The assumption was that McCain might win the second debate easily, since the "town hall" format is his preference. In the snip below, you get an idea of Dan Calabrese's view. You will have to click the link to get the full article.
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link to www.northstarwriters.com]
Dan Calabrese - - - October 8, 2008
McCain Can’t Land a Punch, Even When Obama Tells Whoppers With Cheese
Barack Obama does have an amazing ability to say preposterous things and make them sound reasonable. And even when John McCain refutes him factually, he doesn’t seem to be able to do so to any serious effect.
During last night’s debate, Obama let loose with some substantive whoppers. With cheese. Sometimes McCain responded effectively. Sometimes he didn’t. Either way, you don’t get the impression that the absurdity of Obama’s positions is getting through to “uncommitted voters” like those who populated the debate hall last night.
Most incredibly, early in the debate Obama railed against eight years of deficit spending, and then, hardly pausing for a breath, went into his promise to make “investments” in things like health care, alternative energy and college affordability. So you’re so strongly opposed to deficit spending that you’re going to add lots more things to spend money on? Got it. Anticipating that McCain would talk about his big spending plans, Obama engaged in some pre-emptive self-defense by claiming that he would cut more spending than he would increase.
Specifics? None. Obama didn’t name a single item on which he would cut spending.
Sure enough, McCain launched into his familiar talking points about how Obama plans $800 billion in new spending. The rebuttal was 100 percent true, but still not all that effective. Why not point out that, for a guy who claims he’ll be cutting spending more than he’s increasing it, he sure talks a lot about new spending and never has anything to say about the cuts?
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Article continues:
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link to www.northstarwriters.com]
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