Obama was WAY TOO NICE: He needs to be more aggressive with McCain

[Julius Civitatus]

Not a bad debate, but I left with these impressions:

• Obama was way too nice to McCain, and let him get away with blatant accusations
  
• When McCain was attacking Obama with lies and ridiculous accusations, Obama should have been more forceful in his responses.
  
• Enough of that "I agree with Senator McCain". At no point did McCain agree with anything Obama said, not even in the most obvious.
  
• When McCain ridiculed and mischaracterized Obama's positions, there were several occasions that Obama missed to come back forcefully and wipe the floor with him. Yet he kept shaking his head and saying "that's not true". Republicans are not afraid to hit back, Democrats always have to act meekish in debates. Why?
  :banghead:
  

McCain was rude, insincere, and aggressive. OBAMA NEEDS TO FIGHT BACK AND DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS CRAP!!!
:mad:

[Xipe Totec]

1. rude, insincere, and aggressive.

and that's the way McCain came across to an entire nation.

Think about it.

[jberryhill]

16. Dunno about that...

One needs to be pretty informed to be able to assess the McCain false statements.

Anyone who doesn't know better, simply hearing Obama say "That's not true" is not going to provide them with meaningful information.

Of course, either one of them is going to say "That's not true" when accused of molesting children or whatever, but the low information voter is not provided with a factual basis for assessing the denial.

[Xipe Totec]

30. No, this is a gut feel thing

no brains necessary.

It's all about McCain's body language.

And that is key to reaching the pug base.


McCain fucked up big time.

Particularly the spots where his voice trembled. Sheeple are very sensitive to trembling voices.

[jberryhill]

41. Could be

I was watching and listening for informational content, and was disappointed to some extent by both candidates.

On review on TiVo, I can see what you mean. If someone is looking for steady confidence, they are not looking for McCain.

[Eric J in MN]

2. No, he needs to keep his cool like he did.

The Republicans want the swing voters to associate Obama with Reverend Jeremiah Wright and be afraid of him.

[Julius Civitatus]

6. I disagree: he let McCain get away with murder

in more than one occasion. He should have fought back and set the record straight with conviction.

Gore and Kerry also favored the idea of looking "calm" and "take the high road", and look what happen. IT DOESN'T WORK. You have to fight these people back, with force, dammit!

[FrenchieCat]

I'm so tired of weak Democrats......You, not Barack!

:eyes:

[Thrill]

3. I think he is really worried about being the Mean Angry Black guy. I think that is really it

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. Thank you. Glad you said it. When I say that I get swallowed up alive.

I wish the strength used by DUers to tell me I'm wrong (when I say Obama was too nice), that kind of strength is PRECISELY what Obama needs to use against McCain.

[FVZA_Colonel]

8. I doubt he'll ever say "John's right" or something like that again.

Given the coming focus on the economy and domestic issues, I think things are looking up. McCain might go up a bit from this, but only because he had such a shitty week in comparison.

[and-justice-for-all]

5. No, if he pushed any harder...

he would been seen as a hot head. He did just fine, McInsane on the other hand was close to the point of popping. Every time I heard him give that little laugh, I thought he was going to pop..

[TheDonkey]

7. I agree. He was playing the "trying not to lose" game, that's ok, but McClown will rise in the poll

:(

[goodgd_yall]

9. I thought it was just right

Obama was strong, butted in when he needed too. I don't think he had to be more aggressive at all.

[seabeyond]

10. no he wasnt way nice. and he was very aggressive. n/t

[gravity]

11. Independents don't like the negative attacks

If you looked at the CNN meter thingy during the debates, they went down whenever McCain attacked Obama

[Sarah Ibarruri]

15. Do independents like it when a candidate lets himself be belittled without fighitng back? nt

[gravity]

35. McCain came off as bitter and condescending

Obama remain poised and diplomatic. I think he handled McCain well

[Peregrine Took]

You can make your point like a gentleman without sucking up to him, i.e.

"John is right."

[book_worm]

12. CBS scientific poll has Obama winning 40/22 in a debate on foreign and defense issues

supposed to be McCain's strong points.

[DefenseLawyer]

13. Obama is winning

No need to go for the longball when all you need is a hit.

[Starlight]

40. good point

[BlueIdaho]

14. The issues won't decide who won or lost

Its about the optics - and the temperament. McCain was angry and vengeful. Barack Looked and acted Presidential.

I'll take that for an outcome.

[chascarrillo]

17. I think that Obama's agreement actually sways independents to his side.

By agreeing with McCain on certain points, he reinforces those points where indies would concur with McCain... then differentiates his stance by illustrating where McCain has it wrong on how to address those issues where indies would agree with McCain. I totally understand that this tactic doesn't have the visceral thrill that going for the jugular does, but I think that it's a smart and effective tactic.

