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Last update - 13:58 08/10/2008
ANALYSIS / Thank goodness for McCain and Obama support on Iran
By Benjamin L. Hartman
Tags: John McCain, Israel News 

Needing a dominating performance to close a widening gap with Barack Obama in the polls, John McCain turned in a weak and at times disrespectful performance at Tuesday's presidential debate that should only see his campaign drop further behind, and could raise more questions about the Republican candidate's temperament and fitness to lead.

Thankfully for both candidates, and the Jewish people, they both said they would support Israel against an Iranian attack, with McCain saying - again - that the United States would not let a second Holocaust happen.
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The past week saw both campaigns take the gloves off and resurrect the "ghosts of questionable friends past" William Ayers, Reverend Wright, and Charles Keating, leading many to predict that sparks would fly at Belmont University in Nashville. Though the guilt by association smears that had typified the last week were not on display, the mood was far more personal than the last debate, and McCain appeared to lose his cool and keep things intense for the full 90 minutes.

In a format that was expected by many to favor the Arizona Senator, McCain came off erratic, at one time saying he would solve the economic crisis by instituting an across the board freeze on non-defense spending, while at the same time calling for the government to buy up hundreds of thousands of defunct mortgages, possibly through the use of good vibes or further loans from China the U.S. doesn't have the money to pay off. In response to the same line of questioning, about what personal sacrifices Americans could make to help deal with the economic crisis, Obama mentioned his support for increasing programs like the Peace Corps, invoking the oft-ridiculed time he spent as a community organizer.

In a moment that will certainly be lampooned prominently on Saturday Night Live and will rack up the hits on Youtube, McCain, while discussing an energy bill he opposed, pointed at Obama and referred to him as 'that one', a move that on the positive side for the Arizona Senator may get people to forget about his widely-criticized inability to look Obama in the eye or call him by his first name during the first presidential debate.

McCain also made a number of odd assertions, including that determining the content of Obama's tax proposals is like nailing Jell-O to a wall, an act which is only impressive to anyone who hasn't tried to insulate a house with pudding. Another failed and arguably bizarre attempt at humor and rhetorical victory came when McCain referred to the need for the government to avoid funding "gold-plated Cadillac health-care plans" that "pay for things like hair plug treatments, I may need one, but who knows." Though it may have been in retrospect a sly jab at Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden's alleged reconstructive scalp work, the joke fell flat and seemed odd and out of place to say the least.

Later, when asked who he would appoint as Treasury secretary, McCain joked "not you Tom" to a deafening silence, before saying it must be someone Americans can identify with and trust, mentioning the CEO of Ebay Meg Whitman, whose company on Monday announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce and reportedly suffered a 56% loss in the value of its shares over the past year.

A final uncomfortable and awkwardly funny moment came inadvertently when after the candidates gave their closing remarks, moderator Tom Brokaw began to thank them as they walked to the front of the stage, only to have to point out that they were now standing in front of his teleprompter and if they could be so kind and move so that he could finish his closing remarks.

Though the bare-knuckle personal attacks that had defined the previous few days of the campaign were absent Tuesday night, McCain exuded a flippant and often curt style that posed a marked contrast to Obama's measured and calm manner. If McCain expects to gain ground in the third debate next Wednesday in New York, he must find a way to expose how Obama is as he says, not ready on day one to lead, without showing the intense and erratic style that couldn't be expected to win him any new fans Tuesday night in Tennessee.

