Was McCain disrepectful last night?
By medney1988
@medney1988 (560)
United States
September 27, 2008 6:38pm CST
So some of you may know that I was originally voting for mccain and then i saw the light and i'm now voting for obama. i have to say that if i hadn't changed my mind last night would have done it for me. before you guys go and get all huffy about the debate i want you to think about something. everytime mccain was speaking if obama wasn't looking at his notes he was looking at mccain and giving him respect while he talked. when obama would speak mccain wouldn't even look at him. not only that but there were times that obama was speaking directly to mccain and he wouldn't even look at him then. i find this disrepectful on so many levels. i for one believe that obama won the debate last night.
now i will say there were times that both candidates misrepresented the facts but i feel like mccain outright lied where obama just stretched the truth a little bit. if you don't agree then check out factcheck.org.
tell me what you think...do you think mccain was disrespectful?? this is nt meant to be an argument so if you don't have anything nice to say respond to someone elses post!
7 people like this
20 responses
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I also notice that. I was John McCain's way of saying that Barack Obama isn't on his level. But it may have backfired. Many people feel that is was very disrespectful.
I believe it shows that John McCain believes that he is entitled to become the next President of the United States regardless of his position on the issues.
I'm glad Barack Obama showed some class and showed John McCain some respect even if John McCain felt it wasn't necessary to return it.
I also noticed McCain's childlike facial smerks when Barack Obama discussed John McCain's support of George Bush's failed military and economic policies.
Lloyd
4 people like this
@starr4all (2863)
•
28 Sep 08
I hope you do realize that the troops can't just come home? Right? If you start pulling troops now it will cost more lives. It takes months to tear down sites and get people safely out of there. And yes, I do know what I'm talking about. I was in the military and was around for sites to be closed and relocated. You can't just pull them out all at once.
1 person likes this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
28 Sep 08
"I hope you do realize that the troops can't just come home? Right?"
I disagree. The Iraqui troops have had over 6 years of training. We've spent countless dollars equiping them and training them.
It's time for them to take control of their own country and allow our troops to come home.
It's not fair to our troops to serve tour after tour after tour, while the Iraqui troops pussyfoot around.
This is a failed war and we need to bring our troops home now. No more extentions.
No more wasting of American taxpayer revenue.
We can't stay there indefinately.
Lloyd
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
yup. i'm sorry but this whole war thing is out of control. i mean mccains whole argument for keeping troops in iraq was the we can't come home defeated. HELLO!!! we need to come home or more people are going to die. also this all started with afghanistan so why are we in iraq?
3 people like this
@ms1323 (259)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I completely agree! Even my children, who are 8, 3 & 2 know that when someone is speaking to you, you look them in the eyes - or at the very least in their general vicinity! Goodness gracious his behavior was ridiculous. His actions left me with the impression that he felt he was superior to Obama and, therefore, did not need to give him the BASIC COMMON COURTESY of meeting his eyes. If that is how he treats someone of Obama's caliber how on earth will he treat the general American public?
McCain did not have my vote before the debate and he certainly did nothing to earn it after...his superiority complex came out much stronger than his desire to win over middle America.
4 people like this
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
thanks for the response and i'm glad i'm not the only one who thinks that. my mom is white and i'm black. she was so mad that all she could say is that if obama were white mccain wouldn't have acted like that. i'm not willing to go there because i don't know mccain but regardless it was disrespectful regardless of color.
2 people like this
@ms1323 (259)
• United States
28 Sep 08
Yeah, I don't know about that but he could certainly learn how to speak to people better - and I mean person to person - not his speaking ability. My feeling is that he is arrogant, inflexible and at the very least, class racisit. Does he come from a priveledged background or did he get there and outgrow himself?
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I watched the debates last night and I got the impression from McCain that people should be happy he was there. I am an Obama supporter, but have always kept my mind open. I thought McCains smiles and smirks were condescending and sometimes downright creepy. My 13 year old even noticed that almost every response he gave had some sort of military story attached to it. After watching it I was even more proud that next weekend I will host a "Calls For Change" party for Senator Obama supporters.
2 people like this
@lloydanthony111 (4698)
• United States
28 Sep 08
We were watching the debates at work. Everyone there thought the same thing. His smiles and smirks were condescending and sometimes downright creepy.
And I got sick of hearing him speak of wars and rumors of wars. It's the only thing he knows.
He doesn't realize that we are tired of talking about killing people.
We should finish the job in Afghanistan and bring our troops home.
Let Iraq take care of their own problems. They are sitting on nearly 80 billion dollars of oil profits that they won't spend on their own country.
I sick of it and the majority of Americans are sick of it too.
Lloyd
3 people like this
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I also wanted to make this point, while watching the debate McCain was all about the success of the surge. And I am glad the surge worked, but I think the point that kept getting lost was that we never wou;d've had to have had "the surge" to begin with if we would've kept our priorities straight and worried about the real root of the problem instead of getting sidetracked by Iraq, who was never really a threat! That was my only problem with Obama's performance, I think he should've drove that point home a little harder than he did.
