Interpreting the Third Presidential Debate

Finally, they had a debate worth watching. No more ties, no more flowery vague answers without substance, this time they gave us something on which we can chew. On October 15, 2008 Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain came together for their final presidential debate. Unlike the previous two debates, the candidates would answer questions that are important to Independent voters. This time, they would define themselves as the better presidential choice.

In previous debates both candidates started strong by giving good answers to difficult questions. However, McCain’s delivery lacked style, while Obama is noted for his calm demeanor, smooth delivery, and use of elegant language. In this debate, however, the America’s observed a better McCain—a McCain, who had quick, witty comebacks to subtle Obama jabs.

The debate focused on domestic policy. The first question, which helped define the candidates, focused on the differences between the candidates’ economic plan and what made each candidate’s plan a better one. McCain began the discussion. After McCain attempted to gather his thoughts together while rambling about how angry America’s are, he discussed some of the details of his plan to save the housing market. His plan included putting a floor under the housing market in order to reverse the decline in home ownership. It also included using 300 billion of the Stock Market bailout funds, to buy the repossessed homes that many American’s lost during the home mortgage loan crisis. According to McCain’s plan, the government would renegotiate the mortgages in order to keep people in their homes.

Although Obama agreed that McCain is right about getting American’s back into their homes, he disagreed on the methods McCain would use to achieve the goal. According to Obama, by the government purchasing homes at prices that are greater than the home’s value, it would benefit the banks, leaving the taxpayers to foot the bill. Obama acknowledged that what ever means they found to accomplish the goal would have to “include a financial proposal where Americans are in the position to renegotiate their mortgages.” Obama said the best way to achieve this is by focusing on the economy—by fixing our health care system, energy policy, and educational system. Most of this could be accomplished by using the “core principles” of Obama’s plan.

The “core principles” of his plan focused on a “rescue package for the middle class” that included tax breaks for 95% of Americans, raising taxes on individuals who make $250,000.00 a year, ending tax breaks for companies that ship jobs over seas, giving a tax credit to companies who create jobs for Americans, and allowing Americans to have “access their IRA accounts without penalty if they are experiencing a crisis.”

McCain was quick to remind Obama of Joe Wurzelbacher (know to the media as Joe the plumber), a man who challenged Obama in Ohio in regards to Obama’s tax policies. Though Joe is a small business owner, according to Obama’s plan, he would fall into a higher tax bracket. McCain insisted that “sharing the wealth” is not the solution and that the government shouldn’t raise anyone’s taxes during a crisis. McCain reassured small business owners that he would keep taxes and low and give affordable health care to their employees. After Obama explained to American’s that McCain is only concerned with giving tax cuts to large corporations, McCain explained that Obama’s plan has socialist values.

Another defining point question focused on the cost of their proposals. This question reminded them that with the enormous deficit, and vital economic problems that the upcoming president will in inherit, how did the candidates expect to achieve their administration goals—specifically, what programs were they going to cut back, alter, and terminate?

Obama was the first to answer. First, he reassured American’s that they would “get their money back” from the $750 billion rescue plan that was implemented as a result of the Stock Market crisis. Secondly, he talked about living beyond our means. Then he discussed exchanging programs that don’t work for programs that do. According to Obama, his administration will not pile on the more expenses. The administration will “pay-as-you-go” by removing the expense of a faulty program and replace it with a productive one. As an example, he mentioned removing the 15 billion debts in Medicare subsidies to insurance companies when Medicare doesn’t work. He also mentioned paying for young people’s ability to go to college by implementing an energy policy. The energy policy will remove the money we borrow from China, to give to Saudi Arabia, which in turn, will pay for education.

McCain talked about a spending freeze, and an energy policy that would eliminate funds that we are sending to “countries that don’t like us very much.” The energy policy would create jobs. He talked about taking a hatchet and a scalpel to Washington spending. Specifically, he mentioned eliminating subsides for ethanol and the tariff on imported sugar-base ethanol from Brazil. He also mentioned terminating the marketing assistance program.

Although the debate got a little heated when the question of attack ads came up, the meat of the debate was focused. McCain counterattacked when Obama compared him (McCain) to President Bush. “Yes. Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago. I'm going to give a new direction to this economy in this country,” McCain said. Even with the sensitive issues such as the racist accusation against McCain by Congressman Lewis, and how Obama did not defend McCain when McCain defended Obama regarding terrorist accusations, both candidates remained calm and focused. Other hot topics included Obama’s associations with Aarons, accusations of McCain and Governor Sarah Palin being associated with segregation, church bombings, George Wallace, not to mention the reoccurring theme of Joe the Plumber.

Although the candidates’ needed to confront some of these concerns, it was not the center of the debate. The focus of the debate was the issues that are concerning Americans—issues such as the economy, education, health care, taxes, and the ability to pay for the promised recoveries.

Obviously McCain, unlike Obama is not the great debater. He does not have the style and delivery of Obama. However, he (McCain) managed to convey his message well. Now it all comes down to what is important in each individual’s life. Based on the context of the candidates’ message, I believe the Joe the Plumbers are most likely to chose McCain, while the modest incomes are most likely to choose Obama.

Sandie RH Hart

Beaumont, TX