I just listened to the first hour, the hour of Obama and Warren. Live blogging from here out.<\/p>\n
Obama was smooth, spoke better and stuttered less than he frequently does when speaking “off the cuff”.<\/p>\n
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Warren asked mostly softballs, and did not follow up in meaningful ways that would allow a listener to cut through the fog of glittering generality.<\/p>\n
UPDATE: one exception to the “softballs” was the question on abortion. Second was on the definition of “the rich”.<\/p>\n
McCain is responding to Warren’s question on three people he’d listen to strongly. Obama mentioned his mother, his grand mother and Ted Kennedy. McCain said General David Petreus, John Lewis and Meg Whitman. Who’s the grown up here?<\/p>\n
On the greatest personal failing question: McCain just came out and said “My first marriage failing.” No excuses, no elaboration. Obama had given a “poor me” answer about his teen years.<\/p>\n
On the question of being willing to go against your party, McCain wins hands down, of course, including some matters I disagree with him on. He gives as an example a vote from early in his career, when he had more to lose, against Reagan sending Marines to Beirut. McCain turns out to be right on that one, in retrospect, of course.<\/p>\n
On the “have you changed your mind lately issue”, McCain said “drill here, drill now” and do everything else, too. (Compare to Obama’s speech about how we all have to tighten our belts energy-wise.) In response to the question itself, Obama mentioned “welfare reform”, without much in the way of timeline, details, what changed his mind, etc.<\/p>\n
On the question of “toughest, most gut wrenching decision”, McCain pretty much blows Obama out of the water, mentioning his decision to remain a prisoner in North Vietnam when he could have come home, by taking advantage of his father’s pull as an admiral, but abandoning his fellow prisoners. It isn’t Obama’s fault that he has no such item in his resume, but it highlights the fact that a tyro is running against a lion.<\/p>\n
The faith question: Obama took a fairly conventional line. So is McCain. But McCain is talking about how his faith sustained him in captivity, with a story about a Christian Vietnamese guard who performed what small acts of kindness he could.<\/p>\n
On to abortion: Obama dodged completely the question of when a baby is entitled to human rights. McCain said clearly, “At the moment of conception.”<\/p>\n
On marriage: both say a union of a man and a woman.<\/p>\n
McCain wants to talk about judges early in the interview, and insists that Warren get to it. Warren allows it, asking about McCain’s view of the recent CA court case that legalized gay marriage in CA. McCain disagrees with the judgment.<\/p>\n
McCain: “I am a federalist, and the states should make decisions.”<\/p>\n
Back in the same order of questions:<\/p>\n
Stem cells: McCain is for stem cell research but is “wildly optimistic” that skin cell based stem cells will remove the reason for the debate.<\/p>\n
On evil: What should we do about evil? McCain: “Defeat it.” McCain specifically mentions Bin Laden. And the evil of Al Qaeda around the world, including the US. Obama had wiggled and dodged on this one, seemed to interpret it psychologically, domestically, etc.<\/p>\n
On the question of what judges he would NOT have appointed: Obama said Thomas, Scalia, Roberts. McCain said Souter, Breyer, Ginsburg, Thomas. Specifically mentioned the danger of “legislation from the bench”.<\/p>\n
On faith based community service programs that are government funded: Obama wiggled about allowing institutions to use their own people and people who agree with them using federal money, saying “the devil is in the details.” McCain said straight out that faith based institutions doing good work should be able to choose those with whom they’ll work, even with government funds.<\/p>\n
On education: On the “merit pay” question for teachers, McCain said, “Yes, and find the bad teachers a different line of work.” McCain stressed “choice and competition”. Obama, as usual, was very low on specifics, trying to say he was for it, but only if the teachers agreed on the criteria by which they would be judged… e.g., let the unions decide how merit pay will be assigned.<\/p>\n
On define “rich”, Obama said above $250,000, with $150,000 to $250,000 being “maybe rich”. McCain seems to be avoiding giving a number… says he wants everyone to be rich, is against redistribution in general, mentions small business people who work very long hours, but are considered “rich”, wants to lower taxes, avoid health care system takeover. Said, if you want to pick a number, how about $5,000,000, jokingly, but a guaranteed soundbite for the lefty blogs, of course.<\/p>\n
McCain goes on to say it wasn’t tax policy that was the problem in the last few years, it was spending.<\/p>\n
McCain takes a swipe at congress for going on vacation without voting on drilling. Says he does not want to raise ANYONE’s taxes.<\/p>\n
On security: how to balance right to privacy to right to security? McCain: Stresses need to balance rights, with congressional and judicial oversight, but allowing security agencies to listen to phone calls by terrorist suspects to or from USA, mentions issues with technology changing options, etc.<\/p>\n
Warren: “What is worth dying for?” McCain: “freedom”. Obama’s reply was pretty vague. I TIVO’d and will revisit Obama’s reply to this one. McCain mentions USA military dying for the freedom of “other nations”, also, and mentions that USA is pretty unique in this.<\/p>\n
Warren: would you commit troops to stop genocide? McCain: “Our obligation is to stop genocide wherever it happens.” “We have to do more, martial forces from around the world, supply logistics and aid to African countries who will enforce a cease-fire, but it’s very complicated.” Re: Russia and Georgia: McCain recites details of Russian depredations, Georgian history, ancient and modern, then: “WE have to have honored the territorial integrity of Georgia by Russia.” “The presidents of other former Soviet republics flew to Georgia to express solidarity.” “It’s about Russian control of pipelinem, so they can use leverage against the rest of Europe.” Sadly, McCain seems to have no more specific plan about Georgia than to give humanitarian aid to Georgia and pressure the Russians. It’s a tough problem.<\/p>\n
Warren: What can US do to end religious persecution? McCain: “Other nations want to be like us in this regard.” He has no real solution to offer, though he describes the problem in detail.<\/p>\n
Warren: What can we do to encourage adoption for 148 million orphans around the world? Can we give assistance to Americans who want to adopt them? Obama seemed to be for this, so is McCain. McCain has adopted off shore, and tells short story about it.<\/p>\n
Why do you want to be president? McCain: “I want to inspire people to think beyond their own self-interest.”<\/p>\n
OK, it’s done. And I’ll review the recording I made, try to correct any errors or omissions, but it’ll be a day or two. I have to go practice synthesizer to play for church tomorrow.<\/p>\n