The purpose of the presidential debate

"The debate featured a few good moments but no knock-out blows. McCain attacked Obama’s experience and Obama challenged McCain’s judgment. But both candidates left a lot out."
- Frank Sesno CNN special correspondent.
That being said, it is important to understand that the purpose of the presidential debates is not to determine a specific winner, but to instead clearly differentiate the stances of the two candidates on the issues.
According to political pundits on CNN, historically, people have not changed their minds on who they are going to vote for based on who wins or supposedly is said to have won the debate. This is obviously true after several of the expert reactions to the Bush - Kerry debates. In addition, the public reaction poll at the bottom of the screen during the live debate showed that democrats generally showed positive reaction when Obama was speaking and republicans generally showed positive reaction when McCain was speaking.
This debate specifically about foreign policy and the economy crisis simply confirmed voters reasons for supporting each candidates policies. Although McCain should have been stronger within this topic by clearly pointing out Obama's lack of experience, neither candidate seemed to stand out in this region. In terms of the economic crisis, neither of the candidates explained exactly what they are going to do because the fact remains that no one can call the solvency of the situation at the moment.
Through this and the future debates the American public can be assured however that, as was done yesterday, both the presidential and vice presidential candidates will prove there calm, structured, and consistent manner towards pre - discussed policy. This will only confirm voters ideas on why and for whom they are voting no matter what statistics or political pundits say.

Spinning the debate

So called political experts say the debate was close, with some giving it to McCain, and others to Obama. But in this era of live blogging and YouTube videos, it matters not what the experts say, but rather, who the American people "perceive" to be the winner. Both campaigns are already calling the night a victory, trying to spin the debate into an event featuring their own success and their opponent's mistakes - Obama's campaign believes the debate showed that McCain is not in tune with the middle class, while McCain's campaign believes the debate highlights Obama's inefficiency at handling foreign affairs.

Reactions to Debate

I was sitting in the I-House today watching the Presidential Debates with several others in a large room as they concentrated faithfully on the TV screen, trying to follow each candidate in the formation of their ideas. And just as the newspaper editors and political pundits, their reactions were mixed. Most thought the debate was exciting and brought out good points, but others felt that the candidates weren't on their best game tonight. It will be interesting to see exactly how people's opinions of the candidates are affected by the debates in the following days.

Is McCain Incompetent Afterall?

September 25, 2008 marks the date that McCain decides to play chicken. Surprising Americans everywhere by postponing the first Presidential Debate against Obama on Friday, September 26, 2008, McCain proves unreliable and incompetent for presidential status. Leaving the American people with no response to how he will intend to lead the country, McCain saw it more fit, or convenient, to bail out of confronting Obama and "put politics aside and deal with the fiscal crisis". Perfect timing!

McCain's Risky Move to Suspend Campaigining Could Make or Break His Political Future

Republican Presidential Candidate, John McCain, has made a sudden decision to delay both campaigning and the upcoming debate. He has chosen this course of action so that he could return to Washington and aid in the bipartisan negotiation over the financial bill, drawn up to save the country from the increasingly high chances of mass economic meltdown. From a campaign perspective, his constituents will react strongly one way or the other to such a bold decision. It is possible voters will appreciate the "country-first" attitude that McCain is aiming to portray. However, if the project in congress is unsuccessful and he fails to debate Obama over plans for the immediate future, McCain risks losing lots of support. While McCain's ultimate motives for heading to Washington are still unclear, "He managed once again, at least in the short term, to shake up the presidential race at a time when national and state polls show Obama opening up a clear lead" (Washington Post).

Pragmatism Over Idealism, Obama Campaign Consolidates Resources as Election Approaches

With just under six weeks left until Election Day, the campaign of Senator Barack Obama is scaling back on the number of states it is targeting, according to a recent Time Magazine article. The move is not surprising given the tightening of polls in swing states over the past few weeks and the impact that John McCain's vice presidential selection has had on several traditionally red states, which the Obama campaign had been targeting up until now.

Shortly after winning the Democratic primary, Obama announced that his campaign intended to adopt the Democratic National Committee's "50 State Strategy" and hire campaign staff in every state in the nation. The campaign set especial hope in their ability to expand the political map by competing in the historically dark red states of Montana, Alaska, North Carolina, Indiana, North Dakota, and Georgia.

