August 21, 2008

McCain and Obama Will Debate on 3 University Campuses

The presumed Republican and Democratic nominees for president, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama, will debate one another three times this fall on university campuses, their campaigns announced today in a joint statement.

The debates, to be sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, will be held as follows:

• September 26, at the University of Mississippi, on foreign policy and national security, moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS.
  
• October 7, at Belmont University, in Tennessee, on topics drawn from a town-hall audience and moderated by Tom Brokaw of NBC News.
  
• October 15, at Hofstra University, in New York, on domestic and economic policy, moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS News.
  

The campaigns also agreed to hold a debate between the yet-to-be-named vice-presidential candidates, on October 2 at Washington University in St. Louis, moderated by Gwen Ifill of PBS.

All four debates will last 90 minutes each and will begin at 9 p.m., Eastern time. —Andrew Mytelka

Comments

1. All male moderators. What ever happened to the League of Women Voters being moderators?

   — me 2    Aug 21, 06:40 PM    #

2. Re: S. Bitchky and time to ponder.

   We can only hope that our president will not deem every foreign crisis an occasion to start a war (cold or hot) without thinking about the consequences. Research would have avoided Iraq. Hopefully, research will avoid a war over South Ossetia.

   — Paraenesis    Aug 22, 05:53 AM    #

3. As a citizen, I would like to see debates where blocks of time are set aside only to answer questions in regard to the economy, international relations, poverty, etc…I think we’ve covered Obamas personal life although McCain seems to skirt his. Listening to MPR yesterday about McCains Annapolis grades..that he was 5th from the bottom…the presenter made you feel that that was okay because he was a quick study and just didn’t have an interest in school. That continued down the list from education to his affair with cindy…he was young…and didn’t know better. Obama is always held up to a higher bar…but for McCain it’s..“boys will be boys”. This is how elections are won…and it gives you an idea about Americas special interests..McCain is banking on the fact that many will be able to relate to his history of folly…well, that’s how Bush got in I believe.

   — jessica212    Aug 22, 07:22 AM    #

4. Re: #3, the tribune called Paraenesis

   Research! How about “the application of thought”? No amount of research can prove a negative; we have to think to realize that something — weapons or unicorns — do not exist. And then we need a leader who will inspire confidence in his — or if I had my drethers, her — thought on the matters.

   I agree with comment #2, S. Britchky’s humorous yet all too accurate and well drawn view.

   — Paraesthetic Pat    Aug 22, 07:59 AM    #

5. Yes Jessica 212, McCain’s life has been hid, like the years as a POW. I guess that those years were a little foggy, whereas Obama was sitting in church or mass with a white hateing preacher or on a pannel with William A., of the Weather Underground. McCain’s transgressions were years ago, whereas Obam’s were ongoing until just a few weeks ago. I’M sorry, I trust a former POW over a man that is a friend of a White Hater and a Terrorist. I was always told that you are known by the company that you keep, and frankly I don’t like the company that Obama has been keeping.

   — Joe the Screwed    Aug 22, 09:06 AM    #

6. Whatever we get in the next election will be light years better than what we have now. Obama’s stammer is nothing when compared to the deer-in-headlights rhetoric we get from the current president.

   — Art    Aug 22, 09:07 AM    #

7. I would take Obama any day of the week, than McCain an admitted adulterer, racist, and clearly not in touch with the average American. You can’t recall how many homes you own? The man is borderline senile. Those voting for McCain should hope for a much younger vice-president. He won’t make it through the first term

   — Pretty Advantaged    Aug 22, 09:58 AM    #

8. Class standing at a service academy, be it West Point, the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, or the Naval Academy in Annapolis, is irrelevant. Just graduating from one of these places is special. Some of the finest leaders in our history, including Eisenhower and Patton, were at the bottom of thier class. Why were they so successful? Because leadership has nothing whatsoever to do with academic GPA, and the primary function of a service academy is to teach leadership.

   Character matters. We all fall short of the glory of God, so it is easy to point out the various sins of both McCain and Obama, but for me, the one aspect of character I’m looking for in my next President is whether he will have what it takes to stand up against the threats against our way of life that no one can deny are out there. I don’t care what color he is, how old he is, where he comes from, or even how many houses he may own. What matters to me is whether or not my children will have to suffer again at the hands of radical Islam, or if the Russians will feel bold enough to pursue Cold War II. These things are real, folks, and to fend them off it will take someone who has demonstrated an unqualified commitment to this nation. Not commitment to his political party, or to himself, but commitment to this nation. Frankly, I question the commitment to my country of someone who “doesn’t want to pick sides” by associating himself with the flag that has flown over this nation for over 230 years.

