McCain “disappointed” that media declared debate a tie
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WASHINGTON – Republican White House hopeful John McCain, fresh from his first debate with Democratic rival Barack Obama in Mississippi, expressed regret on Saturday that his performance didn’t win over all the pundits in the press.
“I was a little disappointed the media called it a tie but I think that means, when they call it a tie, that means we win,” McCain said during a telephone call that was caught by cameras filming him at his campaign headquarters.
Both camps claimed victory after the 90-minute debate on Friday.
Meanwhile, Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, sought to lower expectations for the next debate in Tennessee on Oct. 7. It will be conducted in a town-hall style with questions from an audience.
“We will be a decided underdog in that encounter, and John McCain is the undisputed town hall champion,” Plouffe told reporters on a conference call, noting that McCain — who is fond of the format — had challenged Obama to do joint town hall meetings throughout the summer.
“He clearly feels, even more than the foreign policy debate, this is his home turf. So if we can just escape relatively unscathed against the undisputed town hall champion in Tennessee, we’ll be thrilled.”
Obama has held regular town halls of his own throughout the 2008 campaign and does not appear to struggle with the format.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder (McCain talks on the phone at his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on Sept. 27)
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You all need to get a life!!
There’s a perfectly good explanation for McCain’s averted eye-contact. McCain is an ex-combat vet (as we all know well), and ANY warrior must learn this simple maxim: “Never let the enemy see the fear in your eyes”
Be afraid, John, be very afraid…
John – How typical of a conservative to characterize people who disagree with them as whiners, and assume others don’t work hard. The irony of your claim that conservatives are out learning and not blogging is that the Republicans have nominated a Presidential candidate proud of his abysmal academic performance as a legacy at the Naval Academy and a Vice Presidential candidate who appears to take pride in knowing almost NOTHING about the world. Everything she needs to know is in her good book, apparently.
Dear Mr. McCain…. where was your flag lapel pin? Didn’t your handlers remind you to wear it for the BIG DEBATE? You’re not *unpatriotic*, are you?
I am a democrat but my answer to the debate-John McCain
had Obama on the defense–which was good strategy.
Obama did looked at McCain (as he did with Sen. Clinton)throughout the debate and then agreed with him on certain points,as he did with Sen. Clinton –Perhaps he thinks it is intimidating or perhaps he needs to focus on what the opponent is saying to prepare his answer.
As for John Mccain not looking at Obama–why would that matter???? Perhaps Obama was playing the old –I can stare longer than you -game–and calling him John–How disrespectful.
I am sure when Obama becomes President–he will not care to have anyone calling to him with out Pres. in front of his name.
The answer I search for is who was Obama talking to or nodding to in the audience thru=out the debate–Was Michelle sitting there with cue cards–look at the rewind… If he wasn’t trying to stare at Mccain, he was shaking his head to someone past the moderator and mouthing words????
As said I am a Democrat but facts speak for themselves…
Obama was on the defensive –and shouldn’t have been.. Time to tighten up.
Obama opposed the war in Iraq but is sit to invade Afganistan. (which is where we should have started )
If McCain is disappointed that the media deemed the debate a draw, he should be seriously bummed that a clear majority of undecided voters thought Obama won.
As a previously decided voter (Go Barack!) I can only hope that the McCain campaign keeps on preaching to the converted, as John did in the debate with condescending, rude and unstatesmanlike behavior.
How is it that the man who is trying to sell himself as stronger and more able to lead by bipartisan consensus was unable to look his debate rival in the eye?
In a few days, it will even be clearer that Obama vs McCain I was really Kennedy vs Nixon II.
Len – I agree…I’m sorry Obama didn’t raise McCain’s Baghdad market spectacle when McCain talked about his travel to Iraq. His photo op put our troops in unnecessary danger, probably cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to stage, and resulted in the deaths of many innocent Iraqi civilians. Still, he claims he always puts country first. With “heroes” like this, who needs enemies?