Related articles:
  • VP debate / Palin beats the odds, fails to be field dressed by Biden
  • In first debate, McCain and Obama go head to head on Iran policy, Iraq war
  • Survey: American Jews favor Obama over McCain
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      1.   That tired old man 14:31  |  Clickfool 08/10/08
      2.   Biased blabla, a weak opinion at most and without arguments 14:57  |  Dr. R. B. 08/10/08
      3.   McCain Poke Self in Eye 15:29  |  Ojamas Slepwear 08/10/08
      4.   Clickfool 15:37  |  rich 08/10/08
      5.   BLA..BLA..BLA..IRAN WILL HAVE NUKES ANYWAY 15:49  |  indrajaya 08/10/08
      6.   Obama incoherent on foreign policy 16:02  |  Pub 08/10/08
      7.   The U.S. Presidential Debate 16:12  |  terry baren 08/10/08
      8.   Wrong Signal 16:23  |  new_york_loner 08/10/08
      9.   # 7, TERRY BAREN 16:31  |  indrajaya 08/10/08
      10.   Whoever compares "dire consequenses" with "no 2nd Holocaust" 16:46  |  S 08/10/08
      11.   McCain should win 17:17  |  Ariana 08/10/08
      12.   NEW IDEAS 17:51  |  Mike 08/10/08
      13.   Dire Consequences? For Whom? 17:55  |  Lou Medel 08/10/08
      14.   The Iranian threat and the Saddam threat are the same! 18:07  |  Joe 08/10/08
      15.   McCain will win,.To many things against Obama 18:33  |  Dish It Out 08/10/08
      16.   Indrajaya and Iran`s nukes 19:09  |  James 08/10/08
      17.   Putting aside my cynicism that both represent the same basic, 1 19:15  |  David Turner 08/10/08
      18.   Putting aside my cynicism that both represent the same basic, 2 19:15  |  David Turner 08/10/08
      19.   Putting aside my cynicism that both represent the same basic, 3 19:16  |  David Turner 08/10/08
      20.   Debate- lack of depth 19:39  |  American 08/10/08
      21.   Thank goodness for Haaretz finally having a balanced analyst! 19:59  |  Smolanit 08/10/08
      22.   Obama the paper tiger 20:17  |  Connie 08/10/08
      23.   #Dish it Out. McCain claims to know where Bin Laden is. 20:53  |  Maureen Ann 08/10/08
      24.   #11 Ariana....some of the questionable sources 21:13  |  Lynn 08/10/08
      25.   One Sided Analysis 22:02  |  Irv 08/10/08
      26.   Yeah, Right - the Mullahs Are Really Scared of Obama 22:13  |  Tod Zuckerman 08/10/08
      27.   Politicians are NEVER held to campaign promises 22:36  |  Natallie Durson 08/10/08
      28.   to Ariane from Miami 22:43  |  Dik 08/10/08
      29.   For Ariana # 11 22:45  |  Clickfool 08/10/08
      30.   Maureen Ann #23 23:16  |  Bill H. 08/10/08
      31.   An old man looking for the bathroom 23:17  |  Leeza Cohen Coleman 08/10/08
      32.   Sure, John McCain "knows" where bin Ladin is... 23:32  |  Leeza Cohen Coleman 08/10/08
      33.   Clickfool - Wow! 23:41  |  Alan 08/10/08
      34.   Do As I Say Not As I Do 00:02  |  Nite Owl 09/10/08
      35.   Wh ahve seen the Western Actions 00:22  |  Yuri 09/10/08
      36.   Same old rubbish 00:34  |  Faraz 09/10/08
      37.   For Arianna from Miami 01:04  |  marc 09/10/08
      38.   Obama says................. 01:30  |  Ellis 09/10/08
      39.   Ignore campaign rhetoric 01:47  |  Mark Lincoln 09/10/08
      40.   He`s playing poker 01:49  |  Mark Lincoln 09/10/08
      41.   Look to France 02:09  |  Mark Lincoln 09/10/08
      42.   #30 Bill H. Do you mean the military has been told - what? 02:44  |  Maureen Ann 09/10/08
      43.   Mark Lincoln 03:14  |  Persian Kitty 09/10/08
      44.   Hello, Mark Lincoln. Nice to meet you. 03:16  |  Leeza Cohen Coleman 09/10/08
      45.   More on finding bin Ladin 03:20  |  Leeza Cohen Coleman 09/10/08
      46.   31 bathroom! 05:40  |  B 09/10/08
      47.   Benjamin Hartman 06:28  |  Wendell Jones 09/10/08
      48.   Great Obama & Mccain 06:58  |  Avinash 09/10/08
      49.   Wendell Jones 07:08  |  Persian Kitty 09/10/08
      50.   Exactly, Leeza! # 31 07:51  |  Clickfool 09/10/08
      51.   #Wendell Jones. The best for Israel. 07:57  |  Maureen Ann 09/10/08
      52.   The deeply uncomfortable McCain 07:58  |  Clickfool 09/10/08
      53.   # 31, LEEZE COHEN COLEMAN (A NICE NAME) 10:07  |  indrajaya 09/10/08
      54.   Hi, Indrajaya! 10:29  |  Leeza Cohen Coleman 09/10/08
      55.   a scale analysis of the Iran situation 11:27  |  mehmet 09/10/08
      56.   Ariana 11:41  |  Mike Friedman 09/10/08
      57.   Just a tired old man... 12:40  |  Leeza Cohen Coleman 09/10/08
      58.   Wanting those Jewish votes... 12:41  |  Janet 09/10/08
      59.   Obama = No neocons in the White House 12:49  |  Janet 09/10/08
      60.   For Mehmet # 55 12:50  |  Clickfool 09/10/08
      61.   # 57, LEEZA COHEN COLEMAN 14:17  |  indrajaya 09/10/08
      62.   Palin`s Values 14:27  |  Ellen Proskauer 09/10/08
      63.   there are many nieve dummies out there who are believing the lie 16:25  |  glenna 09/10/08
      64.   #22 There goes Connie, whining first thing 17:12  |  ballistic 09/10/08
      65.   #32 Leeza, yes, country first McCain says 17:14  |  ballistic 09/10/08
      66.   #38 Say Ellis 17:16  |  ballistic 09/10/08
      67.   #63 Say Glenna, speaking of "nieve" 17:20  |  ballistic 09/10/08
      68.   #15 Dish it Out 17:44  |  ballistic 09/10/08
      69.   #67 no I don`t believe your assessments on Palin`s Words;but I do 18:02  |  glenna 09/10/08