This strategy seemed to be working well for the Obama campaign during the summer, and some polls showed him pulling ahead of McCain in Montana and North Dakota. However, immediately after Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's selection as the GOP Vice Presidential candidate, many red states saw a dramatic surge in enthusiasm among the Republican base. Faced with the stark reality that Obama no longer had a prospect of winning in Montana, North Dakota, Georgia, and Alaska, the campaign began closing offices and moving staffers to states considered more necessary come November.

McCain calls to postpone Friday's presidential debate

The republican presidential candidate, John McCain, announced today his intentions of setting aside his campaign to return to Washington and deal with the crisis facing the U.S. economy. There were no clarifications as to how extensive the suspension on his campaign would be. Also during his New York announcement, he spoke of his desires to delay the first presidential debate, scheduled for this Friday. At 8:30 this morning, the democratic presidential candidate, Senator Barack Obama, called Senator McCain to ask him if he would join in issuing a joint statement summarizing their shared views toward the $700 billion bailout proposal, and urging Congress to act promptly in a bipartisan manner. Senator McCain responded to the call at 2:30, and agreed in giving a joint statement. Shortly after, he announced his plan of returning to Washington, and called on Senator Obama to do the same. Aides to Senator Obama responded that he had no intentions of going to Washington, and planned on going ahead with the debate. Some democrats were skeptical of McCain's sudden announcement, calling it a political ploy to gain the support of those concerned about the economy. Still, ploy or not, Senator McCain is showing that the fiscal crisis is first on his priority, appealing to all America, waiting anxiously for a solution to the possible economic catastrophe.

Obama and Mccain Deal with Economy Debacle

When the economy is continuing in a downward spiral and the public is a worried frenzy, the presidential candidates need to take action immediately. McCain or Obama must convince Americans that they can lead the country in the right direction, and this current economic crisis tests their leadership, strategies, and sense of direction they want to take this country. An article from the New York Times, “Obama and McCain Stand Firm on the Bailout” discusses how each candidate plans to deal with the crash of the stock market the multiple overturning businesses. There is a $700 million bailout proposed by the Bush administration, but each candidate has a different take on how they think the government should help businesses and the people. However, their proposals are not unique to the current crisis, “most of them proposals they have already made.”Neither candidate commits to voting for the $700 million bailout proposal if their own proposals are not met, and if they choose not to, how does this reflect their ability to take action and narrow mindedness? Will they continue to sidestep issues and not take a decisive stance if they unsure of how it will affect the polls?

Advertisements Spread Rumors about Candidates

According to an article from the New York Times, presidential candidates Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain have been targets of rumors that try to sway the public opinion. Both candidates have received criticisms and false accusations in the form of advertisements which are based on stereotypes. The article stated that this year’s advertisements are particular because they are “stealthy” and creep up in a powerful manner from “smaller groups.” While some groups question McCain’s choice of running mate, Obama’s critics have drawn attention to his background, suggesting that he is “un-American.” The role of television and advertisement in relation to the popularity of the candidates and their public images are becoming significant as Election Day approaches.

Interviews With Democratic Candidates Reveal Grievances

During two recent television appearances, the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates each mentioned a source of dissatisfaction with the other.
In an interview with Katie Couric on CBS that aired Monday, Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden expressed his discontent with an ad produced by the Obama campaign that attacks McCain for being out of touch with technology, saying that it "was terrible."
Similarily, during an interview with Couric's former co-anchor Matt Lauer on NBC this morning, Barack Obama told Lauer that Biden "should have waited" to speak about the federal government bailing out AIG, something Barack said should happen, but his running mate Biden and opponent John McCain stated should not.
While the media has been focused in on McCain's surprise choice running mate, Sarah Palin, it seems that the public eye may turn now to the imperfect relationship between Barack Obama and his, Senator Joe Biden.

Latest Field Polls

The latest set of Field Polls focuses on California voter attitudes toward the presidential candidates and some of the ballot measures voters will decide in November.

Palin vs. McCain: The Conflict Over Global Warming

A Washington Post article published today discusses the rift developing on the Republican side of the field over global warming. While McCain has recognized that humans are the main catalyst for global warming, Palin remains publicly skeptical. The article also covers Palin's environmental policies back in Alaska, which appear to be based on the premise of "adapting" to and not halting global warming.