Musings on the debate

John McCain doesn't have a clue what I go through when I need to get my Prozac refilled, but can't go to the doctor because I can't afford it. When Barack Obama looks at the camera and tells me that he wants to get me insurance, I believe him.

If I were a single issue voter, I think my feminist side would win out. The fact that John McCain voted against the Violence against Women Act—and just doesn't seem to care very much in general about women's rights—really pisses me off.

I can't imagine what a freeze on spending would do. How can you freeze spending on education, or health care?

I'm biased, but I appreciate that Obama isn't afraid to say that, yes, we do need to spend more here and now sometimes in order to make the future better (like for education and preventive medicine).

What is a family? Don't single people need support as well? And why doesn't anyone talk about the lower classes? Why do candidates only talk about the middle class?

I keep wondering why both candidates think Columbia and the Middle East are so bad.

Great Obama quotes: “I don't think America's youth are interest groups.” “We need to disagree without being disagreeable.”

Horrid McCain jibes: “Senator Obama is a very eloquent talker.” --Insert annoying interruption here.--

McCain says he's a federalist (fan of states' rights) when it comes to some things (like abortion). But he wants to keep education in the hands of the central government??

Great question posed by a CNN analyst: “How can you change Washington when you've been there longer than the Lincoln Memorial?”

I think class warfare is a pretty important concept, actually. And spreading the wealth is a good thing.

I'm not sure what's wrong with Obama being “professorial” in his debates. I rather like professors.

Hillary Clinton shows amazing composure and grace in campaigning for Obama.

The gender reaction differences during the debate were astounding. Women were far more likely to have positive feelings toward Obama's arguments, while men were a bit more likely to like McCain. When Obama mentioned cars, though, the men's positive feelings jumped (noted first by my male roommate, not me :)).