Thursday, October 16, 2008

Plumbing the Depths

To steal a line from my spouse "Bob the Builder is pissed that he wasn't mentioned."

But more on that later.

First, could Grampy McCan't have blinked anymore last night during the first part of the debate. I actually found it rather distracting.

McCain showcased a level of animosity last night that I thought was palpable. I would be curious to know what my undecided or GOP-loving readers felt in that regard. I disagree with Salon editor Joan Walsh's take that he was less grumpy than in earlier debates. I think he was worse actually. 

Obama was his usual cool-as-a-cucumber self, even when the subject of his so-called "terrorist ties." McCain's efforts to put Congressman  John Lewis' statement about McCain's rhetoric on the same level as what the crowds have been shouting at McCain/Palin rallies was reprehensible in my eyes. I don't feel one lick of pity for McCain for being called out on inciting violence in his those demented sorts that show up at his campaign events. Face folks, there are some unstable people out there and McCain has been around the block enough times to know this. To act in the manner that he and Palin have without regard for that fact is dangerous and shameful.

And then there was the incessant references to "Joe the Plumber."  Frankly I thought the first awkward reference to this man by McCain was more than sufficient but to keep hammering at it was ridiculous. How the GOP thinks we can get out of this financial mess without raising someone's taxes is beyond me. I know that isn't what folks want to hear, and apparently Palin thinks paying taxes is unpatriotic, but the simple fact is that without more revenue coming in our country is going to head down shit creek even faster than we already are.

Obama was classy when he had the opening to trash Palin, which I think was a good idea. McCain was a little less kind to his longtime colleague Joe Biden. One of McCain's biggest faux pas of the night, in my eyes, was using the word "cockamamie" to describe Biden. Way to just hand that crotchety old man sign around your own neck Johnny.

Apparently by calling it a night at 10pm I missed the one reference to abortion in any of the three debates, but from what I have read thus far, that didn't exactly work out so well for McCain either.

I am glad that the debates are over frankly, a sentiment that I would imagine the McCain camp shares this morning as well. While the GOP and their FOXNews related sycophants might be spinning the debate this morning to say McCain won, I think the rest of the world knows the truth. 


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sam Stein at the Huffington Post says McCain blinked more than 3000 times during the 90 minute debate.

Email exchange this morning between myself and friend James (we also lamented the fact that no one talks about the poor anymore, just the middle class):

Chadboulet "…Loved that McCain was playing "Joe the Plumber" as his big trump card - what? -- 3 debates now, and that's the best
he can come up with? "Somebody in one of your own rallies didn't agree with something you said…" Oooh, snap -- good one, John McCain…"

James: "…by the way, I have worked for John the Plumber and can tell you he is an asshole who treated me like shit on his shoe, drove a big truck and wanted a bigger one, was a racist, an exploiter and a criminal. The most outstanding thing about his character and personna was his ruthless, relentless ambition."

And don't you love how this year's campaign has reduced the entire population of this country into cute occupational stereotypes? Nancy the nurse, Joe the plumber, Sally the schoolteacher. Are we living in some sort of Milton Bradley matrix or something?

Also, agreed on McCain's dismissal of the health of the mother…

Rev Wes Isley said...

Couldn't even bring myself to watch this one. I'm so over it! So I tuned into Project Runway instead--fashion always trumps politics.

But I did hear about the Joe the Plumber references. I think it's generally condescending and, as Chadboulet said, reduces us all to stereotypes. McCain should at least make it more original. What about Candy the Exotic Dancer?

broad minded said...

yes dear god, let's not forget the exotic dancers!

all the stuff that has come out about "joe the plumber" since the debate has just cemented in my mind the ridiculous depths the GOP will go to. shameful.