, 8:06 am by Dan LehrThe man who won Friday’s debate did so by 52.5%.
The identity of that man, & his margin of victory, is, of course, up for debate.
What do you think?
Who won?
Post a comment now!
All views are welcome.
(read the debate transcript here)
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DEBATE ADVICE: THINK FOR YOURSELF
September 26th, 2008, 3:14 pm by Dan Lehr
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(ABOVE: The Beatles’ ‘Think for Yourself,’ from Revolver)
A fantastic piece of advice from Judd Legum on how to handle what all the post-debate pundits who will declare who “won” or who “lost:”
Ignore them.
1. 30 seconds are more important than 90 minutes. Although tens of millions of people will watch the debate, most everyone will forget the bulk of it immediately. The lasting impression of the debate for most voters will be the two or three exchanges — usually less than 15 seconds long — that are replayed, discussed, and analyzed over and over again. More often than not, whoever gets the best of these moments wins the debate.
…
2. Mistakes matter, but only some of them. Probably the worst mistake in the Democratic primary debates was Hillary’s famous non-answer to a question about drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. But it wasn’t a big mistake because people care deeply about the issue. (When is the last time you’ve heard driver’s licenses mentioned on the campaign trail?) It was important because it fit into a pre-exisiting narrative about Hillary that had been developed by her opponents for some time. Namely, that Hillary is politically calculating and dishonest. Since it reinforced a pre-exisiting narrative it caused Hillary immense damage and sent the campaign into a tailspin from which it never fully recovered.
3. It is a popularity contest. At the end of the day these candidates are trying to get voters to like them. As a result, in many instances, what the candidates say is far less important than how they say it.
…
The person who is the most relaxed and getting some laughs is usually the winner.
With all due respect to my network, here’s what I recommend for you:
Once you are finished watching the debate, skip the analysis & turn off the TV!
Draw your own conclusions!
And?/Well?/So?
What did you think?
Someone won the debate by 52.5%.
Which one do you think did?
I’d love to hear what you have to say!
Post a comment!
All views are welcome!
DEBATE PREVIEW: WHAT’S THEIR ACHILLES’ HEEL?
September 26th, 2008, 1:33 pm by Dan Lehr
Dan Balz continues his excellent preview of tonight’s debate with a focus on each man’s biggest weaknesses.
What is each candidate’s biggest vulnerability, and how can he deal with it?
DEBATE PREVIEW: WHO’S MORE OF A MASTER DEBATER?
September 26th, 2008, 1:25 pm by Dan Lehr
Were the primaries good practice for both men for tonight?
POST-JUMP ADDED VALUE: Examples of both men’s worst primary debate moments.
Who has been the better debater?
DEBATE PREVIEW: WHO HAS THE BIGGEST BURDEN OF PROOF?
September 26th, 2008, 1:14 pm by Dan Lehr
Continuing our expansion of Dan Balz of the Washington Post’s essential read about tonight’s debate, which you can see here:
Who has more to gain or lose?
DEBATE PREVIEW: IS #1 THE ULTIMATE ONE?
September 26th, 2008, 1:09 pm by Dan Lehr
More questions answered thanks to the reporting of Dan Balz.
Which of the four debates is most important and why?
BREAKING: McCAIN’LL BE THERE
September 26th, 2008, 11:27 am by Dan Lehr
WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican John McCain will attend debate.
& apparently not a moment too soon:
WASHINGTON (AP) - An Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll shows the public overwhelmingly wants the presidential candidates to hold their first presidential debate Friday night.
Republican candidate John McCain has said he would not attend the debate unless consensus was reached in Washington over a multi-billion-dollar federal bailout of the financial industry. But according to the AP-Knowledge Networks poll, people want the debate to go ahead by 60 percent to 22 percent, with the rest undecided.
Democratic nominee Barack Obama wants the debate to be held.
The same poll shows little support for President Bush’s proposed $700 billion rescue package. And though most think a bailout is needed, few think it will work.
I’m sure the timing of that poll had nothing to do with McCain’s decision.
What do you think?
DEBATE PREVIEW: HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS TO THE RACE, ANYWAY?
September 26th, 2008, 11:17 am by Dan Lehr
Again, we’re repeating/relaying the wisdom of the Washington Post’s Dan Balz, who answers “8 Questions about the Debates.”
POST-JUMP ADDED VALUE: We expand on his historical take with relevant clips that show what he’s talking about.
Can debates decide an election?
DEBATE PREVIEW: ISN’T IT THE ECONOMY, STUPID?
September 26th, 2008, 10:37 am by Dan Lehr
Well, what the heck, I’ve got two newscasts to write, & Dan Balz essentially did the heavy lifting on everyhing I was planning on doing today regarding giving you what you need to know about tonight’s debate.
So today on Vote08 we’ll run through the answers to his “8 essential questions” one by one.
PLEASE click on this link to give his story a “page view,” though, so I don’t feel so guilty about ripping him off.
POST-JUMP ADDED VALUE: Jim Lehrer on what questions he’ll ask tonight.
The debate scheduled for tonight is supposed to be about national security, but what about the economy?
ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT TONIGHT’S DEBATE
September 26th, 2008, 10:14 am by Dan Lehr
The Washington Post’s Dan Balz (in my view one of the best campaign ‘08 reporters there are) attempts to answer 8 of the most pressing questions about tonight’s debate. Read it here.
Those questions are:
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The debate scheduled for tonight is supposed to be about national security, but what about the economy?
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Can debates decide an election?
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Which of the four debates is most important and why?
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Who has more to gain or lose?
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Who has been the better debater?
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What is each candidate’s biggest vulnerability, and how can he deal with it?
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Whom exactly should Obama and McCain be thinking about when they answer questions?
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Looking ahead to the vice presidential debate, can Sarah Palin make a virtue of her inexperience?
I hope you read the article & return here to give me your thoughts.
All views are welcome!
Unfortunately an extra question we still don’t have an answer to is:
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Will John McCain be there?
7 Day Forecast
StormTrack 9 Radar
CURRENT CONDITIONS: Chattanooga Airport
Fair and 34 F (1 C)
Wind: From the North at 7 MPH
Dewpoint: 20 F (-7 C)
Pressure: 30.11" (1019.6 mb)
Wind: From the North at 7 MPH
Dewpoint: 20 F (-7 C)
Pressure: 30.11" (1019.6 mb)
Last Updated: January 8, 2009 - 10:20PM