The Long, Drawn Out, Boring Campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain

Earl Ofari Hutchinson has been the most upfront political commentator in the 20008 presidential campaign. Ofari has never been caught up in the en masse media swoon for Barack Obama. Even during the most trying days of the Democratic primary, Ofari chose not to join the chorus of media pundits doing their best to force Hillary Clinton out of the race. Yes, that would have been consistent with Obama’s tactics in Illinois – force your opponents out of the race so you can walk to the finish line and claim your prize. Google Alice Palmer.

Most recently, Ofari offers his analysis of the second presidential debate and although he goes into detail; whereas, I simply yawned, he and I were obviously on the same page. I just couldn’t shake off my boredom long enough to write up the performance of our two mediocre candidates for the highest position in the nation. Honestly, couldn’t America have done better?

Ofari spells it out:

“OK, we now know for the umpteenth time that Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain will cut taxes, provide affordable health care to everyone, drill for more oil, expand nuclear power use, end global warming, rein in the Wall Street fast buck artists, take out Osama Bin Laden, and end the war in Iraq either by withdrawal or victory. And yes we know that both have had a tough family upbringing, and therefore they know what working people have to go through.

“These themes have been rehashed and reworked so many times that we can recite them in our sleep. But what we don't know and certainly haven't heard in the debates is what Obama and McCain will do about failing urban public schools, the HIV-AIDS pandemic, their view of the death penalty, the drug crisis, how they'll combat hate crimes, shore up crumbling and deteriorating urban transportation systems, and what type of judges they will appoint to the federal judiciary and to the Supreme Court.”

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Gov. Palin’s take on the second presidential debate

Perry Bacon, Jr. at the Washington Post provides an informal look at a relaxed Sarah Palin watching last night’s debate from a North Carolina pizzeria where she had just held a rally. In blue jeans and windbreaker, Palin joined several GOP leaders who watched the debate on Fox News.

Bacon writes:

“As she greeted the surprised crowd of more than 50 at the small pizza place, she posed for several cell phone pictures. When Dana Corey, who was about to start eating, realized Palin was there, he was on the phone with wife. He asked if Palin would say hello and the governor did, joking, "Libby, why is your husband here drinking beer without you?"

“The Corey family lives in Wilmington, N.C., and Mrs. Corey explained to the governor that her husband was there because he was working on a construction project in Greenville.

“As the debate started, the governor sat with Charlotte mayor Patrick McCrory, and the state's Republican senators, Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr, along with Burr's wife, as several televisions in the bar showed the Fox News telecast of the debate.

“At the onset of the debate, Palin took out a pen and some paper. And for the next hour and half, along with chatting with the politicians, she often took notes of what the two candidates were saying. Interviewed after the debate, Dole said Palin was writing down many of their exchanges on energy, while Burr noted that Palin was "focused on what Barack was saying."

“Perhaps like anyone else watching the town hall, the governor looked away at times and spent some time texting on her phone.

“Corey came over to Palin's table, this time with his daughter, a college senior, on the phone. Palin greeted her too. Dana Corey said Allie enjoyed talking to Palin but was still deciding between Obama and McCain even after the Alaska governor pushed her man on the phone.

“The dozen reporters with Palin were seated in a different section of Boli's from Palin, although we could see her throughout. She smiled at some of McCain's remarks about energy independence and took notes quietly when Obama spoke. At the end of the debate, her aides brought reporters over to Palin's table.”

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A Draw in Nashville Debate as Obama and McCain Point Up Their Differences

I watched the McCain-Obama town hall debate on CNN this evening, but before I listened to any of the comments by the “best political team on television” (yawn), I had already decided it was a draw with one exception: I thought McCain showed more warmth and empathy in connecting with members of the audience who got to ask questions. For example, a man who mentioned his Naval background wound up shaking hands with McCain.

Who would have guessed that each campaign would issue statements declaring its candidate the winner?

Jill Hazelbaker, McCain's communications director, said:

"Tonight, John McCain won the debate. He was the only man who demonstrated he had the independence and strength to take on everything that's broken in Washington and on Wall Street. John McCain had a clear plan for improving the lives of Americans -- keeping them in their homes through his American Homeownership Resurgence Plan. From Barack Obama, we heard half-truths and contradictions between what he says and what he has done. He said he supported offshore drilling but has opposed it for months. He talked about tax cuts but he voted for higher taxes 94 times and promises increased taxes on small businesses. He talked about reducing the size of government but has proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in new government spending. Tonight, Barack Obama had an opportunity to level with the American people, but instead all we heard was more of the same."

Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe stated:

“Barack Obama won a resounding victory in John McCain’s favorite debate format because he made the case for change that will rebuild the middle class. The American people asked tough questions tonight, and only Barack Obama was in touch with their struggles and offered clear and passionate answers about creating jobs, reducing health care costs, cutting taxes for 95% of working families, and responsibly ending the war in Iraq. John McCain was all over the map on the issues, and he is so angry about the state of his campaign that he referred to Barack Obama as ‘that one’ – last time he couldn’t look at Senator Obama, this time he couldn’t say his name. The McCain campaign said, ‘if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose,’ and John McCain definitely lost tonight."