The debates will allow the people to see the real candidates and Obama will win in a landslide.

[jenmito]

Up until the debates, people who don't really follow politics only know what they see in ads or in McCain-favoring news articles/reports. So people probably still think McCain is the "straight-talking maverick" and Obama is the "arrogant celebrity/empty suit." That will ALL change once people get to see these 2 candidates side by side, their positions made clear, and their "presidentiality" on full display. The people will finally see the truth andn FLOCK to Obama. No doubt.

[phantom power]

1. That depends completely on the debate format.

[peace13]

4. Has there been any discussion of format yet?

I suggest sixty minutes of self guided debate with the candidates asking the questions of their choosing to each other. They can use a timer to keep time. If I were Obama a would think long and hard about having mediators of the caliber of those in the primary. That was ugly and dishonest.

[phantom power]

17. I'm not aware of any negotiations on format yet.

[Virginia Dare]

33. Rahm Emmanuel is the negotiator for the Dems..

and he's a total ASSHOLE, so I have high hopes for Obama coming out pretty well.

[jenmito]

5. I heard a while ago that 2 of the 3 will have them seated which is to McCain's advantage...

but I don't think McCain can do better than McCain no matter WHAT the format.

[phantom power]

16. I think Obama will have advantage of telegenic-ness and charisma...

in most formats. The main problem I foresee is that most modern debate content and moderation tends toward trivializing The Issues, and that generally favors Republicans.

[jenmito]

21. I agree. But at least the format will be that each person gets the same question

so they can't give different questions to each candidate.

[TooBigaTent]

2. Sen. Obama will have to be careful not to do ANYTHING that can be spun by the rw media -

ala Al Gore "threateningly approaching" the chimp back in 2000.

But I agree that IF he avoids the traps that will be set for him, any sane person watching will see the truth of comparing the two.

But - that word "sane" is critical. Some people just cannot hear the truth.

[napi21]

3. Hmmm...maybe. Remember, we thought the same thing about

Gore & Kerry v/s Shrub! That didn't turn out too good, did it?

[Christa]

6. You just beat me to it. NT.

[highplainsdem]

8. I was just going to say the same thing.

[Zynx]

7. The debates put Kerry back in the race. Prior to the debates he was trailing badly.

Bush met the threshold for most people in 2000 during the debates. Had it not been for the debates, Gore would have won easily.

[jenmito]

12. That's right. The swiftboat liars messed him up badly. And you're right

about Gore, too.

[jenmito]

9. Yeah, but neither one of them compares to Obama with his combo of temperment,

appearance, intelligence, and style. Gore and Kerry were both very intelligent, but didn't have the whole package.

[napi21]

22. I don't disagree with you, but you can't overlook how a lot of voters think!

They don't pay any attention to the issues, positions of the candidates, or promises they make. They look at their TV screen and say "Hey, I like that guy!" Ask people WHY they're supporting a particular candidate. Most will say, "Uhhh, I don't know. I just like him!" Believe me, I've heard it far too many times! The only things that SOMETIMES gets through to them is if there's a BIG scandal that everybody's talking about and they can't avoid hearing about.

I heard an interesting point on the radio this AM. The host asked his guest why, given the current situation in the country, is Obama tied? He mentioned several things. Barack didn't really get a bounce from his European trip because a lot of his younger supporters saw him over there as much the same as other politicians and they BELIEVED he was different! His vote in favor of protecting the telecom cos just reinforced that, so those supporters have backed off from their enthusiastic support. They now think he's too much more of the SOS. I have no idea if that's true or not, but it sounds plausible.

[jenmito]

25. If people DO just look at their TV screens and declare they like that guy, Obama will win

big when compared side by side to McCain. Bush looked like a "fun" guy maybe to people who didn't really care about the positions, compared to Gore and Kerry. But I thihnk Obama I will look like the fun, cool guy, too, compared to McCain-especially if he's able to get under McCain's skin.

[Virginia Dare]

36. They are also very easily manipulated by the media..

I remember how in the first debate with Kerry, Bush came off as a complete lunatic. The second debate he acted like a drugged out zombie. The media never noticed.

[Virginia Dare]

35. Neither had Obama's ability to connect with an audience consistently though..

I think Obama has an edge over both Gore and Kerry in debating. The shrub was actually a pretty decent debater back in 2000 before his mind got fried by Cheney and the CIA. In 2004 it was just blatant media bias because he came across as a lunatic and a drunk.

