The End of Debate

Friday's Presidential debate was anything but. Neither candidate behaved Presidential, nor did they debate. This election was supposed to be different. Both candidates touted high ideals and promised a campaign of ideas, not words. It has deteriorated into zingers and talking points meant to woo voters.

Friday night was supposed to be a thoughtful debate of those ideas. It was an excellent format: moderated by Jim Lehrer (host of the esteemed PBS program Newshour), the topics would be presented, each would give a two-minute summary, then they would debate the ideas for five minutes with each other. This was the format agreed upon by the candidates months ago.

Instead of thoughtful debate over ideas, Senators McCain and Obama disintegrated into election-year jabs and political talking points. The ideas presented were cut from advisors and broad plans, but little was foundational or substantial. Obama used the "Bush-McCain mantra" while McCain continued his "voice of experience" argument. McCain pushed his "I'm a maverick," and "earmarks are evil" comfort points, even when they were vaguely relevant. Obama postured "what I've called for" as if the President writes legislation.

Lehrer compelled them over and over "say it directly to him." "I'm determined to get you all to talk to each other," Lehrer implored. Obama finally engaged, McCain never looked to his opponent (or the camera). This is a position where world leaders confront each other. These guys must prove they can engage. We want a lion who will lead, not a golden retriever who will dutifully fetch.

I wasn't around in the 1860s, so I did not get to see Lincoln and Douglas debate, but I have seen high schoolers and college students follow guidelines and engage each other more passionately and with less posturing than these two. If one of these me wants my vote, they should get over their hubris and one-upsmanship. McCain should stop trying to be Teddy Roosevelt and Obama stop pointing fingers at others bad judgment calls.

In my opinion, McCain lost what could be construed as a debate handily. He drew the discussion off topic and shallowly defended his various points. Obama, while casting a broad net of ideas, did present considerable arguments for his positions. Earmarks are necessary for congressional business to get done and they are abused, but the President will have to let congress deal with those because he does not have a line-item veto. Presidents' agendas get overtaken by events (consider the Bush campaign of '00 and '04 who won as a "compassionate conservative" but became the progenitor of overarching executive power).

Watch online at www.youdecide2008.com.

Revisited

I listened again to the debate. The candidates did, at points, delve deeply into issues and explained the merits of their viewpoints and how they make decisions. It was regrettable, however, that political pandering and smearing were so prominent and sullied the stronger parts.

Letter to Gov. Sebelius regarding classist comments

Your comment, "John McCain has lived the American dream but he, somehow, doesn't feel it should be opened up to all Americans," was grossly unfair. Because he has disagreed on various fiscal policies as your party members have put forth and has married a woman who had wealth before they were married is no indication that he is maliciously holding others back. Classist rhetoric as a philosophy is one thing, but used to deride one's opponent is beneath the dignity of your office and corrosive in this political climate.

See comment here (around 12:30 into the broadcast). Note how she continues the jabs afterword. Rewind to around 10:30 to see McCain's comments to Katie Couric.

John McCain and the "Agents of Intolerance"

It was eight years ago -- February 28, 2008, precisely -- when then Presidential candidate John McCain delivered a searing speech before a crowd of Virginia voters critical of some in the Republican establishment, and he named names. Then-candidate McCain faced a governor from Texas and son of a previous President, George W. Bush. The Republican nomination had not been decided and many in the religious right had decided their candidate was Bush.

McCain had been embroiled in public attacks on his voting record, labeled as a closet liberal, or at best a renegade. His politics and voting record were contorted. He didn't fall in line with all of the talking points of the influential Republican stalwarts. He was the target of a determined and powerful machine of rhetoric and cronyism that would eventually land George W. Bush the party's nomination.

In the now-famous "Agents of Intolerance" speech, McCain drew a line in the sand and made a compelling argument for why he should be the candidate of the Republican party. He responded without apology to a smear campaign orchestrated by party supporters who backed Bush and held significant sway. Among these was Pat Robertson.

Robertson had joined a cacophony of religious leaders critical of McCain's choice as campaign chair a man who had warned of the party embracing closed-minded people who hold their personal values at the exclusion of others' liberties. Specifically, he pointed to those who took a stand against abortion, gay marriage, and indecent content in the media.

McCain fired back, pointing fingers and naming names of those who would buy a place at the table for their views and push their values on Americans. He identified Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Bob Jones University in particular. These were the stalwarts of "Family values" and represented a significant group of Republican voters.

