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Originally Posted by hork

actually i have to say i was impressed with both candidates overall. each had their strong points for example McCain on abortion (while I might argue his position at least he was upfront and definitive on it) and his retelling of his stay in the POW camp was moving and impossible to criticize.

Obama's answer to class levels was clearly more thought out and definitely showed a larger concern to the plight of the american middle class than McCain's and his answer on who he wouldn't have nominated for the court was clearly more thought out and less partisan than his counterpart's (although what was he thinking accusing anyone of being too inexperienced given the way the GOP has been trying to paint him?)

Sadly, both also failed to impress me with more than a couple of their responses.

McCain's response on the middle class was disrespectful and all but admitted he could care less about them (well at least when compared to the wealthy they are clearly second rate in his opinion) and his answer to the court nominations was clear partisanship with little to no thought involved.

On the other hand, Obama totally blew the abortion question. Regardless of one's position on it, you really need to have more to say than "answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade" And his response to the most gut wrenching decision he's ever made was so bland it made me cringe.

all in all i'd have to agree and call it a tie. but it did show some separation between the candidates on important issues and hopefully will help to shape some interesting and revealing debates next month.

That's why I quoted McCain's answer about income. It was such an incomprehensible trainwreck of an answer that, much like Pink Floyd's The Wall movie, I dont think I'll ever fully understand it even when totally inebriated. But I guess it's hard to keep track where middle income ends and upper income begins when you married into money, spent a good chunk of the 80s in the Bahamas at the expense of a failed S&L, and currently own 7 or 10 homes (depending which source you use).