Thursday, October 16, 2008

It's pro-choice, asshole.

We watched the debate last night in a bar, which was far more fun than my living room.

I know I started this blog for the purpose of hating our very dear Sarah Palin. Until very recently, McCain couldn't inspire such passion in me. He was more of a shrug...a meh...a flatline.

But last night, watching the debate with his smug, forced smile, he managed to get me a bit riled up.

Besides being all around terrible, his "pro-abortion" remarks drove me batty. In one breath he said that he would consider any qualified judge, despite what their particular stance on certain issues may be. In the next he said without hedge that any judge that supported roe v. wade would not be one he considered qualified.

McCain: "I voted for Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg. Not because I agreed with their ideology, but because I thought they were qualified and that elections have consequences when presidents are nominated. This is a very important issue we're talking about.

Senator Obama voted against Justice Breyer and Justice Roberts on the grounds that they didn't meet his ideological standards. That's not the way we should judge these nominees. Elections have consequences. They should be judged on their qualifications. And so that's what I will do.

I will find the best people in the world -- in the United States of America who have a history of strict adherence to the Constitution. And not legislating from the bench.


SCHIEFFER: But even if it was someone -- even someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, you would consider them?

MCCAIN: I would consider anyone in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade that would be part of those qualifications. But I certainly would not impose any litmus test.

So essentially you find it hard to believe that someone that has a different opinion than you couldn't be qualified. [Insert poison-dart look.]

I think Obama was excellent throughout - he smacked down McCain's non-points time and time again, with even, rational arguments that were eloquent and understandable. I think my favorites were Obama's retort to McCain's accusations about who he associates with.

If we elect that dead-fish of a man for president, I am seriously blowing out of this country because we will get what we deserve.

2 comments:

Demps said...

My thoughts (originally posted elsewhere):

McCain's best night by a mile - Obama's worst. I'd score it something like McCain 52, Obama 48. Somewhere in there. McCain was great for the first third. I'd call the second third for Obama and give him another slight edge in the third portion, but McCain was much better at the start. Obama closed very strong on education and with his closing statement. McCain had the better one liners and was strong on offense, and again Obama took a knee for a large portion, which came off flat and uninspired, but I don't think McCain did enough to change the game.

If I was McCain I would have hammered harder at Obama's plans for Joe the Plumber (if McCain could get him as a guest on camera and better yet on stage at a rally that would be huge, I think), as I don't think Obama did great in dealing with that issue tax wise (although he killed him on Joe's healthcare - total fatality delivered by Obama there). I also think McCain needed to drill the fear of a Democratic rubber stamp congress working on concert with Obama and he missed the boat on that. That should have been the anchor of his closing statement and his entire debate strategy.

Obama should have hit back harder on Columbia. He should have delivered a line saying "Free trade is important, but not at the expense of human rights, and that is why I voted the way I did - I'm sorry if that is not popular, but that is how I feel." That would have earned points. He should have done more with which programs he would cut as well - 3rd debate in a row that he came up short there.

I think Obama squashed the Ayers and ACORN stuff to the degree he needed to to keep the public from getting scared by his associations. He brushed it off well whether you take issue with it or not. I also thought he threw a stiff jab when McCain said "name one time when you voted against your party". That was a solid moment from the first third of the debate.

Girl Friday said...

From talking around the office, there are a few people that feel the same...and I think it's because I missed the 2nd debate, where McCain must have just tanked if this was his strong showing.

I agree that Obama could have been more aggressive, especially when it came to Palin's qualifications, but I don't know that it was necessary, especially when McCain's aggression had a very strong air of desperation about it.

As far as Joe the Plumber is concerned, I'm sorry but he's probably doing a lot better that Joe the Janitor or Joe the teacher or Joe Without a Job at all. The idea that the Republicans are fighting for "the everyday people" is just an argument that is hard for me to swallow, no matter how its served up.