McCain's speech further ostracized him as an outsider and out of touch with values voters. However, his speech was an omen of the then-disregarded trend in American politics away from an hyper-partisan race for money and influence and toward consensus of different-minded representatives. McCain called to the forefront the issues that made many Americans lose heart with the Republican party. A party that had been established upon particular principles of liberty and fairness had been identified with a particular block that did not represent a growing number of Americans in general.

Recently the now-favored McCain found it difficult to live up to his own speech. In a media malestorm he found himself seen as pandering to some of these, the newer breed of leaders in the Evangelical right. McCain recanted the support of John Hagee and Rod Parsley, both of whom had made comments associated with their interpretation of Scripture and culture that were construed as offensive and intolerant.

As the candidate of the party he has taken to mending bridges and developing camaraderie. These actions could be seen as laudable leadership or desperate pandering. A maverick finds it difficult to carry the weight of his fight as leader. He has made compromises and taken criticism. John McCain of 2008 is not running as he did in 2000, but he may surprise many in the general campaign if he returns to some of his old values and stands:

• protecting the sanctity of life
• providing for veterans' care
• preserving Social Security and Medicare
• inspiring public involvement in government
• instituting campaign finance reform
• rejecting empire building

Some Wounds Run Deep

Before you pass this up as another boring politics post, read on. This election promised to be historic. For the first time our country has presidential candidates from two demographics that are targets of discrimination. One is a woman, the other African-American. That is obvious just by looking at either of them.

We are challenged in our society to notice, but not judge others based on their gender or race. We are confronted when we even bring up some of the differences and distinctions, unless we value them. We even go so far as to specifically celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of people from different gender and race groups.

Despite tremendous changes in people's perceptions of women and African-Americans in society there still festers an underlying bitterness that divides us along gender and race lines. Women had to fight in this country to have the rights of men in the home, booth and workplace. African-Americans had to fight for the recognition as humans, to be free, to own and work, and to have access to things others enjoy. These fights were hard-fought and people were hurt in the conflict.

We still encounter the names, misperceptions, and inappropriate insenuations. Some people still carry those biases that were so long accepted. However, this is no longer the norm. It is unacceptable to discriminate or disenfranchise based on gender or race.

The 2008 Democratic nomination will prove historic. Among all of the potential candidates, a woman and a person of African decent became the contenders for the nomination. Today, though, we still have to acknowledge and address the resentment that leads people to slander and ostracize a woman and a black man based on those traits and the life experiences associated with them.

Because Ms. Ferraro brings up her candidacy and being chosen because she was woman, and because Rev. Wright preaches about conspiracies that reinforce his experiences our nation still has to heal. Because people are still judged -- whether implied or implicitly -- based on gender or race we still need to heal. Because people are willing to twist and exploit these experiences we need to heal.

P.S. Most of this was written before Mr. Obama's profound speech delivered this day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He expresses some of these sentiments, which shows their validity.

Mike Huckabee: strong on domestic issues

LITTLE ROCK, AR – Former Governor Mike Huckabee (AR) won the support of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) today. The IAM, for the first time in its 119 year history, endorsed candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.

Huckabee welcomed the IAM endorsement stating, "I’m proud to have the support of the workers who bring prosperity to America on a daily basis."

Huckabee spoke before over 700 members of the IAM in Orlando, Florida on Monday about jobs, globalization, health care, and other 21st century domestic issues. During his conversation with IAM workers, Huckabee stated, "In order for this country to be free, there are three things we must do: feed ourselves, fuel ourselves and fight for ourselves. That means we need to be manufacturing our own means of defense and making it a national security issue."

During his speech on Monday night, Huckabee outlined his program to improve the lives of working Americans, including his support of the Fair Tax. Under the Fair Tax, he said, "American companies are far less likely to move overseas and foreign companies are far more likely to come here, hiring Americans to build and work in their new plants."

Huckabee also said he believes in fair trade. "Free trade has to be fair trade. We are losing jobs because of an unlevel, unfair trading arena that has to be fixed. Behind the statistics, there are real families, real lives, and real pain. I'm running for President because I don't want people who have worked loyally for a company for 20 or 30 years to walk in one morning and be handed a pink slip and be told, ‘I'm sorry, but everything you spent your life working for is no longer here.’"

Huckabee received the historic endorsement this morning during the final day of IAM’s National Staff Conference. Shortly after receiving the news, Huckabee thanked President Tom Buffenbarger on a phone call : "I appreciate the unprecedented opportunity to participate in the IAM meeting this week and to receive this historic endorsement."