Blind Prophecy

Here’s the summary of my live-tweeting from jerekeys_live for tonight’s final debate:

• 21:02 I don’t promise to be quiet. #debate08 #
• 21:04 Hurting and angry? Isn’t that sorta like being bitter? #debate08 #
• 21:11 Obama’s plan will cut my taxes by $468.76, McCain’s would cut my taxes by $39.34 #debate08 #
• 21:14 Just a glance at the Tax Foundation indicates that state taxes are the reason our corporate taxes are high – not federal. #debate08 #
• 21:17 Hey, Bob, we’ve HEARD their tax plans. Please ask about one of those “new topics” you promised. #debate08 #
• 21:20 This “overhead projector” McCain keeps referencing is a high-powered planetarium projector. #debate08 #
• 21:22 Let’s not look at records, let’s talk about actual issues. #debate08 #
• 21:25 Don’t tell the American public what is and isn’t convincing, McCain. #debate08 #
• 21:26 Fuck the stupid Town Hall nonsense. Is he saying that the lack of Town Halls caused him to go negative? #debate08 #
• 21:27 Is McCain really saying *segregation* is the darkest period in American history? How about, um, *SLAVERY*? #debate08 #
• 21:33 McCain is about to shit himself while Obama sounds rational and presidential. #debate08 #
• 21:34 He’s “uncategorically” proud of the people at his rallies? I see an ad: “Terrorist” “Kill him” “I’m uncategorically…” #debate08 #
• 21:41 I LOVE BOB! I’d seriously give him a blow job right now. Sweaty, grey-haired testicles and all. #
• 21:43 Why is it a virtue to “take on” members of your own party? What if you agree with the members of your own party? #debate08 #
• 21:46 What fantasyland does McCain see a united Iraq in? #debate08 #
• 21:54 I thought this was supposed to be a domestic issues debate. #debate08 #
• 21:57 Why does McCain keep getting the last word? #debate08 #
• 21:59 Re: health care questions – my father used to say the only dumb question is the one asked and answered twice already. #debate08 #
• 22:04 If Big Government gives me real health care, that IS big govt at it’s best! #debate08 #
• 22:16 McCain: “We’ll do everything we can to improve adoption…” Except open it to GAYS. Fucker. #debate08 #
• 22:19 McCain is playing to his base. Obama keeps talking about compromise and finding the middle ground. Very telling. #debate08 #
• 22:25 Vouchers do not ring well with the voters. Middle and lower class don’t want to subsidize rich kids’ educations. #debate08 #
• 22:34 I think Obama sealed it tonight. McCain was all sound and fury, signifying nothing. #debate08 #

Final thoughts, I really think Obama spoke to the middle, while McCain played to his base. They did it on education (vouchers are not popular with the moderate middle, even blood-red Utah voters shot them down), abortion (less than 20% of voters think abortion should always be illegal), spending, and of course we all know that the war is not a winning issue for McCain. The result is that McCain drifted even further into that “out of touch” range. He sounded like he was trying to convince the American public of the conservative ideology instead of looking to govern the entire country, whereas Obama could speak of compromise (money quote: “Now, typically, what’s happened is that there’s been a debate between more money or reform, and I think we need both.”) and actually bridging parties rather than simply talking about a record of maverickiness.

I’m honestly a little relieved and a little disappointed that the only queer rights issue to come up in any debate was the convoluted nonsense in the vice presidential debate. I’m disappointed that even this debate with Bob Schieffer’s promise of new material, they covered a lot of familiar ground (the economy, health care plans, tax plans). Where’s the national discussion on ENDA, immigration, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the war on drugs, torture, public funding of the arts, or any of the other important issues that continue to matter to Americans despite the economic crisis?

I think Obama-Biden swept the debates because they know how to speak of actual change instead of pointing to an ambiguous record. I hope the election is over at this point. Of course, since I recently changed my voter registration to Ohio but have not updated my DMV records (because I don’t drive, anyway), so I may not be able to vote on November 4.

Filed under: politics, Twitter Liveblogging Events by Jere Keys