Dartblog

Tonight, hundreds of Dartmouth students are gathered in the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy to watch the first presidential debate. Sitting in the College Republicans room, I have a few initial reactions. First, Dartmouth students are excited about this election. They understand what is at stake and they are fired up about their candidates.

My favorite McCain zinger so far was about the million dollars a day of pork barrel spending that Obama has requested each day that he has been in office in the United States Senate.

9:42: Obama declares he will never hesitate to use military force. Somehow, I’m skeptical.

9:43: McCain responds that the next President of the United States will not be deciding whether it was right or wrong to enter Iraq. He will be deciding how to run the war, and how to leave Iraq. Obama’s focused on the causes rather than the solution. Worse, he still says he would vote against the surge which even he has conceded was an extraordinary success.

9:44: Obama is relying on Biden to explain away his lack of interest in meetings with Petraeus and in visiting Iraq.

9:45: “I’m afraid Senator Obama doesn’t understand the difference between a strategy and a tactic.” McCain wants us to point out that soldiers want us to let us win! Obama knows he’s being destroyed and keeps trying to interrupt, which does not look great for him.

9:49: These two are going at it so violently you can barely hear what they are saying. Quite exciting! I do like to see them argue especially when Senator McCain seems to be at the top of his game.

9:50: McCain suggests that Obama would like to “snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”. Apropos for the war in Iraq and for the election in general.

9:52: Is anyone else bothered by the way that Obama pronounces Pakistan? It sets him apart from the average American who pronounces it “pack-istan” not “pock-istan”. I know that is probably the proper pronounciation but it seems to speak to his European rather than American attitude.

9:53: John McCain knows how to pronounce Pakistan like the average Joe. That may not matter to arrogant types who make pompous statements like “I could never vote for someone who doesn’t know what the Bush Doctrine is”. Just a note to those of you out there who have thought this, outside of political science and government circles, the Bush Doctrine is not exactly well known. Maybe someone who has been busy with the business of governing has not had time to read the latest political science journals.

10:00: The battle of the bracelets. Do not let my son die in vain versus do not let someone else lose their son. I can understand both positions, but I think both relate to necessary victory in Iraq.

10:02: Obama may be a big talker, but it looks like he just can not back it up. Each time he seems to get a good point in, McCain has a brilliant response about Obama’s misunderstanding of the situation and lack of interest in personally visiting the conflict region.

10:06: Obama seems wistful about the good old days of Saddam Hussein. He must be very popular with terrorist and totalitarian viewers.

10:08: McCain’s tie is a bit distracting. Let’s stick to solid colors or bigger stripes in the future. Obama’s knot is leaning to his right though I doubt that it is convincing anyone that his political leanings lie anywhere other than the far left.

10:12: Great zinger on Obama’s “presidential seal”. By now I think it is clear that McCain has two points:
1) Obama does not understand foreign policy.
2) Obama has no interest in seeing for himself or involving himself in politics that could affect his own political futures.

10:15: The dismissiveness of McCain towards Obama’s comments is brilliant. It puts him right back where he needs to be- in the driver’s seat on foreign policy.

10:17: Obama needs to look at a map. Support the fledgling democracies in the region of Georgia…Estonia and Latvia. Those aren’t states in the Caucasus. Hate to break it you, perhaps it would be better to mention Armenia and Azerbaijan.

10:21: I bet Obama is wishing that Biden was standing in against McCain during this debate.

10:31: McCain is now tying one of what I believe to be one of Obama’s strongest points- America’s loss of credibility abroad to victory in Iraq. I’m not sure that I buy it to be honest. We’ve lost credibility because of going it alone, but also because Europeans are a bit gun shy of military conflict. I think it was to be expected. Our credibility can only be rebuilt as we demonstrate our willingness to consult with our allies. Then perhaps leaders of those other countries come to see military power as but another tool in our foreign policy arsenal. Speak softly and carry a big stick is not such a bad motto for the 21st century.