“Wow – the press and many of you are so blind. McCain did not do everything right, nor did Obama. Obama was virtually crushed on Foreign Policy, however. Did no-one hear him say, for example, that if Pakistan did not crack down on militants and help (or something like that) that he would just “let them have it.” That is a virtual declaration of war! His position to sit down with the leader of Iran (and other such countries) and just chat without preconditions is also outstandingly naive…
The bias for Obama is impressive! If McCain or worse Palin had said that we will just let Pakistan “have it” the press would have had a field day. I am just so disappointed that after 8 years of Bush we now are facing Obama. Gore was far the intellectual superior of Obama, but would never have one as we don’t elect on intellect or credentials, we elect on the basis of charm and good looks. The press crushes Palin who is the only one of the 3 with any management experience and let’s ONE TERM OBAMA get away with virtually everything.
I have *always* voted with the democratic party, but this is a joke.
- Posted by Benjamin Alper”
You’re lying – you sound like a republican in disguise.
Mccain’s made many serious mistakes in the debate, especially regarding foreign policy. He struggles with a weak mind:
1.Mccain referred to the Iranian “Republican Guard”–in fact, the unit is called the “Revolutionary Guard”
2.he called Pakistan a “failed state” when Musharraf took over– in fact it was a democracy overthrown by a coup-d’etat
2. mis-stated the name of the new pakistani president
3. confused the concepts of military tactics and strategy
4. lied about or simply didn’t understand or know about Henry Kissinger’s recent statements re: diplomacy
5. claimed Nixon’s meeting with the Chinese was an example of a President NOT sitting down with his enemies?
6. failed to acknowledge Obama’s high-level visits to US commanders and allies throughout afghanistan, Irag and Israel this year.
7. claimed that it is possible for a US soldier to die “in vain” while serving his country. A shameful statement for a man who advocates sending them into a quagmire.
7. showed an undignified lack of respect to the next President of the USA– the clearly much smarter, more nuanced, more level-headed man on the stage, Sen. Barack Obama.
Sorry to burst everyone’s bubble on the VP debates, but there is not going to be a real debate.
Typically a debate is defined as:
1. A formal contest of argumentation in which two opposing teams defend and attack a given proposition.
2. To discuss or argue (a question, for example) formally.
3. A formal contest of argumentation in which two opposing teams defend and attack a given proposition.
The republican party successfully changed the format of the VP ‘debate’ to a format where there are pre-selected questions and each ‘debater’ gets to voice their response to the questions.
What this means is that Palin has had plenty of time to learn and practice her responses to the questions that will be asked. (How may want to bet the answers are not written by her?) There will be no back and forth between the candidates. And more importantly she will look well polished and knowledgable. Also what that means is we will be no further ahead in getting any insight as to what actual knowledge she may or may not possess on the topics.
However it will undoubtably look very good for her, especially given how low expectations are. Everyone will be saying how well she did and overlook the fact that my 8 year old also does well when given a list of questions and 2+ months to practice the answers. That’s elementary but that’s also politics today!
John McCain’s avoiding eye contact was rude. But it reveals more – at his age, he can’t afford to take his attention away from the script inside himself to remember it. I know. I am his age and have studied human development and cognitive decline. McCain also seemed to struggle with hiding his rage at a smart, capable young leader. McCain really did smirk his way through the debate. His supporters surely know that his temperament
is not one that would make him a strong leader or they don’t understand the part of “he does not keep his cool when he needs to.”
McCain wants to make sure we “win” in Iraq and Afghanistan but when that comes about, who will be on the other side of the table signing the cease fire agreement.
I ask this Question only because I don’t know who we are fighting.
McCain didn’t look Obama in the eye because you NEVER look the Alpha Dog directly in the eye.
During the debate Sen. McCain mentioned low business tax rates in Ireland and how things are so rosy for them. Well, guess what-Ireland is the first EU country in a declared recession, it happened Thursday the 25th of September. For more info, google Ireland recession.
As a European, I am necessarily biased (the whole world with the possible exception of Saudi Arabia hopes for an Obama win) but I tried to watch the debate with neutral eyes. If it were a mere contest, I would have called it a tie up to nearly the end, but finally a win for Obama since McCain went too negative in his rambling closing statement. However the policy differences were very stark. It became absolutely clear that a McCain presidency would revive the Cold War, which in my mind is not necessary at all. Obama’s willingness to meet without preconditions is a good thing, it’s the way things were always done in happier pre-Bush times.
