# September 26 - The First Obama-McCain Debate **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 26, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357 "2008-09-26T16:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/81 "2008-09-27T01:27:40Z")
I wish Obama had responded to the repeated attacks about his earmarks. I think it doesn’t reflect well that he ignored it. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/82 "2008-09-27T01:28:28Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Lehrer. If only Tim was here to moderate a debate. Ah, my mistake. Were I a mod, I’d have warned 'em both by now. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/83 "2008-09-27T01:30:11Z")
Obama punted when asked which spending priority he would postpone or cut as a reaction to the economic shortfall ☹ Hmm, McCain isn’t doing any better… I will cut spending, we must cut spending… no specifics! ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/84 "2008-09-27T01:32:07Z")
> [@Auntbeast](#): > > I wish Obama had responded to the repeated attacks about his earmarks. I think it doesn’t reflect well that he ignored it. I don’t think he ignored it, but he didn’t adequately address it. I think he has a blind spot to soundbites. He knows what earmarks are and he knows McCain knows what they are, and he forgets he’s supposed to be talking to a bunch of idiots. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/85 "2008-09-27T01:32:26Z")
Where is McCain’s american flag pin ? Obviously he loses. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/86 "2008-09-27T01:33:34Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Obama punted when asked which spending priority he would postpone or cut as a reaction to the economic shortfall ☹ It’s a little early to tell, though - we don’t know how much the bailout will cost. But, yeah, he’s fumbling this one. ---
**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:** [September 27, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/87 "2008-09-27T01:35:03Z")
Is it against the rules for Obama to mention McCain’s running mate made his own list of earmark hogs? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/88 "2008-09-27T01:35:24Z")
Arizona doesn’t get earmarks? I was waiting for Obama to counter McCain, but if he did, he didn’t do it the way I thought he would. Ethanol subsidies – did we know McCain wants to stop these? He might just have lost some votes in the Midwest with that. I think they’re both doing pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/89 "2008-09-27T01:35:35Z")
I think McCain just slipped up with “uh . . . spending freeze?” and then “we send $XXX bn a year to countries that don’t like us very much.” ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/90 "2008-09-27T01:35:51Z")
Wait… he went to punt it and then he fumbled? Who recovered the ball? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/91 "2008-09-27T01:36:07Z")
did McCain just say that we are funding terrorists that hate us? “We give $700B a year to other countries, some of whom don’t like us, and some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorists…” WTF? did he just accuse the US Gov’t of sponsoring terrorism against ourselves? (however inadvertently) ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/92 "2008-09-27T01:36:40Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Is it against the rules for Obama to mention McCain’s running mate made his own list of earmark hogs? I think it’s an excellent idea to not bring up Palin unless McCain does. He’s not running against Palin. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/93 "2008-09-27T01:36:56Z")
I’m not sure what Lehrer wants to hear that he’s not hearing. That it will be total chaos and poverty from shore to shore? That the president will mostly hole up in his bunker? What? ---
**Author:** ![Hank\_Beecher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hank_beecher/32/7275_2.png) [@Hank\_Beecher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hank_Beecher)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/94 "2008-09-27T01:37:30Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > did McCain just say that we are funding terrorists that hate us? > > “We give $700B a year to other countries, some of whom don’t like us, and some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorists…” > > WTF? did he just accuse the US Gov’t of sponsoring terrorism against ourselves? (however inadvertently) Wasn’t he talking about oil imports? ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/95 "2008-09-27T01:38:09Z")
Did Obama just say orgy? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/96 "2008-09-27T01:38:10Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > did McCain just say that we are funding terrorists that hate us? > > “We give $700B a year to other countries, some of whom don’t like us, and some of that money ends up in the hands of terrorists…” > > WTF? did he just accuse the US Gov’t of sponsoring terrorism against ourselves? (however inadvertently) No, he was referring to the fact that we spend a fortune on foreign oil. What he said is not a new assertion. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/97 "2008-09-27T01:38:40Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Well, that’s one thing you don’t have to raise your arms above your head to do. Presumably Cindy is another. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/98 "2008-09-27T01:39:11Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I think it’s an excellent idea to not bring up Palin unless McCain does. He’s not running against Palin. Of course, he _does_ keep bringing up Miss Congeniality. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/99 "2008-09-27T01:39:12Z")
He said “MAVERICK”!! drink up! ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/100 "2008-09-27T01:39:17Z")
McCain, you should stop it with the Miss Congeniality thing. It keeps making me think you won second prize in a beauty contest. Collect $10. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357.md?page=6)