Debate Breakdown – What really happened

Summary

As usual, I believe the overall winner of this third and final debate was Barack Obama. The main reason being that he never strayed from issues, and as a result of that, McCain’s “side-step” answers were, well, just wiped right off the field.

It seems as if the topic of the debate was “Joe the Plumber”, who was portrayed by John McCain as a hard-working American, who would like to purchase the company he works for, but would not be able to because of Barack Obama’s tax plan. First of all, Joe Wurzelbacher would not be affected negatively (or possibly at all) by Obama’s tax policies, because the business he wants to buy (and himself) makes less than $250,000 a year, thus not being touched by the plan. Second of all, Mr. Plumber here isn’t a licensed plumber! This just goes to show how incredibly false McCain can be, and all to attack Obama.

Here’s a copy of my live debate coverage from Wednesday:

8:01
Hi everyone. Thanks for coming to watch my live coverage of the final presidential debate!
8:02
Okay, we’re off to a start..
8:04
Thoughts and prayers for Nancy Reagan, hospitalized tonight.
8:05
McCain: Take 300 billion dollars, go in, and buy those abandoned homes.
8:06
New financial plan is “a good first step” – Obama
8:07
Take tax breaks from outsourcing companies and provide tax credit to middle class. – Obama
8:09
McCain: A plumber named Joe was trying to realize the American dream, and when he saw Obama’s tax plan he was disheartened.
8:10
Obama: I will provide a tax cut for 95% of working Americans. NOT A PENNY for corporations or big oil.
8:10
“I wanna give them a tax break now” – Obama
8:11
Okay, so now ‘Joe the Plumber’ is the topic of the debate.. wow.
8:12
Obama: My friend Warren Buffet, for example, can afford to pay a little more to provide a tax break for working families.
8:13
McCain: Business tax rate is 35%, Ireland’s is 11% (true or false?). We need to make it easier for businesses, not spread the wealth around.
8:14
[Note: Actual quotes will have quotation marks, and please excuse any mistakes made while quoting]
8:16
Obama: Medicare’s a giveaway. Its not improving senior’s lives. I will go through the budget, page by page, and eliminate lines or improve it.
8:18
McCain: When we become energy independent, we’ll create millions of jobs. Government debt has gone completely out of control.
8:18
“I opposed subsidies for ethanol” – McCain
8:18
“I saved taxpayers 6 billion dollars” – McCain
8:19
Here we go, the first pork-barrel ear-mark spending quote, and from McCain.
8:20
Obama: Earmarks are one of the centerpieces of his [McCain's] campaign.
8:21
“Sen. McCain voted for 4 out of 5 of Bush’s budgets” – Obama
8:22
“I’m gonna give a new direction to this country and economy.” – McCain

Yeah, but what direction?
8:22
McCain: I can balance these budgets. Americans are hurtin’ tonight.
8:23
McCain calls for federal spending freeze AND to buy out mortgages..
8:24
Obama: McCain has claimed that I will raise taxes for anyone making over 40,000 dollars a year. Even FOX disputes that.
8:25
Obama: Essentially what you’re proposing is eight more years of the same thing.
8:25
Quick observation: McCain is getting defensive!
8:27
Bob Schieffer: Both of you have pledged to take ‘the high road’ in this campaign.

Schieffer goes on with words and ads used by both campaigns and asks if they’re willing to say these things to each other, face to face.
8:29
McCain: Obama lied about accepting public financing.
8:29
“John, 100% of your ads have been negative” – Obama
8:32
Is it just me, or is Barack’s hair getting grayer?
8:34
Yes! Obama slams McCain for rally death threats.

For those who are not aware, last week people at McCain/Palin rallies were heard saying “Kill him” “off with his head” and “terrorist”
8:34
“When people suggest I’m palling around with terrorists, that’s not talking about issues” – Obama
8:35
“He’s having a temper tantrum” – Anonymous
8:36
“What we can’t do, is try and characterize each other as bad people” – Obama
8:37
Did McCain just accuse Obama of voter fraud? Hrmm.
8:37
“Mr. Ayers has become the centerpiece of their campaign these past weeks.” – Obama
8:38
FINALLY! Obama corrects rumors of former Weatherman Bill Ayers and his association with him.
8:40
“Let me tell you who I associate with, Joe Biden, Warren Buffet, [...]. Those are the people I associate with.” – Obama
8:41
BREAKING NEWS: McCain is slamming Obama for being associated with Acorn when McCain was the keynote addresser for them in 2006
8:42
“His [Joe Biden] consitant pattern throughout the years is to fight for the little guy” – Obama
8:43
Obama: We need to re-prioritize. Biden knows what’s most important for working families.
8:44
McCain: Sarah Palin is a reformist.
8:44
“She’s a reformer, through and through” – McCain
8:45
Okay, is cronyism a real word?
8:46
Bob Schieffer: Do you think she’s qualified to be president?

