# It's the official last Presidential Debate thread! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001 "2008-10-15T03:20:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/381 "2008-10-16T03:14:09Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > I disagree. Obama let McCain attack, but I don’t think he responded enough. Yes, they were bullshit debunked attacks, but so what? Obama let them go instead of dealing with them. > > Almost Kerry-esque. Kerry wasn’t a mile ahead in the polls. Obama is in “Dead girl, live boy” territory, or close to it; he needs to keep playing safe hands and just not blow it. I expected a prevent defense and that’s precisely what he was doing. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/382 "2008-10-16T03:14:43Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > He dealt with them when needed to, but he was presidential in being able to move on to topics that mainstream voters actually care about. > > The more I think about it, the worse I think of McCain’s performance. The worst of the three to undecideds and moderates, I’m betting. Hey, I’ll be totally happy to be wrong. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/383 "2008-10-16T03:15:05Z")
> [@vison](#): > > Mr. Obama was presented with several gold-plated opportunities to attack Mr. McCain and he refrained. Instead, he calmly, rationally, and presidentially spoke about policies and plans - and Mr. McCain’s eyeballs looked about to blow out of his head. I quite agree. McCain didn’t have any new substance behind the attacks. Obama was wise to move on to stuff people are actually concerned with. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/384 "2008-10-16T03:15:40Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > I don’t think McCain confused Down Syndrome and Autism. I think it was a deliberate tactic to appeal to more voters. I believe Autism and its related disorders affects more children than Down Syndrome. Since the number of diagnosis have been increasing, it certainly is ‘scarier’. But what does that have to do with Sarah Palin’s expertise on autism? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/385 "2008-10-16T03:16:01Z")
the cnn panel agreed that mccain was strong in the first 30 minutes, then slid down, and obama was strong on the rest. i can see where mccain will be saying, “i told you i’d fight 'em, heh! heh!” " i took it to 'em! heh! heh!" hey! olbermann just gave mccain props on his bush quip! did a cold wind gust knock some fires out in a really hot place? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/386 "2008-10-16T03:17:23Z")
According to MSNBC, FOX won’t release numbers but they are saying they are showing a clear advantage to Obama. This is the station that had the last presidential debate going 86% to McCain. Really. McCain was not that bad. Sure, I agree with Obama-- I’m a bleeding heart pinko commie. I cannot believe these prelim numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/387 "2008-10-16T03:17:49Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > Go McCain! The people who show up at your rallies the BEST Americans. Somebody ought to intercut that with scenes of the [behavior](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKUovpF9LWU) John is so proud of. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/388 "2008-10-16T03:18:04Z")
> [@Qwisp](#): > > Did anyone else hear John McCain snort at the end of the debate when he was laughing at one of his own “jokes”? Yeah, I heard that. I want a sound sample of it to use in my next opera. 😛 Pathetic, McCain! Honestly, I thought he’d be better than this. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/389 "2008-10-16T03:18:23Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > But what does that have to do with Sarah Palin’s expertise on autism? Nothing at all. it was pandering and fear-mongering, typical tactic of the far right. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/390 "2008-10-16T03:19:18Z")
I do feel for McCain in one way. Barack Obama would be _infuriating_. People who stay cool no matter what make me want to strangle them. I know it’s petty, but he’d drive me mad. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/391 "2008-10-16T03:19:52Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > But what does that have to do with Sarah Palin’s expertise on autism? It matches her “expertise” in all the other areas of public life. I guess that conservatives think that the love of a good, christian woman is enough for an entire country. McCain did say he liked (or thought well of) Todd Palin–if I were Obama’s campaign, I’d run with that (they don’t have to, but I hate to see the hypocrisy allowed). ---
**Author:** ![Qwisp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qwisp/32/397_2.png) [@Qwisp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwisp)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/392 "2008-10-16T03:19:52Z")
Another thing, I don’t think Palin really has any idea what taking care of a special needs child entails. Her son is still an infant. As the mother of a special needs child, infancy is not hard. It is not until they get older when you really feel the brunt of what it means to take care of a special need child. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/393 "2008-10-16T03:20:41Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Really. McCain was not that bad. Sure, I agree with Obama-- I’m a bleeding heart pinko commie. I cannot believe these prelim numbers. I don’t know what to say about the numbers, but I really think McCain was indeed “that bad.” He was awful. He needed something new to connect to voters, and some more substance to his attacks on Obama, if he wanted to take him down a notch. He had neither. He had attacks on the planetarium again instead. Horrible. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/394 "2008-10-16T03:21:32Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I do feel for McCain in one way. Barack Obama would be _infuriating_. People who stay cool no matter what make me want to strangle them. I know it’s petty, but he’d drive me mad. yes, but personal life is a different thing all together. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/395 "2008-10-16T03:21:43Z")
CNN Poll: In this debate, who was more likeable? Obama: 70% McCain: 22% Obama needed to play this one to a draw. He failed to do that by kicking the shit out of McCain, helped out by McCain trotting out the old Grumpy McNasty bit. The only people who want to see that shit are the people who shout out “Kill him!” at political rallies. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/396 "2008-10-16T03:22:02Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > It matches her “expertise” in all the other areas of public life. Bingo. Our standards for expertise aren’t quite that low, Senator! ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/397 "2008-10-16T03:22:45Z")
No kidding, what kind of prick attacks a friggin’ planetarium? That’s a non-starter and a bad move… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/398 "2008-10-16T03:23:22Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > yes, but personal life is a different thing all together. 🙂 My husband has some of that ability and GRRRR! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/399 "2008-10-16T03:23:34Z")
> [@ladyfoxfyre](#): > > Just say no. No, she’s not qualified. Personally, I’d have said something about the American people making that judgment “…as they get to know her through the talk-show and press-conference circuit…” – avoiding any overt attack while subtly calling attention to her attempt to hide from public scrutiny. Missed opportunity, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001/400 "2008-10-16T03:25:13Z")
[MediaCurves](http://mediacurves.com/) poll has independents going for Obama 60-30. So, I think we’re going to be looking at another sweep of the snap polls. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-the-official-last-presidential-debate-thread/468001.md?page=21)