Pre-Debate Predictions Thread
Expectations for McCain have to be pretty low given his horrible, terrible week. Expectations for Obama, of course, are always sky high. So how does it play out?
I say Obama plays it tight. He does not want to make a mistake as the McCain campaign implodes on its own. Obama will take the high road and talk bipartisanship and “we are all Americans after all” etc, etc.
McCain knows he needs to make up ground so he may try to land a haymaker. If he pulls it off he might get a couple percentage points bounce. If he looks like an angry flailing old man, he gives away a few points.
When it is all done Allan Loudell will find some pundit to say “There was no clear winner.”
Well, I already know I’m going to be nervous watching it. Obama has a tendency to “think” too much before he says something and that doesn’t go over well. God forbid a candidate should be thoughtful!
I think we’re all expecting too much from Obama.
McCain will go for some canned line written by a jokewriter, a la “there you go again” etc.
You will know he delivered it when he stops and gives that cadaverous grin.
I think that no matter how many lies McCain tells tonight the press will say he did better than expected and therefore won the debate.
The power of the lowered bar. As I recall the press lowered the bar for Bush by bring in excavating equipment to dig a trench to lower the bar even lower at the last minute.
June…
The reason why I am nervous is I know he is a thinker. He is not a good debater. He did well enough to survive Hillary Clinton, but I never thought he really won those debates. He was able to do enough to avoid mistakes and draw even, and since he was ahead in the delegate count, that was good enough.
I think Jason has it right. Now he is ahead in the polls, both nationwide and in the states. Thus he will do the same thing as in his debates with Hillary. Do just enough to pull even.
We shouldn’t expect good one liners from him.
McCain, on the other hand, is behind and he knows it. You must expect anything from him. And given his erratic decisions the past few weeks, anything should be expected. He got win the debate with some zingers, or he can lose it if he loses his temper. Indeed, I say there is a 10-1 chance he gets so angry that he leaves the podium and charges Obama. He is that unstable.
So McCain is the true wildcard tonight. He could win convincingly, or he could lose spectactularly.
All the talk before the debate will be about McCain changing his mind and attending, and – if we’re really lucky – more video of the Palin/Couric interview.
Best advice for Obama: Stay cool. You’re debating a crazy, desperate man.
Obama will be likable.
Mcinsane won’t.
Cafferty tells it like it is about Palin. Watch and take a deep breath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8__aXxXPVc
The reason why I am nervous is I know he is a thinker. He is not a good debater. He did well enough to survive Hillary Clinton, but I never thought he really won those debates. He was able to do enough to avoid mistakes and draw even, and since he was ahead in the delegate count, that was good enough.
DD, I agree with you here: on balance I thought Obama lost almost all the primary debates–in fact, I thought he actually put Hillary back in the game several times.
Why? Not because he’s a thinker, but because there are several technical arts to debate that he’s never mastered:
He can’t do the folksy “people I’ve met” anecdote and make it sound like anything other than a proctology exam….
He can’t boil his wonkishness down to a sound bit as an improvisation, and if you watch his face while he’s trying, he looks like Bush 41 checking his watch….
He looks at times like he thinks he should not have to answer these or those questions, and that he can’t believe he’s been forced to sit here and do this….
Now, the fact of the matter is that debating skill has virtually nothing to do with your capacity to be President, but it has a lot to do with getting elected President….
And not only is McCain in need of a homerun, if he can throw Obama off an already mediocre debate game, he has a chance to get it.
[Last note: Obama does not do well in front of audiences that are not completely friendly]
Just saying…
Obama is excellent when he has a scripted speech to present, but he gets flustered easily in the back & forth of the debates.
I always thought Hillary was far better in the debates.
So in reality, it sounds like we all have low expectations for Obama, and we really don’t know what to expect from McCain. So what happens tonight is anyone’s guess.
Wow, all bets are on Hillary winning the debate. Too bad she’s not in it. 🙂
Obama had gloves on when debating Hillary, because he did not want to be seen as an attacker. Now that he is debating McCain I expect the gloves to come off, and for Obama to try to rattle the old man.
Hmmmm….that is a good point anon. Didn’t think about that.
I predict an ambolism
(wrong?)
You will see partisan press at its best with the real questions not being asked. I expect the worst.
McCain in HD? We all lose.
Wrong? Yes, since you probably mean embolism, and more specifically, you probably mean a pulmonary embolism.
Props to Luke and Laura for helping me with this.
Foreign Policy heavy – if BO holds his ground, that will be enough.
dang…
McInsane’s left eyeball will fall out.
If McCain’s left eyeball doesn’t fall out, he wins.
Palin will be off the ticket anytime now! McCain will do poorly tonight! Obama will be thoughtful, and presidential. It will be a history making debate.
McPalin’s minister “witch hunter” is making intelligent republicans scream get “rid of her”~she is an embarassment even to republican women.
Rev. Wright will pale in comparison to the “witch hunter”.
Any of you bitches coming into the chat room?
Seriously. Get your asses in there. I’m not interesting enough to keep Mike entertained!
I was just looking around on google for some RvR videos and came up on this site… Warhammer Online RvR
It seems like a great idea to get a community based around the people who want to run set 6 mans and look for competitive group fights. Should be pretty popular with the skullthrone community, I hear thats THE server to be on for pvp.