Interesting, here, as Schieffer doesn’t say vice-president, but instead says president…
8:46
NEWS FLASH: Sarah Palin has been referring to the campaign as the Palin McCain ticket. DOUBLE NEWS FLASH: She’s a running-mate, not a candidate.
8:48
I just learned something. We’re importing more than 60% percent of oil. I thought it’d be more.
8:50
McCain is getting angrier. For example, he just made the mistake of saying “nuclear pants”. That’d be cool. Nuclear pants, genius.
8:50
Obama: We use 25% of the world’s oil in America.
8:52
“We invented the auto industry” – Obama

That’s a pretty interesting statement, considering we’ve fallen so behind today.
8:52

8:52
Sorry, for those who are offended by that image :D.
8:54
McCain: Senator Obama has never been south of the border.
8:56
Obama: We have to hold auto makers responsible for not making fuel efficient cars, because very much of our energy is used on transportation.
8:57
Here’s another strange new word. McCain just said “fark” Or did he? I don’t know, but that doesn’t sound right.
8:57
McCain just compared Obama to Herbert Hoover.
8:59
If you have health insurance, you don’t have to do anything. The only thing we’re gonna try to do is lower costs so those savings can be passed on to you. – Obama
9:01
Hey Joe, if you’re out there and you can hear me, could you tell me if you’re actually friends with John McCain?
9:01
McCain: We need to put health records online.

LET’S START WITH YOURS! The only time anyone has seen your health records, McCain, is when you let a couple of reporters in to see them for a couple of hours, with no cameras or anything. Dude!
9:02
Obama responding to smear from McCain about not supporting ‘Joe the Plumber’: Here’s the fine you’ll get, Joe. 0, that’s your fine.
9:04
McCain is so incredibly smug, its not even funny any more.
9:06
Wow, did McCain have a stroke? He seems unable to talk.
9:07
A reference to gold-plated Cadillacs in a presidential debate sounds somewhat out-of-place.

Then again, many things said in this election sound out of place.
9:08
Quick note: Rother is not a word, McCain
9:09
Congratulations, McCain, you have officially won the title of Grandpa by every left-wing pundit.
9:10
Q & A: What’s a litmus test?
9:11
Obama on abortion: Women with their family and religious advisors can make the best decision on this subject.
9:12
“The court has to stand up if nobody else will” – Obama
9:12
“We need to change American culture” – McCain
9:14
McCain is now claiming that Obama voted against rights of immediate health-attention for failed-abortion childs. Why on earth would ANYONE vote against that?
9:15
NEWS FLASH: In Illinois there is already a law requiring life-saving treatments for failed abortions. Obama is the senator of Illinois.
9:16
“There surely is some common ground” – Obama

I thought that was a kind of refreshing comment by Sen. Obama.
9:16
“Nobody’s pro-abortion. Its always a tragic situation.” – Obama
9:18
Schieffer: We spend the most money on education in the world, yet our students trail in almost every subject compared to most countries.
9:20
“Turn off the TV and put away the video games” – Obama, when talking about parent’s responsibility over students.
9:21
Obama has an interesting idea:

Four thousand dollar credit for college students in turn for some form of community service.
9:21
“We must improve education in this country” – McCain
9:22
Obama: Federal government needs to step up and help local school districts with funding.
9:22
But, Obama continues, they never followed through with funding.
9:23
“I think Obama’s kicking butt” – Anonymous
9:24
“We can’t give money to every interest group that comes along” – Obama
9:24
“Somebody’s gotta pay for it!” – Obama
9:26
“How do you reform without spending money?” – Anonymous
9:26
“I’m not going to continue throwing money at a problem” – McCain
9:28
“I think we’ve had a very healthy discussion” – McCain
9:29
McCain: We cannot be satisfied with the last eight years.

Well, sorry bud, but you’re someone who contributed to the unsatisfactory side of the last eight years. You slam Bush when you actually mimic his policies.
9:30

Barack Obama and Joe Biden: The Change We Need | Policy Issues
Here’s the link to all of Obama’s policy information.
9:31
“And that’s why I’m sure our brighter days are still ahead” – Obama

Wow, what an optimistic statement.
9:32
And that’s it! The debate was closed with a quote from Schieffer’s mother, “Go vote now, it’ll make you feel big and strong”

9:33
Thank you all for reading, now get out and vote!