   — FB    Aug 22, 10:24 AM    #

9. Barack Obama’s challenge is to select a running mate who’s young, hip, and whose accomplishments in life don’t overshadow Obama’s. Allow me to suggest Kevin Federline.

   The only thing we can be sure of is that Obama will choose someone who is the polar opposite of all his advisers until now. In other words, it will be a very, very white male who was probably proud of his country even before being chosen as Obama’s running mate.

   Obama’s got a lot of ground to make up following that performance last weekend at the Saddleback presidential forum with pastor Rick Warren.

   After seeing Obama defend infanticide with the glib excuse that the question of when life begins is above his “pay-grade,” Rev. Jeremiah Wright announced that although he’s known Obama for 30 years, he only recently became aware of how extreme the senator’s viewpoints were. Wright, after all, has his reputation to consider.

   Network heads responded by dashing off an urgent memo: During the main presidential debates this fall, ask NO questions about abortion, ethics or evil! Morality isn’t the Democrats’ forte.

   Obama’s defenders spin his abominable performance in the Saddleback forum by saying he’s just too smart to give a straight answer. As Rick Warren charitably described Obama’s debate performance: “He likes to nuance things … He’s a constitutional attorney.” The constitutional lawyer “does nuance,” as Bill Maher said on “Larry King Live,” “and you saw how well that goes over with the Rick Warren people.”

   If that’s Obama’s excuse, he ought to know a few basics about the Constitution.

   Did the big constitutional lawyer whose “nuance” is too sophisticated for Rick Warren’s audience see the letter his wife sent out on his behalf in 2004? Michelle Obama denounced a federal law banning partial-birth abortion, writing that “this ban on a legitimate medical procedure is clearly unconstitutional.” Clearly!

   The Supreme Court later found the law not “unconstitutional,” but “constitutional” — which I believe may have been the precise moment when Michelle Obama realized just how ashamed she had always been of her country.

   But most stunningly, when Warren asked Obama if he supported a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, Obama said he did not “because historically — because historically, we have not defined marriage in our Constitution.”

   I don’t care if you support a marriage amendment or not. That answer is literally the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard anyone say. If marriage were already defined in the Constitution, we wouldn’t need an amendment, no?

   Say, you know what else was “historically” not defined in the Constitution? Slavery. The words “slavery” and “slave” do not appear once in the original Constitution. The framers correctly thought it would sully the freedom-enshrining document to acknowledge the repellent practice. (Much like abortion!)

   But in 1865, the 13th Amendment banned slavery throughout the land, in the first constitutional phrase ever to mention “slavery”: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

   On Obama’s “historical” argument, they shouldn’t have passed the 13th Amendment because the Constitution “historically” had not mentioned slavery.

   Do we know for a fact Barack Obama has read the Constitution? Obama’s Facebook profile: “I’m pro-infanticide, I love sunsets, and I don’t get the 13th Amendment!”

   This is the guy who thinks he can condescend to Clarence Thomas? Asked at the Saddleback forum which Supreme Court justice Obama would not have nominated, Obama said … the black one!

   In Obama’s defense, he said he thought Thomas wasn’t experienced enough “at the time.” So I guess Obama thinks Thomas should have to “wait his turn.”

   By contrast, Obama has experience pouring out of those big ears of his. Asked last year by Robin Roberts on ABC’s “Good Morning America” about his lack of experience in foreign policy, Obama took umbrage.

   Swelling up his puny little chest, Obama said: “Well, actually, my experience in foreign policy is probably more diverse than most others in the field. I’m somebody who has actually lived overseas, somebody who has studied overseas. I majored in international relations.”

   He actually cited his undergraduate major as a qualification to be president.

   But on Saturday night, Obama said he didn’t think Clarence Thomas was a “strong enough jurist or legal thinker” to be put on the Supreme Court.

   I bet Thomas has heard of the 13th Amendment!

   And it will be so funny to the liberal academics when McCain wins and they all must drown in their wine while recovering from the shock.

   Can’t wait!!!!

   — Patriot    Aug 22, 10:33 AM    #

10. McCain clearly won the aforementioned “discussion.” He will most likely be our next president.

    Thankfully.

    It is a sad thing that academe is full, generally, of socialists/communists and “apppeasers.”

