Comments from an Independent voter..on local website..about debate!

[Doityourself]

"Not enough emphasis was placed on the comparative body language conveyed through the split screen format. Lots of unstable messages coming from McCain: impatience, disdain, anger, unwillingness to make eye contact with Obama. He would be a difficult person to disagree with. The charm of a Ronald Reagan definitely absent. A lot of women may see him as "just like my ex-husband"


......
I think Obama will do well with Independents, which is a good thing. They are trending his way...

[hisownpetard]

1. OMG - that's exactly what I was thinking! "Just like my ex-husband... "

Perfect depiction.

[iiibbb]

2. I slept on it. This independents view of the debate.

I'm still voting Obama.

I lean toward a tie on the debate based on technical merit. I personally don't give much to body language.

I feel that Obama definitely exceeded my expectations on foreign policy. McCain stole some thunder during economics with the talk about rooting out waste. Obama's point that 18 billion in earmarks is less than 300 billion in tax credits was a good retort, but not sure how fast people were doing that math in their heads. Wasn't too impressed with the "spending freeze" concept.

So, I still think Obama is stronger on economics, but he needs to do a better job explaining the excesses inherent in McCain's plan, and where Obama's investments, pay out as savings in other ways.

Obama needs to link McCain's plan to deregulate the health industry to what just happened in the banking industry.

Weakest point Obama made was talking about the business tax. McCain said it was the 2nd highest. Obama said it was low because of loopholes, and then seemed to say he was going to close loopholes and/or raise the rate. He needs to do something to spell that out. Does it affect small/medium businesses the way McCain said?

Neither one of them gave a good response to the question about how the bailout will affect their program plans. I don't think that was a fair question. No one knows how this crisis is going to play out. There is no president for it; there isn't even an official plan on the table. How the plan will affect their programs is really unanswerable at the moment it seems to me.

[vaberella]

4. I'm an Independent as well. I actually thought McCain did better.

However, when one looks at the debate critically and as a whole then it becomes something that leans on Obama's side. Unfortunately Obama was going in disadvantage no matter what. His race, his youth, his "so-called" lack of experience in the Senate or International Relations; all these were against him. I felt he was able to actually tear down most of those barriers (his race unmatchable) against him and make some head way.

As a viewer who doesn't see Obama's problems, then I'd say McCain but he did come across too aggressive, too rehearsed, and too contemptuous.

Of course I'm still going to vote McCain, mainly because he showed last night that his understanding of the issue is dated (going as far back as Alexander the Great) in thinking. Obama is the future and cares about MY healthcare, MY social security, and MY education and the education of our future.

McCain? He cares about war...That's what came out of that debate.

[DemsUnited]

5. Agree with you on business tax. Obama needs to point out that

most small and quite a few medium businesses are S Corps or LLC's where profits flow to owner or partners personal returns and taxed at personal income tax rates. So, owner of an S Corp or partner of an LLC with less than 250000 personal income/profit sees no tax increase.

Plus, he's giving tax credits to C Corps who invest in the USA instead of outsource. Needs to spell out what this means and how much tax break businesses who stay in US will get.

Otherwise, I give it to Obama because he exceeded my expectations on foreign policy as well and his temperament and demeanor just screamed Presidential, steady hand in rough seas, work across the aisle as well as across the ocean. McCain was a barely leashed angry man.

[vaberella]

3. Oooh..."Just like my ex husband." Let's go one step further, "Just like my ex."

This is really a shite comparison, if it could be believed, for McCain. He's basically the one the women run from while Obama has become the man people run too...

I wonder how the "freepers" feel about this.