But I was struck by a glaring omission. This debate was about foreign policy, and the candidates were only asked about enemies and potential enemies. Not a minute was “wasted” on such trivialities as allies or peaceful, nonaligned countries. Does the US see the outside world only through the lens of the countries it doesn’t like?
I read one blog post that had a good explanation for the fact the McCain never looked at Obama. It seems that lower ranking animals never look the alpha male in the eye. Obama owned McCain in that debate! It was obvious in McCain’s refusal to even look at him.
McCain did not look at Obama because he is incapable of accepting that a BLACK man might beat him. McCain is as divisve as his policies. Reviewing many of the GOP comments in on this blog support an alarming racial undertone. This guy is not a maverik he is Johnny Come Lately. And if it weren’t for Viagra it would be not at all. Get it? Liberals help Conservatives with this joke…
The debate showed how inexperianced John McCain is in dealing with the real world. we respect your service old timer but move on. Stop trying to make the people of this country feel the whole world is out to get us. It doesn’t play. We real folks no we are the melting pot and it is the greed, and the blaten disreguard of the
constitution the last eight years that got us into entire mess we are in today. McCain you showed your foolish distion making efforts twice now with Palin and the so called rush to suspend your campain. Your shoot from the hip and see were the chips fly policy making like that of the rotting “BUSH” of the past eight years shows. You not only lost the debate YOu shoed retire and let the world heal from the wounds of this adminstaration
I think it was a tie on supstance but a clear win for Obama on style and temperment. Obama has what it take to lead the United States in the 21 centry. Obama is thoughtful and graceful, McCain is and angry old man who needs a good BM. McCain’s pick of Palin should disqualify him, he picked a gimmick over substance.
It is Obama’s time, McCains time has past. We just really need someone smart after 8 years of a dummy. McCain was at the bottom of his class, I think 884 out of 890 or close to that, Obama was in the top of his class at Columbia and Harvard law. Smarter is better!!!!!
McCain and Obama may have tied on substance but McCain lost in other ways. People keep talking about how “tough” McCain is but he didn’t even have the courage to look his opponent in the eye. We are living through hard economic times in which bipartisanship is paramount and Obama was gracious and acknowledged when he felt McCain was correct. After this he stated how he felt McCain was mistaken. Obama showed respect for a fellow American citizen while McCain sneered at him and treated with with contempt. It brought American politics to a new low and I am now saddened at what McCain has become. How far he has fallen from who he was in 2000.
McCain’s world view appears to include a “tie” as meaning he “won”…
Sounds like a man who after 4,000+ Dead Americans, 30,000+ Wounded Americans, more than $500 BILLION spent, Iran increasing in strength, Afghanistan going down the drain, Bin Laden STILL alive, would declare anything at all in Iraq a victory – after all of that nothing in Iraq is a “victory”.
Oh yeah and McCain picked a VP candidate who truly believes that humans and dinosaurs existed at the same time on earth and that because Putin flies over Alaska on his way to the U.S. that that makes her a foreign policy expert and.
Good One Johnnie!!!
McCain represents the desperation and fear which has held this country hostage for the last 8 years. He is but a caricature of extreme moral and ethical disease.
He has already lost.
Perhaps we had a replay of the 1960 debate. Those who watched on TV thought Kennedy won while those who listened on the radio thought Nixon won. McCain’s lack of eye contact with Obama and his grumpy appearance may have cost him the debate in the viewer polls. On the other hand, Obama looked confident and presidential. I wonder if there were any folks who still listened on the radio and what did they think?
Although my mind was not changed, I did learn something significant about McCain. Reading between the lines, I learned that he doesn’t want to leave Iraq without a victory. He thinks that anything less is a lack of respect to the brave men and women who gave their time and some of them, their lives. He spent 5 1/2 years in a POW camp in a war that wasn’t won. Vietnam vets were not admired for many years. He took his personal experience and generalized it to a major component of his foreign policy. I’m scared of a candidate who does that. Some wars have been mistakes and the sooner we get out, the better.
Why is everyone getting so upset that McCain looked at the audience (live and on television) instead of looking at Obama? I am glad that McCain answers to “us” instead of to Obama. In “Public Speaking 101″, you always make eye contact with the people you are answering to. This is just another stupid and feeble attempt to discredit the candidate most obviously qualified for the job. Obama was not a polished speaker and continually and irritatingly kept interrupting McCain as he talked. Obama was the rude one!!! As far as presidential, who would you rather have represent the USA when having to meet face-to-face with some of the unsavory leaders of the world? Obama, who tries to turn everything into a negotiation, or McCain, who will stand stedfast in the best interests of the USA? Clearly, the choice is easy. If you get down to very basics – just compare the resume of Obama to that of McCain. This is not rocket science folks!
Obama obviously won the debate. Obama was right on the issues of Iraq, diplomacy even with our enemies and restoring our standing around the world. While again McCain was obsessed with Iraq.
Quoted by Paulette: “I am totally afraid that if Obama were to become president he would really muck up foreign relations”. Have you been living under a rock??? US foreign relations have been appalling for the past 8 years. If that’s your major concern, vote the way majority of the rest of the world would if they could – Obama/Biden!
John McCain has been STEALING Sen. Barack Obama’s concepts and presenting them as his own, particularly the “Change” theme of the campaign.
Now he’s taking credit he mastered the “Bailout” and brought the parties together, when in reality it was Sen. Obama’s proposals that were adopted by the legislators.
In his 2002 book “Worth the Fighting For,” McCain unabashedly states the following, although in this campaign is singing a different tune when he is running for president.
“I didn’t decide to run for president to start a national crusade for the political reforms I believed in or to run a campaign as if it were some grand act of patriotism. In truth, I wanted to be president because it had become my ambition to be president. I was sixty-two years old when I made the decision and I thought it was my one shot at the prize.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eKwTL8Sw bI
God save America from liars!
Like Chris Rock said. For a black man to win over a white, you can’t beat ‘em you have to knock them out.
Moderator Jim Lehrer said he wanted McCain and Obama to engage each other in this debate. Obama’s use of McCain’s first name–John–seemed an attempt to engage the senior senator in debate. By not directing his eyes at the junior senator, McCain seemed on the stump, directing his rhetoric to the audience rather debating Obama. (Of course, I’m prejudiced. McCain lost my respect when he lost his principles–if he ever had any–and reached out to the lowest common demoninator in the GOP electorate.)
I want a President who will actually be here in the future. No, thanks McCain. Oh yeah, Sarah Palin…is an idiot.
A tie? Haha..I guess McCain loves surprises. He’s going to have a big one on Nov 4. Then he will go back to big house with drugged out wife and live his Depends years until he withers away into the dustbin of history.
McCain continues to demonstrate his delusional qualities–but, I guess, that comes with the turf. There could be no more opportune time for “straight talk”: “Yeah, I was a real SOB to Obama,” “I’m running scared and I’ll try anyway screwy tactic to get elected–what’s there to lose?” “Obama isn’t fit to wipe my boots (or, shine my shoes: you pick)”, and, “I hope the American people are stupid enough to buy this swill about my becoming a populist the past two weeks, regardless of my record aligned with President Bush.”
The straight talk is that Brack Obama was presidential, gracious and showed leadership. THAT is the change we need.
As a side note, Senator McCain, The Stockton Record, a newspaper in the delta of California, endorsed Barack Obama today. It’s the first time in 72 years it has endorsed a Democrat. A paper that endorsed Wendle Wilkie, Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford and, Pres. Bush is not endorsing you…
McCain is a loser. What a has-been. He’s anachronistic. Put him out to pasture. The Cold War is over; nobody wants sit sit on the porch and hear your war stories; there is more to building a country than killing people overseas; you won’t take care of the veterans,you won’t love them and cuddle them like you made is sound you would.
For anyone to say McCain won is mindless and dangerously brainless. McCain picked a VP who makes Tina Fey’s caricature of her look more intelligent than Palin. When McCain picked her his judgment shows his true ignorance! His first off was not his pick but rather a terrible joke on America! This woman is more of a valley girl governor voted in more for looks than brains, and had been coasting in small town Alaska but not at all ready for center stage. Her interviews prove how sad this reality is. I feel sorry that McCain’s sexist arse put her in a position to be made a mockery of. Had he wanted a woman there were far more experienced women, but he went on looks alone. Just like he did with his ex-wife, she lost her appeal when she was crippled. So, the pretty shiny trophy one wins. What a narrative for a pathetic shell of a man. If he dies after being sworn in, look what he gave America..a woman who thinks airspace and putin, fungible and molecules used in the same sentence is a qualifying factor, and if not, I’ll go get it for ya mentality, America would be doomed!
Want to know who REALLY won the debate? Check the latest polls and see who went up and who went down.
I watched the debate very carefully and I will say that Obama done his job as the debater. John McCain talked about earmarks. John McCain would not even look at Barack Obama. He is still mad about Barack Obama not meeting with him in and town hall meeting. John McCain can’t make Obama do anything. Obama is a real man not John McCain trying to become one. He acts just like a little kid going to the candy store trying to punish a child because he or she didn’t obey him. John McCain is one of the low down dirty Republican man I have every seen. I wouldn’t vote republican if my life depended on it. Don’t you folks get it John Mcain is for the rich friends of his and not the middle class people that are suffering every day. You get what you vote for.
Sarah Palin is a pathetic Vice President and I pray to god that she is not in the White House come november the 4th. It is best for John Mcain to keep her under lock and key because she is so silly when it comes to reality. She don’t know a dam thing about the United States. Remember she is from Alaska with about five-thousand people and I see that they are not feeling her either. She can’t begin to understand the united states problems because alaska is not a populated like we are. I wouldn’t trust her making not one decision for the people here in the united states because if she did on her little knowledge we all will be bombed and dead. Make a smart choice not a skin choice.
No John, almost no one said it was a tie. The pundits aren’t the important vote on this anyway (though for an elitist like you their opinion probably carries more weight than it should); it’s the American citizens, and according to the poll data that I have read, Obama was the clear winner: the most knowledgeable, the most presidential, and certainly the most statesmanlike!
A week before the debate I read in a blog that Obama would probably win the debate, but the media would spin it as a tie. Now that every poll shows Obama won and every media source calling it a tie, that person was proved dead on.
MCCAIN SHOWED NO RESPECT FOR OBAMA, DID YOU NOTICE, THAT THE OBAMAS HAD TO WALK ACROSS THE STAGE SHAKE HANDS WITH THE MCSAMES. A GREAT POINT WAS MADE, IT’S THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO DETERMINES THE WINNER OF THE DEBATE NOT JOHN MCLAME.
I THINK THE BIG LOSER OF THE NIGHT WAS PALIN, AGAIN SHE WAS IN HIDING, THERE WAS A REPORT TONIGHT THAT PALIN MAY PLAN BRISTOL’S WEDDING TO THE REDNECK BEFORE THE ELECTION TO TRY AND CHANGE THE TONE OF THIS CAMPAGIN. ANDOTHER STUNT BY THE MCCAIN CAMPAGIN. SICK, SICK, SICK.
McCain put the Whitehouse key in the hands of Obama when he chose Sarah Palin as vice-president. That he is now a desperate man shows clearly in his earlier cancellation of the debate and attempt to show how presidential he is by seeming to take charge of the financial crisis. He will be even more desperate after Sarah’s defeat by Biden next Thursday. Obama should be careful dealing with a desperate man.
why does the obama campaign feel the need to set the bar so low? ‘escape relatively unscathed’?
wth?
McCain was not looking at Obama but Obama was looking directly at him. What is the meaning of this peculiar behavior?
I can only speculate based on personal experience, but when I was younger I had, what can charitably be called, a quick temper. Often when I was in a confrontation with someone and I DIDN’T want to get into a fight, either physical or verbal, I often found myself refusing to look at them. See, if they “weren’t there” in my line of sight I could usually manage to contain my rage and not do anything I knew I would later regret.