[TwilightGardener]

18. A young black man sassing an old white man and being "disrespectful"?

Is that what you want older white viewers to see? Of course Obama was deferential and polite, HE HAS NO CHOICE!! Am I the only one who feels this way?

[Left Is Write]

33. No. You're not.

Obama has a very fine line to walk, and I think he did it well. He can't be a pushover, but he absolutely cannot risk feeding the "angry black man" stereotype.

[weezie1317]

19. Obama has to be careful. He can't be the "angry black man".

[rhombus]

25. Smart smart!

Some refuse to acknowledge this point.

A calm, collected Obama is what will win this election.

[TexasObserver]

20. I thought Obama had the right touch. His message: I'm presidential. John isn't.

[Zookeeper]

21. I thought he did very well. He showed some passion when...

he needed to, but he didn't come off as arrogant.

Although, based on an exchange I had with a person (moron) on another forum earlier today, I worry that Obama may have used too many "big words." :eyes:

[codjh9]

22. I just emailed the Obama campaign saying he can't let McCain keep saying that 'Obama

doesn't understand'

[Inchworm]

23. I was hoping Obama would say, "Dude, get a grip"

:hi:

[Drunken Irishman]

24. RUDE DOES NOT WORK!

Remember Gore was rude to Bush and it hurt him.

You have to find a nice balance and Obama did.

[Life Long Dem]

26. Nice guy in control of the situation has been working since the beginning.

And perhaps Obama doesn't have to get into that stinking kind of talk.

[Demi_Babe]

27. rude does not work and is why McCain lost tonight

[Claire Beth]

28. Then the story would be that Obama attacked a

senoior citizen. I think Obama did just fine and McSame came across as a grumpy old man.

[Flabbergasted]

29. He should tell McCain to wipe that fucking grin off his ugly ass face. nt

[Bryn]

31. You can't reason with a psycho

Obama knew this so he let it go. I can't reason with my fundie mom and two fundie sisters. They'd get mad and I'd just shrug my shoulder and walk away. Tough to reason with them. They're not being rational.

[vaberella]

32. I agree with the OP, but after reading some of the posts...I came to realize...yeah

Obama would look like he's attacking an old man. Shit.

[vaberella]

34. This could be why I always felt he was holding back with HRC. n/t

[jason_au]

36. Obama was holding his fire

Everyone been's saying that Obama should go harder, but that is a risky strategy that could backfire. I think Obama's people looked at it this way: we just have to keep this debate nice and even, rather than taking the risk of going in for the kill so early - and especially where McCain is (for what reasons, I do not know) considered to be the stronger candidate, on foreign policy.

The reason is the VP debate next week: If, as is certainly in the realm of possibility, Palin's performance there is so bizarre, and so obviously shows her as being fantastically unqualified to be VP, or President for that matter, then she could drag McCain's campaign right into the toilet, where it belongs, but has stubbornly refused to go until now.

But, should the Palin/Biden debate not be a clusterfuck for the Repugs, then Obama needs to come out all guns blazing in the next two presidential debates.

[Jersey Devil]

37. The point was to look presidential and he did - Bill Bennett even conceded it

He said that Obama's politeness was "intellectual generosity"

[Kahuna]

38. He was presidential and informed. nt

[ClarkUSA]

39. Wrong -- indies disliked McCain attacking Obama and liked Obama's graciousness on CNN's focus group

He won Fox News' focus group, too... mean/nasty doesn't work. Obama knocked McCain back with grace and firmness. He needs
to win indies, not partisan Dems like us. Indies like Obama precisely because he doesn't get in the mud with the pig, lipstick and
all.

[kenny blankenship]

42. Obama is NICEING him to death

It's working. You don't like it and I don't like it, but undecideds/induhpendents respond well to it.

[yardwork]

43. Obama only has to win over Independents now.

Most people have decided how they will vote, and they aren't going to change their minds. McCain could fall off the stage drunk and his base would still dutifully pull the lever for him. Likewise, even if Obama did poorly in a debate, there's no way that I would ever vote against him.

The only people left to persuade are those who haven't yet made up their minds. Now, it's hard for me to imagine not having made up my mind at this point, but that's what we have. Obama is playing ONLY to the undecideds at this point. Being rude to McCain is not going to impress the undecideds. Sure, Obama's supporters would love to see him tear into McCain, but that's not what the independents are looking for - they're looking for the one that is presidential.

Obama won last night because he looked and acted presidential and McCain did not.