# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/121 "2008-09-27T01:48:06Z")
McCain must’ve decided to adopt the Bush Debate Strategy- “smirk your way to victory”. ---
**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, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/122 "2008-09-27T01:48:29Z")
Obama is nailing McCain extremely well on Iraq. Extremely well. ---
**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, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/123 "2008-09-27T01:49:04Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > What _is_ the difference between a tactic and a strategy? Serious question. A strategy is an overall goal. A tactic is something that you do to achieve your strategic goals. ---
**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, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/124 "2008-09-27T01:49:16Z")
Obama needs to throw out some numbers about the violence in Iraq. Violence is considerably down, but the last number I heard (last week on NPR) was that there are still 25 attacks every day. And what’s this “difference between tactics and strategy”? Lame. Like that’s something you only learn in boot camp. ---
**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, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/125 "2008-09-27T01:49:18Z")
> [@frank](#): > > obama is nailing mccain extremely well on iraq. Extremely well. I know! ---
**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, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/126 "2008-09-27T01:49:34Z")
I gather that a strategy is a more gestalt general approach to a problem and tactics are specific instances. Any bickering about someone using one word or the other in a particular sentence where there’s no confusion is just grandstanding. McCain’s making sure to give his spin doctors something to scream about. Oh, Obama doesn’t even know the difference between… what was it? A taxi and a tragedy? Something like that! ---
**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, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/127 "2008-09-27T01:49:37Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > McCain must’ve decided to adopt the Bush Debate Strategy- “smirk your way to victory”. Ha! I was just thinking that. He is constantly doing that while Obama speaks; you can even see it on the 3/4 view. ---
**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, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/128 "2008-09-27T01:50:07Z")
Obama is actually mopping the floor with McCain on foreign policy. Holy otherfooted shoe, Batman! ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/129 "2008-09-27T01:50:30Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > A strategy is an overall goal. A tactic is something that you do to achieve your strategic goals. then i think it’s MCain who does not understand the difference. The surge is a tactic to achieve the strategic goal of a stable iraq, i am right? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/130 "2008-09-27T01:50:39Z")
Edit: Ah, cock it, beaten to the punch by like seventeen people. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/131 "2008-09-27T01:51:17Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > A strategy is an overall goal. A tactic is something that you do to achieve your strategic goals. Thanks–I figured someone who knew specific military jargon would be able to explain that one to me. I always thought the terms were interchangeable. ---
**Author:** ![Claptree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Claptree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claptree)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/132 "2008-09-27T01:51:21Z")
Sweet! The Iraq problem has been solved! Why the fuck didn’t Bush have these two guys debate 4 years ago? ---
**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, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/133 "2008-09-27T01:51:49Z")
> [@Dead\_Badger](#): > > I didn’t say it was. But he’s proving very difficult to listen to - purely as a matter of delivery, it _appears_ defensive. > > Neither of them is providing much content that isn’t vacuous at the moment. Appearance is pretty much the only distinction, and Obama is, in my view, losing. Oh brother. ---
**Author:** ![DarkPrince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DarkPrince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkPrince)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/134 "2008-09-27T01:52:01Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Obama is actually mopping the floor with McCain on foreign policy. Holy otherfooted shoe, Batman! He is on the actual points themselves. Unfortunately, as others have said above, he’s appearing defensive while he makes said points which is what I believe people will remember. I’m afraid that the smarmy confidence coming from McCain will be what people remember. ---
**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, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/135 "2008-09-27T01:52:45Z")
_And that is a strategic mistake._ Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/136 "2008-09-27T01:53:24Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > Oh brother. Oh, shove it. Jesus. Are you honestly going to tell me you’re learning anything from this? ---
**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, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/137 "2008-09-27T01:54:12Z")
Where are you getting this “appearing defensive” from? If I wanted to read a bunch of unsupported content-free claims that Obama is losing, I’d go to [GOPboards.com](http://GOPboards.com) ---
**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, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/138 "2008-09-27T01:54:22Z")
Is saying something out loud bad? Would it be ok if he whispered it? ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/139 "2008-09-27T01:54:25Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > _And that is a strategic mistake._ > > Nice. Yeah, that was a good comeback. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357/140 "2008-09-27T01:55:17Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Ha! I was just thinking that. He is constantly doing that while Obama speaks; you can even see it on the 3/4 view. Not so much a smirk as a leering rictus of distress. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/september-26-the-first-obama-mccain-debate/465357.md?page=8)