Johnny Mac has anger issues too, so this is my guess at this behavior.
Many who have commented correctly point out that Obama came across as self-assured and confident. McCain came across as angry, grumpy and downright condescending. That was my perception. I watched the whole debate again and now feel even more convinced that he did not look at Obama because he cannot stand the younger senator who just happens to be black. What a disgrace. After all, Obama had to struggle a lot harder to win the primaries against the anointed Senator Clinton from New York. If he cannot demonstrate respect for his opponent and instead shows disdain, I shudder to think what he would do in negotiations with other foreign leaders. This was a debate where one could learn about the temperament of the candidates. McCain now scares me. I am not going to entrust the future of the country and my children to this angry old self-serving man who has no shame. What did he learn from his Vietnam era prison experience. Perhaps bitterness. McCain has a sense of entitlement becaues he thinks the country should worship him for his POW experience. He supports a war that has cost our country thousands of lives and many more wounded. He should go and live in his nine homes and spend a little more time in his 13 cars until gas runs out for all of us. God help us if he and Sarah Palin get elected.
Many of the conservatives posting here are either delusional or blinded by partisan rage. McCain did’nt perform as well as he should have if he really was the expert on foreign relations that you claim he is. In the last 2 months he has mistaken the difference between Sunnis and Shia three times, refered to Czeckoslovakia three times(country that hasn’t existed in over a decade) has stated that there is a border between Iraq and Pakistan (there isn’t) and confused the President of Spain (Zapatero) with the former president of Mexico (Zapata). The guy is all swagger and other than that he is recycled, disproven republican philosophy. FAIL. bye bye repubs. Enjoy the generation banished to the wilderness that you so richly deserve. Good riddance.
I still do not understand how it could be claimed a tie when McCain continually went back to victory in Iraq, tried to make Russia the first aggressor in Georgia, said looking into Putin\’s eyes he read KGB, said Pakistan had been a failed state, and continued the Axis Of Evil policy of no negotiations with Nations on his evil list.
Who is going to sign surrender papers for victory? What is his definition of victory in Iraq. Is his policy going to be invade Iran on the way to Afghanistan? Why fly our troops around when we can invade Iran for a straight route. Saber rattling has been the downfall of our last 8 years and heads us back into a cold war.
A statement that made me gasp was the bracelet. The mother has asked him to make sure his death was not in vain. Was it the wrong way to phrase it? Or did he actually feel that victory has to be claimed? I want to find the mother and tell her that her son lost his life fighting for his country and it is the greatest sacrifice a soldier can give and they are honored no matter the final result.
Actually Senator McLie, if you review all the polls from the voters, and not what the pundits are saying, you lost badly to Obama………….For such an older man you act like a little kid all the time.
It will be over for you soon…………..
The winner is the one who, for whatever reason, causes voters to make a decision FOR him/her. Obama made the most people make that decision. Also, when there is a tie, the victory is usually given to the person who is “leading” at the time. On Friday, that was the senator from Illinois. OH WELL.
Paul Cohen – PUH-LEASE! If anyone was using emotion vs. reason during the debate, it was McCain. As was evident by his empty claim of love the veterans. There was one person that used reason to form his arguments during the debate; the next president of the United States, BARACK OBAMA! McCain looked angry and agitated throughout the entire debate. He was rude to both Obama and the moderator. He was not by any means presidential. McCain, thanks, but no thanks.
Wow! I think all my fellow O”bomber” fans have said it all. Fact, Obama bombed on McPain and blew him out of the water. Why? The eyes, it’s all in the eyes. Oh, and Palin, she’s failin! Wait a minute, is she even still running as VP because America has seen less and less of her, and even when we see a quick photo there’s no sound bites. Shame on you John, excuse me, that’s Senator John McCain that is. You would have been better off if you just wore your own lipstick. Next time pick a real VP. Don’t pick someone to “win” you votes, Mr. “I’m for my country” man. Lastly, voters please DO NOT allow McCain to “amBUSH” you into voting for him. If you vote McCain their will be NO GAIN. Obama is the man, no doubt and please NO more BUSH.
CNN Junky