[AndyTiedye]

10. If We Could Win With Debates, John Kerry Would Have Won in a Landslide 4 Years Ago

[jenmito]

13. He came back big after being slimed by the swiftboat liars. n/t

[Arnold Judas Rimmer]

11. Without a doubt, a proper debate would do exactly that.

But in a proper debate, either Gore or Kerry would have mopped the floor with Half Assed Monkey Boy. As far as I'm concerned, both did, but the corporate media was able to spin it otherwise.

The Jim Lehrer moderated debate will probably go well, but it's Brokaw and especially Scheiffer that I'm concerned about. They might well favor McCain even more than their counterparts in the last two election cycles favored Bush.

It's time to bring back a REAL debate format, sponsored by the League of Women Voters or some other non partisan, non corporate entity.

[jenmito]

15. I think Obama, like JFK, will shine in the debates by visuals alone...

Shallow, yes. But he not only acts cool under fire but LOOKS cool under fire.

[TrogL]

14. The American public has been trained to distain anything intellectual

Obama will speak well and will immediately lose status.

[jenmito]

19. McCain will look and sound like a confused, grouchy old man and will lose status.

[hisownpetard]

24. Ahh, yes - but the minute McCain smiles and shows those pearly yellows...

the audience will melt.
Right?

[jenmito]

26. Nope. And I really think McCain underestimates Obama and will get angry

once Obama hits him with the truth and some sarcasm.

[hisownpetard]

28. I think McCain will be medicated before the debate to avoid just that from occurring.

But, boy, it'd be great if it does happen!

He is definitely a loose cannon.

[jenmito]

30. I don't think he'll be medicated. I think they think he's "on his game" when he's "feisty."

But he'll just look angry and grouchy.

[hisownpetard]

31. Feisty, yes - but not when he's sputtering and stuttering and red-faced as a pimiento.

[jenmito]

34. I agree. I don't think they are planning on Obama getting under his skin.

[DeeDeeNY]

38. I wonder if he’ll hear the feed from his wire

Like W did

[Virginia Dare]

32. Like they did to Bush before the second Kerry debate..

the first debate he was like a raving lunatic. The second one he was like a zombie.

[madwivoter]

43. McTiregauge will definitely show his true colors during the upcoming debates

Grumpy. He has yet to show much in the public eye as far as his temper goes, but I think all we have to do is wait for it... :popcorn:

Stiff. His body language could not be worse.

Uninformed. Self-explanatory.

Confused. Always.

[rufus dog]

18. Agreed

My opinion changed over the past week. The Sturgis performance put me over the top. It will be close to impossible for the media to spin McCain as a winner if he stumbles and bumbles his way through questions.

[Major Hogwash]

20. Well, there's only 90 days left until election day, so I hope you're right.

This country can not afford a 3rd Bush term and I haven't seen any ads attacking McCain for acting like a Bush wannabe yet.

I think that they need to use an ad with Bush talking, giving a speech and then have a smaller McCain walk into the picture as a Bush mini-me and mimic the same movements of Bush as he talks to get the point across.

We need a Mike Meyers on the Obama team, someone with a sense of humor, but who can also get the point across in just a minute or so.

[onenote]

23. Define "landslide"

In all likelihood, this election is going to be close, both in terms of popular vote and electoral college vote. That certainly is what history would suggest.

[jenmito]

27. He'll win by too much for the Repubs. to be able to steal it. n/t

[Whisp]

29. I'm not sure of that.

I know for a fact that Obama can wipe the floor with McCain - I thought Kerry handily won all the debates against Bush - but the media twisted it into something grotesque and painted Bush as the winner overall.

They'll have a much more difficult time this time around, but will try to skew it in favor of McCain, like they've been doing all along - coddling the maggot - I guess we just have to wait to see how much over the line they go and be called out on it in numbers so unprecedented they'll have to pay attention.

I think this is Obama's ace in the hole like no other - he's got a lot of regular people covering his back - not so much the hoity toity dems (wtf Are they?)

[Alter Ego]

37. Reagan/Carter in 1980 happened much this way.

People didn't gravitate to ol' Ronnie Raygun until the second debate.

[jenmito]

40. I heard that...

and I think it's going to be exactly the same way-right down to the "celebrity" label.

[totodeinhere]

39. I wish I were as sure about that as you seem to be. But I'm not.

If politics is anything, it's unpredictable. We have no way of knowing how the media will spin those debates so unless you have a crystal ball I'd just wait until the debates actually happen if I were you.

[jenmito]

41. I DO have a crystal ball...

so I'm sure about it. :D

[jesus_of_suburbia]

42. Obama vs McCain? Obama will wipe the floor.

We've got this one my fellow DU'ers

[a kennedy]

44. I remember saying that about the Kerry * debates......

how Kerry would win by a landslide.... :cry: :cry: :cry: