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Stephanopoulos: Connection With Voter Trumps Personal Attacks in Town Hall Style Debates

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October 07, 2008 7:18 PM

ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reports: Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama square off against each other tonight in their second presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

Tonight's debate, moderated by NBC's Tom Brokaw, will feature selected questions from voters out of several hundred thousand questions that have come in over the Internet.

With the electoral battleground tilting in favor of Obama , and less than 28 days to go before Election Day, McCain is growing more strident in his personal attacks against Obama.

In recent days McCain has sought to erode support for Obama by attempting to tie him to 1960s radical William Ayers, and the Republican National Committee is launching a new television ad tomorrow slamming Obama's spending proposals as "crazy."

It's very difficult to launch personal attacks in a town hall debate like this one, where uncommitted voters will have an opportunity to ask the candidates about issues that matter to them.

But both campaigns are preparing for those questions to come from the moderator, campaign aides tell ABC News.

The winner of this town hall debate will be the candidate who establishes a personal connection with the voters who are asking questions in the audience, who act as proxies for voters watching at home.

During the 1992 presidential town hall debate between former President George H.W. Bush and then Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, a woman asked the candidates how the national debt had affected their lives.

Clinton walked toward the woman and asked her questions, but Bush was caught checking his watch.

It was a really important moment in the debate where Clinton seemingly connected with the voter, and Bush came off as aloof.

Bush eventually lost the 1992 election to Clinton.

Tonight, look for those moments where either Obama or McCain establishes a connection with the questioners in the debate hall.

October 7, 2008 in McCain, John, Obama, Barack, Vote 2008: Democrats, Vote 2008: Republicans | Permalink | User Comments (125)

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Center one.

All the other people re not running for president. If there was no other baggage other that Ayers - maybe excusable, but with wright, Rezko, the Saudi - Harvard connection, and a trainload full of other bad baggage - sure shows a pattern of poor judgement re associations.

Posted by: Manitu | Oct 7, 2008 8:15:58 PM

If you are a member of the Catholic Church and you worshipped at a church, did public service for and raised funds for that church who had a pedophile Priest then or at anytime, what does that make you? To use your logic you are a person palling around with pedophiles. Ridiculous, isn't it?

This association thing with Ayers is absurd.

Posted by: Think About It | Oct 7, 2008 8:23:50 PM

What connection does IRS filings have to do with ownership of businesses - you libs through out so called "Facts." But use a shotgun approach to them. Some apply, but many do not. The point is that most European countries are dropping corporate tax rates to compete. If we do not do that - ALL THIS ECONOMIC GOBBLEDEGOOK AS ON THESE SITES IS MEANINGLESS!!

Posted by: Manitu | Oct 7, 2008 8:23:55 PM

Obama, I thank you for pointing out a Palin family connection to an independent group in Alaska. It proves that Todd and Sarah Palin want of separation from the business as usual crowd and the corruption in Washington, D.C. Obama supporters forget their American history of why the American colonies wanted to separate from the mother country England. The Palin family is as American as our ancestors are. The Palin family does not consort with terrorists like has been shown about Obama.

Sarah Palin will bring more change into Washington, D.C. than Obama.
Obama is showing association with Anti-Americans wanting to destroy American values. The Palin family is American in all their values and we do NOT see any Palin friends standing on the American flag. Ayers wiped his feet on the American flag. Obama has proven Anti-American ties that want to destroy America.

No to Obama’s policies that doom America.

Posted by: Truth | Oct 7, 2008 8:24:55 PM

Obama is not known to ever turned away from any terrorist or Anti-Americans. In fact, Obama sat down with terrorists and Anti-Americans. A person can only guess about their Anti-American talks.

No to Obama’s policies that doom America.

Posted by: Truth | Oct 7, 2008 8:25:57 PM

Because global financial markets are woven in a complex web, turmoil in one sector is felt elsewhere. Some wounded financial companies are desperately selling healthy stocks to raise capital to stay afloat, and this heavy selling pressure is forcing down the price of these stocks. The same is being done by leveraged hedge funds that have been hurt by their investments in financial stocks – they need to raise money for shareholders who want out of their fund, so they are selling good stocks to get cash.

The New York Times had an interesting op-ed article on this subject on Sept. 14 titled “Too Few Regulations? No, Just Ineffective Ones" by Tyler Cowen, an economics professor at George Mason University.

One of Cowen’s best observations was "financial regulation has produced a lot of laws and a lot of spending but poor priorities and little success in using the most important laws to head off a disaster. The pattern is reminiscent of how legislators often seem more interested in building new highways - which are highly visible projects - than in maintaining old ones."

He also pointed out that 70,000 new pages of federal regulations in a single year is not an uncommon feat, and that the inflation-adjusted spending by the federal agencies regulating banking and finance has gone up more than 40 percent since 1990.

New rules are what Washington knows how to do best – it’s how legislators measure their worth. And while there are times when new regulations make sense, this isn’t one of those times.

Hearing the solutions offered by Obama and Biden today reduces my confidence in the Democrats. The Democrats do not have the knowledge or the imagination to take on the biggest economic crisis in America since the 1930s.

Under Herbert Hoover, taxes were raised, trade protectionism increased, and the money supply contracted. Sound familiar? Obama’s tax hikes and trade protectionism are Hooveresque and a reminder of the great depression of 1929.

No to Obama’s policies that doom America

Posted by: Truth | Oct 7, 2008 8:27:08 PM


George Stephanopoulos is a democrat.
He worked in Bill Clinton's campaign
at the war room.......
He promotes Obama along with all liberal
media.......
Hey George!!!!!Don't UNDERESTIMATE the
silent vote,the bubba vote and the
redneck vote......The above group didn't
vote on primaries BUT they will vote in
november......The race is wide open ...

Best choice is:
McCAIN/PALIN '08

Posted by: Nicholas | Oct 7, 2008 8:27:24 PM

-- The point is that most European countries are dropping corporate tax rates to compete. If we do not do that - ALL THIS ECONOMIC GOBBLEDEGOOK AS ON THESE SITES IS MEANINGLESS!! --

Don't matter, due to federal tax laws and the loopholes contained, most large corporations do not pay any taxes anyway. Zip.. Nada.. Zilch..

Here is an example:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/10/09/MN3707.DTL

Highlights:

"Cisco Systems, the second-most valuable company in America, paid no federal income taxes for its latest fiscal year thanks to a little-known corporate tax break on employee stock options."

And:

"Microsoft, which ranks No. 4 in market value, did not pay any federal taxes either, it seems. "

Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 7, 2008 8:30:16 PM

When a political party (Dems) has to use the services of organizations such as ACORN, which is pretty much just whole scale voter fraud (Check out Ohio), THAT PARTY IS ON THE WAY OUT!!!!!

Posted by: Manitu | Oct 7, 2008 8:31:59 PM

BTW - talking about McCaon "vs" muslim extremist terrorists, there's a lot more.
Such as:

Americans of Albanian heritage collected a million dollars in one evening for the presidential campaign of Republican Senator John McCain, said the Albanian American Civic League yesterday, the lobby group headed by former Congressman Joe DioGuardi. A reception for McCain was held January 22 at the Saint Regis Hotel in Manhatten, and the senator, who is now leading in the runoff for the Republican party candidacy in the November elections, cut his campaign in Florida by one day to attend this gathering.

"Even in 1998 when we had problems with Milosevic, McCain did everything that we asked of him to the benefit of the Albanian people, including arming the KLA", announced DioGuardi. "We are American Albanians and we need a leader who will strengthen this country... We must support John McCain because he did everything we asked of him for Kosovo, from supporting the Kosovo Liberation Army to supporting the independence of Kosovo. Two years ago he spoke in Brussels and said that independence is the only solution", concluded this former congressman who has been fighting for the independence of Kosovo and Metohija for more than twenty years.

And just who are the KLA that McCain is so fond of-

"The KLA - The Kosovo Liberation Army - is an Islamic terrorist group responsible for beheadings, torture, rape, burning down churches filled with Christians, and other atrocities. To this day, the KLA insurgency continues the systematic persecution and genocidal cleansing of Serbian civilians residing in Albania. The former leaders, enjoying life as high paid politicians in the Albania Government, are unapologetic for the crimes committed."

Posted by: Natasha | Oct 7, 2008 8:34:41 PM

Concerned - just keep believing that MOST big companies pay no corporate taxes. Lots a koolaid here!!

Posted by: Manitu | Oct 7, 2008 8:36:04 PM

The choice is quite easy:

McCain: Tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations and none for those making less than $100,000 a year. (and yet he says he is for 'main street')
Obama: Tax cuts for the majority of working Americans, modest increases for those earning $200,000 or more a year (less than they were under Clintons tax plan)

McCain: Shift health coverage to deregulated private sector with fixed tax credit to all income levels, more Americans would lose coverage (and again, favors the wealthy)
Obama: Provide an additional insurance carrier that would allow more people to get insurance, and with tax cuts to employers providing coverage saving them an annual $140 billion, which would also increase revenue for health providers by increasing insured patients.

McCain: Wants congress to investigate Enron loophole (even though congress has already tried twice to pass bills that would close it, and both were vetoed by Bush)
Obama: Wants to close enron loophole right away, causing an immediate drop in gas prices for all Americans

McCain: Wants to drill for more oil, and build nuclear plants (even though we would not see any output from them for 7-10 years)
Obama: Faster shift towards alternative energy sources and better utilization of existing resources.

McCain: a D- student with a navy background that was dismal in both character and quality (read his book!)
Obama: a Harvard Law school graduate, magna cum laude, and a constitutional law expert

McCain: Military shoot first ask questions later foreign policy stance
Obama: Diplomacy and dialog with military as option of last resort

McCain: No foriegn policy experience except for armed services
Obama: Member foreign relations, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and subcommitties on European, East Asian and Pacific, African affairs as well as International development and security, specalized in International Relations in college.

McCain: Vast majority of introduced bills in Senate are directly related to the military.
Obama: Introduced bills for equal rights, environment, housing, health care, alternative and renewable fuels, safer drugs, constitutional rights, improved fuel economy and other issues relating to a better America and helping Americans.

Looking at the issues and what they would mean to our country, you would have to be as dumb as Bush to not vote for Obama.

Posted by: Natasha | Oct 7, 2008 8:36:10 PM

Taxing corporate America will raise the cost of the products and that will cause higher inflation. What idiot wants to pay more for a product because of higher taxes?

Higher taxes raises gasoline price by 56%. Reducing gasoline taxes would make it easier for Americans to drive their cars.

Americans know better how to spend money than government.

Reduce taxes.

No to Obama’s policies that doom America.

Posted by: Truth | Oct 7, 2008 8:36:36 PM

A list of US Presidents that served their country in the military:
George Washington
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ulysses S. Grant
Andrew Jackson
William H. Harrison
Zachary Taylor
Rutherford B. Hayes
James A. Garfield
Franklin Pierce
Andrew Johnson
Chester A. Arthur
Benjamin Harrison
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James K. Polk
Theodore Roosevelt
James Monroe
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard M. Nixon
William McKinley
Harry S Truman
Gerald Ford
Millard Fillmore
John Tyler
Abraham Lincoln
John F. Kennedy
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
George W. Bush
James Buchanan

John McCain served his country and retired as a naval captain, the equivalent of an army bird colonel . Joe Biden did not service in the military due to having had asthma as a teenager. Obama has no excuse for not serving his country. I guess Obama does not believe in serving his country. Of course, one cannot tell where Obama’s loyalties lay. Obama is content just serving himself.

No to Obama’s wind and ever changing policies to doom America.

Posted by: Truth | Oct 7, 2008 8:38:18 PM

-- Concerned - just keep believing that MOST big companies pay no corporate taxes. Lots a koolaid here!! --

Yup, and McCain has been chugging it.. Just as he tried to pull the corporate tax rate fallacy in the first debate, and Obama kicked it right back in his face stating the fact about tax code loopholes. McCain was unable to refute it.

It is a fallacy. You can change the rates to any number you want, and unless the loopholes are fixed, it don't make a difference.

Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 7, 2008 8:40:30 PM

Higher taxes raises gasoline price by 56%

???????????????????????????

There's no "Truth" in that statemment at all.

Posted by: Distractions Don't Change Our Real Concerns | Oct 7, 2008 8:41:11 PM

Hearing the solutions offered by Obama and Biden reduces my confidence in the Democrats. The Democrats do not have the knowledge or the imagination to take on the biggest economic crisis in America since the 1930s.

Under Herbert Hoover, taxes were raised, trade protectionism increased, and the money supply contracted. Sound familiar? Obama’s tax hikes and trade protectionism are Hooveresque and a reminder of the great depression of 1929.

No to Obama’s policies that doom America.

Posted by: Truth | Oct 7, 2008 8:44:05 PM

-- John McCain served his country and retired as a naval captain, --

Yup, and that is a pretty poor reason to select a president, particularly when their policies would do nothing but continue to drive this country into the ground.

Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 7, 2008 8:44:32 PM

-- Obama’s tax hikes and trade protectionism are Hooveresque and a reminder of the great depression of 1929 --

Hoover was the one who coined the term "trickle down" when he introduced his tax plan, and it was one of the main contributing factors of the great depression.

Posted by: Concerned American | Oct 7, 2008 8:46:23 PM

TRUTH

A note about the executive branch of our government:

The President of the United States was INTENTIONALLY set up as a CIVILIAN position.

Putting on a uniform does not equate to anything. Especially a guy who basically got spoon fed his whole career because his daddy was an admiral.

McCain has not shown himself to be a leader. He is eratic and compulsive. These are not qualities of a President.

Posted by: Read | Oct 7, 2008 8:46:25 PM

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