    They enjoy the life here in the US…but are deep down anti-American fools. I would bet Iran or North Korea would be happy to accept any of the liberal academics here that hate America and so often attempt to brainwash students in their classes to believe in their liberal/socialist agenda. McCain will win because he is better qualified, actually fought for this nation, and understands the meaning of “honor.” Plus, he does not have friends that are domestic terrorists. Obama is an absolute shame to the Democratic Party. But, I hope there are more of him to come as long as there are Obama fans out there…..we can feel safe that there will be, for the next few elections, a Republican in the executive office.

    I love it. And I love that the anti-american sociialist academics that fill many of our universities (but can’t hold a job off campus) are humbled.

    God bless the Republican Party….they are, truly, the “Last best hope for the Earth.”

    — Charles    Aug 22, 10:43 AM    #

11. #2 – right on the money. Obama has by now proven himself so indecisive, so ignorant, and so utterly helpless without a teleprompter in front of him that I have become embarrassed for those who support him.

    #10 – Keven Federline! LOL!

    #7 – Actually, it is quite ironic that when he isn’t reading prepared remarks, Obama morphs into George W. Bush, and without the resume.

    #8 – McCain can’t recall how many homes he owns, and Obama spent 20 years in Reverend Wright’s congregation and didn’t realize he is a racist. Which is worse?

    #11 – Amen.

    — TRB    Aug 22, 10:46 AM    #

12. #8 – Interesting you should call McCain racist. Have you not read Obama’s book? Did you miss the fact he was a member of a church with his wife that ONLY BLACKS can join? When should we elect a person, any person, into office that joins groups that deny access based on race, religion, socio-economic background? I’m not talking “veterans organizations” or “boy scouts” or “girl scouts” , etc. I’m talking about only blacks allowed. If it were a group for only Hispanics or only whites it would be discrimination and someone would file a lawsuit. Obama’s own relatives are not welcome to join the church. His father is not “black african american” so he’s not welcome to join, his mother is white – she’s not welcome to join. Should I continue? If he gets to the White House will he allow his wife to paint the outside and remove the name of “white” because it is not acceptable-considered racial?

    All the good men and women we could have running for president and we have these too. McCain (never thought I’d say this) is by far a better candidate for all the people and he didn’t write a book stating that if it came down to it – he would support the Muslims not Christians. Gone will be God fearing religions as we hand our country over to the same people our soldiers have spent the last 7 years protecting us from, terrorists (no not all Muslims are terrorists) Terrorist will be invited to the United States by the President of the United States if people don’t wake up and see the writing on the wall.

    As far as the debates (all four mentioned). Why are none of the debates on the West Coast? Are they choosing to hold debates in states considered swing states? I’m just curious.

    — Yv    Aug 22, 11:32 AM    #

13. I am shocked at the amount of personal attacks coming from well educated individuals in these comments. I am all about debate and conversation but flat out personal attacks on one candidate versus actually discussing their policies and positions is really below the standard we advocate in our classrooms and in our communities.
    I do believe that personal life has become a factor is looking at a political candidate but you should discuss it in a civil way not the frothing at the mouth approach exhibited in the comments here. I hope that we can have the open dialogue discussions that won’t occur in the debates on comment boards like this one and not a mud fight to see whose candidate comes out the cleanest.

    — Shocked    Aug 22, 11:48 AM    #

14. Dear Shocked (#14)

    What you call “personal attacks” are simply passionately stated observations of reality. Obama really does belong to a blacks only church. He really did listen to Jeramiah Wright’s vitriol for 20 years. Obama really is naive and completely inexperienced. These things matter a great deal. They are not personal attacks – they are observations on the man’s character. And, as I said before, character matters. As a qualification to be President of the United States, it matters more than anything else. McCain may not be perfect, but compare his character to Obama’s. On a relative scale, McCain is ten feet taller.

    — FB    Aug 22, 12:09 PM    #

15. Joe the Screwed

    America is keeping company of Saudis (who won’t let women vote, drive cars, walk alone in the streets, and have links to Sept 11). We keep company of such friends all over the world where we have interests. Does your argument apply only to individuals (like Obama) or to countries as well?

    — zico    Aug 22, 12:13 PM    #

16. FB,

    Character does matter and the way you stated in your response to me is a much better way to have the conversation and discussion versus “passionately” stated observations. I am not saying either candidate is perfect or wonderful, I am saying lets raise the level of discussion to be more civil in the manner it is presented.

    — Shocked    Aug 22, 01:46 PM    #

17. I’m with you Shocked. When I read through many of these hate-mongering postings, I wonder what inspires it. In order to better understand, I go back and read the posts a second time. Only this time I substitute the word “Jews” for the word “liberals.” I’m then immediately transported from 2008 to 1938. And I have a super-real, almost tactile, experience of what fascism is.

    The misguided nationalism that thrived back then in Europe lives and breathes now in the U.S. under the mantel of what some call “patriotism.”

    — HL Morgan    Aug 22, 01:48 PM    #

18. #16
    Do you think that the Saudis would change their culture if Obama were elected? I can almost guarantee that they would not change for any American, much less Obama. For all we know, he may feel the same way since he was raised that way.

    — Joe the Screwed    Aug 22, 02:06 PM    #

19. HL (#18), you may be a little too in touch with your feelings, and not in touch enough with the actual suffering of actual people, if substituting “Jews” for “liberals” places you back in 1938. Nevertheless, I suggest you try this exercise: Read #8 without substituting anything and tell us what you feel.

    — Tracy G.    Aug 22, 02:38 PM    #

20. Charles – Could you even an interview for, let alone “hold” – a job in the truly challenging world of academia? If not, then pipe down about things you can demonize only through your ignorant parroting of other ignorant pundits.

    — Misstra Know-It-All    Aug 22, 05:27 PM    #

21. Ike was NOT at the bottom of the class of 1915. I’m trying to find a more authoritative source, but I’ve spotted someone giving it as 61 of 164, one might call him bottom part of the upper half – a somewhat above average guy. The number certainly seems reasonable based on my memory of reading about him. Eleven years later he graduated top in his class at the Command and General Staff School (Fort Leavenworth). Interestingly, he was such a good football coach that he had a hard time getting away from that.

    You are probably remembering that Grant was dead last in his class.

    If you ever read a biography of Eisenhower, you’ll find out how moderate he was. If he were to run in this election, I predict he would run as a Democrat because he would think the pendulum had swung too far to the right. He didn’t like it swinging too far left either.

    A good book written by Eisenhower was “At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends.” It’s an easy, relaxing read with some great tales.

    It’s kind of surprising how shallow a lot of the comments are – people need to can their emotions and start thinking.

    I would take another term of Eisenhower over Clinton, Bush, McCain, or Obama.

    — Matt    Aug 22, 05:47 PM    #

22. Tracy G,

    I didn’t mention anything about my feelings. If I wanted to talk about my feelings, I’d see Dr. Phil. The posting by #8 is an ad hominem attack on McCain. It has nothing to do with my post, and my post has nothing to say about McCain. So why don’t you make yourself clear? If you want to defend fascism, nationalism, and the persecution of liberals, you are free to do so in this country.

    — HL Morgan    Aug 22, 07:23 PM    #

23. #22

    You’re right. Ike was 61st out of 164 in his class. I stand corrected on that fact. I was going on memory, and, as you said, it probably was Grant who I was thinking of. Regardless, it doesn’t change my point. 61st isn’t very high. Again, academic class standing as an undergraduate has absolutlely nothing whatsoever to do with leadership ability. Another example, again from the military, is Colin Powell. I do not know where he stood in his class when he graduated from CCNY, but it was not very high. From his own admission he graduated with a C average. If only Colin Powell would run for President! I’ll take that C student any time.

    — FB    Aug 22, 07:45 PM    #

24. According the the biography posted on the Eisenhower Library web page – The West Point years were formative ones for Eisenhower. He learned to endure the pressures and indignities of the Plebe year; and, in turn, discovered his own acute distaste for the hazing he was expected to inflict upon others in his Yearling year. On the football field, Eisenhower experienced the exultation of stardom and crushing disappointment when a series of knee injuries brought his glory days to an abrupt and painful end. In bitter reaction, Dwight Eisenhower smoked too much, studied too little, and accumulated an impressive list of demerits. Despite this setback, Eisenhower emerged as a natural leader, serving as junior varsity football coach and yell leader. And, even though he did not apply himself academically at West Point, Eisenhower still managed to graduate in the upper half of his class in 1915, the one that would be later known as the class “The Stars Fell On.”

    That said – I’m getting worried about the next election – as well as about the next generation of college students adn the vitriol they will face from the posters to this blog.

    — TDD    Aug 22, 11:55 PM    #

25. HL, what I mean is that it appears you want to “understand” that the “hate mongering” of liberals is motivated by fascism, so you replace “liberal” with “Jew” to satisfy that need. A clever little way of dismissing differences with Obama as fascist.

    Meanwhile, you don’t feel the need to classify an attack on McCain’s “racism” and age as anything more than ad hominem. If you were truly concerned with fascism I would have expected your post to mention the attack, and not just liberals. So, you didn’t need to mention your feelings. They are apparent.

    — Tracy G.    Aug 25, 10:26 AM    #

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