Osler's Razor

perhaps in the next debate?
 

Oh, perhaps. By the way, Kouji, I have enjoyed your comments and your haiku blog. Do you mind if I link to it?
 

Geez was the debate boring. Both candidates spoke well enough and made all the points we'd expect them to make--and that's the problem. It's Obama's race to lose, so of course he's going to play things safe. But McCain needs to make up some major ground that he's lost due to the economic situation, especially in places where he once had healthy leads, like Florida and Virginia. I would have liked to have seen him come out swinging, or at least unveiling the bold new ideas that we know his camp is capable of.

What's next? More cruise control from Obama and more inexplicably gentleness from McCain. Absent another October suprise (the economy was the first), I think this is about how things will look in November, too.

The feeling of inconsequentiality was palpable last night at the Davis Civic Auditorium. Usually at least one person in the crowd calls for an increase in TV volume or a decrease in Tapp volume. But nothing the candidates said was interesting enough to override conversations of Moot Court and sports.

BTW, Razor readers of all stripes are always welcome at our debate watching shindigs, where themed beverages and hors d'oeuvres are the order of the day. Drop me a line and I'll shoot you a facebook invite for next Wednesday.
 

One word: boring.

I watched the whole thing, and when it was over couldn't think of a single memorable moment.

To sum up:

Obama: We need to develop green technologies, give tax cuts to companies that keep jobs at home, provide universal health coverage, fix social security, tax cuts for the middle class...and if you vote for me we will do all that and more while cutting spending. And at the 9 p.m. show I will be walking on water!

McCain: My friends, what that dude is talking about is silly willy nincampoopery. My friends, I want government out of your lives, not more involved. Which, my friends, is why I want to do all of the same things that my opponent wants to do, just a little less in order to appear that we aren't in total agreement and that I'm with the conservatives. Oh, and by the way my friends, I'm a maverick.

Obama: Don't forget Bush. He is just like Bush.

McCain: My friends, one word, maverick.
 

Spot on summary, RRL. Did one of the campaigns use you as a rehearsal stand in?
 

Actually Jesse, I was the one responsible for McCain's "Nervous Pacing" strategy. We hoped it would confuse Obama and throw him off his game.

Sadly, in an unexpected twist, it mostly resulted in people watching McCain answer questions with his back turned to the camera.
 

And McCain will buy you a house! That was a big idea. But not really very conservative.
 

Slight edge Obama. McCain wouldn't/couldn't answer too many questions and resorted to standard Karl Rove attack responses when he couldn't.

Overall, boring, enlightened occasionally by Tom Brokaw's snippy reminders about the time.

Still, McCain is better at this stuff than Bush (even that time when Bush had the small transmitter in his jacket).

Tom
 

Number of times McCain said "My friend(s)": at least 22

Number of times Obama skirted the question: at least 1

Number of times watchers called for a decrease in Tapp volume: 0

Number of times watchers would've actually gotten a decrease in Tapp volume: -5

Number of Keystones consumed at Davis Debate Watching parties: many

Number of times Davis's wife makes fun of me for bringing Keystone: many

Number of times McCain called Obama "that one": 1

overall, not that interesting.
 

Atrocious performance from both candidates. They spent too much time restating their own (already known) positions and taking potshots at each other. There was no engagement with opposing positions. Literally nothing happened.

And Rosseau? Interesting...
 

Oh, it was okay, I suppose. I expected more from both sides. McCain needed to step up to the plate to wow us, and Obama could have delivered the killing blow. And they both failed in that. For demeanor alone, I give the edge to Obama though. It was uncomfortable when McCain started getting snippy ("that one", "Tom, I just want to point out we didn't hear a number for that fine!"). I know that some people enjoy that, but I'd rather have substance to the actual arguments, and I don't think either candidate succeeded. In particular, having them both tell us that everything will work out with the economy was downright insulting. I'm pretty sure it's going to suck for a quite awhile. Some honesty there would have been nice - they're not supposed to be our mothers, they're aiming to be our leader. Stop coddling us and tell us what has changed!

Anyway, I agree wholeheartedly with RRL. And that's the only surprise I've had in the last 24 hours.
 

From what I saw of the debate (60 of 90 minutes), Obama delivered more specifics of what he would do than McCain did. More substance . . . to me, McCain spoke more in generalities, not specifics; or perhaps his sentences were simpler than Obama's. And I think I heard "that one" at least twice. How strange . . . as if Obama is an alien, or he couldn't remember his opponent's name, or something. Kind of rude and bizarre . . .
 

McCain doesn't say My Friends
He says My FRENCH

And the 'I'll buy your house thing didn't fly far with my parents and their conservative friends.

The Biden rally in Tampa yesterday was truly energizing.