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
that's great!! i'm really hoping obama will win...heck i'm praying he'll win
2 people like this
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I thought that McCain was being very disrespectful last night. You are right he would not even look at Obama when he was talking directly to him. Irregardless of who told more of the truth last night the way McCain acted made him look even worse than he already did.
3 people like this
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
thanks!! mccain already looked bad by breaking his promise not to attend the debates until the bailout plan was finalized!
1 person likes this
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I would say that McCain was odd last night...
That snickering to himself and looking away when Obama was speaking and even when the announcer was speaking had me wondering if perhaps he had someone who was off stage talking to him and joking with him...
It did seem like a childish thing to do otherwise.
His patronizing tone was what got to me more than the lack of eye-contact, that "Obama just does not understand..."
And everytime it seemed that Obama understood quite well.
It was just that they had a different perspective.
I must admit that I found McCain to be in some areas rather good and in other areas rather offensive in the way that he approached this debate.
There was one anouncer who, I think, got it right... He said it was a debate between a sherriff and a college professor...
Now the question that people will be asking is which do you like better?
As for me, I think that the low key ways of Obama, are a better fit for the presidency than the fire and flash of temperment and impulse that seems to be McCain.
2 people like this
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I am in agreement with you on that...
I am getting very tired of fear being used to manipulate us into giving up our rights and liberties and into giving the President of the United States and the Vice President more and more power...
and in the long run, to make us more the slaves of corporations, and the consumers of products which we cannot afford than the free and productive people we deserve to be.
I look forward to having a leader who governs with more openess and who collaborates with people rather than trying to oppress them.
I respect his desire to include people and to help people vote in the election who otherwise might not get a chance to vote...
https://www.voteforchange.com/
which runs contrary to the Republican strategy of culling voter registration logs and doing other things to prevent Democrats, low income people and people of color from voting.
I, a white American female over fourty, much prefer inclusion to exclusion and much prefer having people talk things out rather than having gunfights at the OK Corral.
2 people like this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I thought it was odd that McCain wouldn't make eye contact with Obama, or even turn toward him. I noticed that Obama looked at McCain while McCain was speaking and he looked at Jim every time he spoke. It just seemed like a respect thing I mean I have children and I have tried to teach them to look at people while they are speaking to them. I have been an Obama supporter since Hillary dropped out but since he wasn't my first choice I have tried to keep an open mind but, McCain has just let me down throughout this election cycle. In my opinion there is a difference in stretching the truth and bold face lying. Just curious since you said you were a McCain supporter, are you a Republican or Independent? I'm an Independent.
2 people like this
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
i WAS a mccain supporter. i started having doubts a few months ago and after he picked palin i reevaluated my decision and read the facts. GO OBAMA!!!
3 people like this
@Lee_Rites (845)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I never actually supported McCain. However, I do believe that by choosing Palin, he fell short on the biggest decision he had to make as a Presidential candidate.
@BellasmamaTiff (2544)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I agree with that assessment cuz mccain knows obama is being truthful and he did not want to be truthful. Im sorry but republicans have been lying for the last eight years and they will continue to lie. I really havent seen anything that they have done that has helped this country
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
thanks for the response...both parties have their problems. but i think that voting someone in office that voted 90 percent of the time with bush is a big mistake.
@sid556 (30959)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I actually was working and missed the debate & haven't read the paper yet...worked lots of hours tonite as well. I really am not big on either candidate but I will say that Sarah Palin is a big turn off. I need to catch up on all I missed but Mccain has been caught in some out & out lies and reminds me a bit too much of Bush but maybe a bit smoother with his words which is scary. I like how Obama presents himself. That whole thing with his minister did sketch me out and I've tried to understand & not judge him because of that...just didn't leave me with a good feeling. I do not what your're saying here. Given the fact that we have so little to choose from....I do think it is going to sway in Obama's direction.
1 person likes this
@taface412 (3175)
• United States
28 Sep 08
there were several times that McCain counter what Obama had said. For example talking about the earmarks money. and in terms of the fact Obama wants the troops back in Afghanistan and McCain pointed out it is not as simple as pulling them off one front to put them on another without problems.
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
28 Sep 08
Sorry, but Obama has lied just the same as McCain has. Stretching the truth is the same thing as lying.
I can't comment on the debate because I only watched a few minutes. In the few minutes I did watch I saw Obama pointing at McCain and basically said "He did it. It's his and the Republicans fault."
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/the_whoppers_of_2008.html
It is funny that you say you've seen the light. Here's another that has seen the light in a different way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxhYampIl7A
1 person likes this
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
before you say anything you need to watch the deabtes. i know there were some things that obama said that weren't as true as i would have like them to be. but in the end he was far better than mccain. mccain lied so much i wondered how he kept up with all of it. obama said a few things here and there that weren't completely true but mccain was far worse.
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8687)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I'm not voting against Obama, I'm voting against the party. Obama just happens to be a part of that party.
Until the democratic party gets a brain and learns the lessons that they sadly didn't get when they lost power before, I'm steering clear of them. The same way I steered clear of the republicans when they didn't get it. Will any of them ever get it? I have my doubts, but it is clear that what the Democrats have done isn't working.
1 person likes this
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
that doesn't make sense to me. i nderstand if you don't like the party but obama is obama. just because some of his party can't get it right doesn't mean he can't. that's like saying you won't eat an orange because you don't think that citrus has enough vitamin c in it. you have to look at the candidate.
2 people like this
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I listened to it on the radio but I can tell you one thing--its unprofessional and makes McCain look like the lesser man who cannot rise up to the occasion letting go of his own bias. From clips I've saw it seem Obama had no problem doing this and held out calm and collected (and yes, i could see how annoying obama was by mccain putting words in his mouth) for the most part. "Obama just doesn't get it", that remark by McCain held so much tension in it and I wonder if it actually hurt him. I also wonder if McCain's body language got the best part of him and maybe he didn't even notice he wasn't giving Obama his full attention--not to look at Obama that way speaks to me that he would rather Obama fall off the face of the earth and Im sorry McCain your enemies will not just do that either. im hinting at McCain's belief that we should ignore our enemies as a punishment.
@revellanotvanella (4033)
• United States
28 Sep 08
--"annoyed" (Obama was by McCain putting words in his mouth)
@taface412 (3175)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I saw McCain taking notes as Obama spoke for his rebuttals, a basic debate tactic. I also say McCain watching the moderator as did Obama.
Look Obama is a smooth talker....of course if you look at the actions he made throughout the speech soley as a debate winner...okay, but I heard Obama agreeing alot with McCain as in him saying "Mccain is right." And also several times the moderator had told BOTH Obama and McCain to speak to each other. Not just McCain.
I did not see this as disrespectful. I just wanted to hear their words on the issues
@zhuuraan (961)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I think they're both lying idiots, , as are all politicians, but at least McCain doesn't lie about his background and produce false documents like Obama. He shouldn't even be a candidate as one of the requirements is being born in this country, which Obama was NOT!
@medney1988 (560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
i'm going to refrain from saying what i really want to say because then my thread would get deleted and i would lose money.
obama was born in hawaii....which 1 of the 50 states. i'm not sure what school you attended but i'm sure once obama is elected he'll find funding to make sure future kids don't grow up with the same lack of education you did.
BTW did you know that mccain will freeze spending for one year if he's elected?? that means no money for education. which more kids turn out like you.....SCARY!
@2minicoopers (239)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I'm surprised that you think McCain was disrespectful I was totally shocked by the mistreatment and arrogance that Obama portrayed. The smirks, calling him "John" McCain never did that to Obama it was always "Senator Obama" the "I as president of the United States" acting as though he was already claiming his position and was already elected. That right there is enough to make me re-think voting for Obama.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
28 Sep 08
He certainly was disrespectful and condescending, not to mention he looked like he was about to lose his cool at any moment several times. He acted very immaturely and very much like someone who was being forced to be in the same room with someone he considers way beneath him. I've been told since I was very young that it's very important to be able to look someone in the eye when you're talking to him or her or you don't come across as honest. If you have nothing to hide and truly believe in what you're saying, why wouldn't you be able to even look towards them at all? I thought Obama did a very good job and showed a great deal of class. He's exactly what this country needs to restore the good will and respect we once had from the rest of the world. We've had eight miserable years of stubborn arrogance so I can't imagine how anyone would want to continue that trend.
Annie
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
28 Sep 08
I do not feel that McCain was disrespectful, and I most certainly do not think that there was any one clear "winner" of the debate. Both candidates brought up some very good points and gave us a little more insight into where they're coming from on certain issues.
I did, however, feel that Obama was disrespectful - or in the very least, showed poor manners - in that he continuously interrupted both McCain and the commentator.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
28 Sep 08
We saw two different debates, I guess. What I saw was this:
1) Obama called McCain "John" most of the time and "Tom" one time. McCain called Obama "Senator Obama". Which one showed respect?
2) Obama was rude, he smirked, he showed anger at almost everything McCain said. He wagged his finger at the moderator while McCain was talking. Obama had no respect whatsoever for the man who is older and wiser.
Obama knows nothing about foreign policy and that certainly showed in this debate.
But the disrespect and anger he showed worried me for this reason. If he actually gets into the White House, will he also treat foreign leaders that way? We won't know, will we? He could surely start WWIII with disrespect like he showed for McCain.
Personally, I did not see Obama face McCain at all. Neither one wanted to address the other until the moderator insisted upon it.
@jimssaftytips (507)
•
28 Sep 08
he was disrespective cuz he couldnt look at his opponent when his opponent showed him the courtousy of looking at him. Cuz he doesnt like to be truthful.
@4magoo (396)
•
28 Sep 08
I agree 100%. He was very very disrespectful. Besides his refusal to look at him, he also kept using the words "you just don't get it." I kept whish that Obama would come back with something like, "no - senator - you don't get it." Problem was nice about it than I would have been.
