Debate Coaches: ''Lost McCain Must Up His Game''

[DeSwiss]

Debate coaches: 'Lost' McCain must up game

The Politico | By ANDY BARR | 10/12/08 6:18 PM EDT



Top national debate coaches say John McCain needs to make vast improvements if he wants to best Barack Obama in the final presidential debate on Wednesday — and based on his performance in the two debates held so far, they’re skeptical that the old dog is willing to learn any new tricks. While Obama appeared “steady and consistent” in their encounters, McCain seemed “aimless,” said Emory University debate coach Melissa Maxy Wade.

Reaction polls taken during and immediately after both debates showed that respondents in general, and undecided voters in particular, favored Obama. “Nobody who is coaching McCain would tell him to say ‘my friends,’” said pollster and former national debate champ Matt Towery. “It looks like John McCain is not receiving any professional training from coaches.”

McCain is in fact coached by one of the best in the county, even if that coaching hasn’t been evident in his performances. McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rodgers confirmed that Brett O’Donnell, the former coach of Liberty University, is the Arizona senator’s “only debate coach,” though all of McCain’s senior policy advisers are involved in debate prep.

Since coming to Liberty in 1993, O’Donnell turned Jerry Falwell’s Baptist College into a national debating powerhouse whose previously inexperienced debaters held their own with highly recruited students from more academically prestigious schools. “He ran a really, really good program,” said Wake Forest debate coach Allan Louden, who has prepped Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.). “He was most successful at taking novices and making them great debaters, and that’s what political candidates are, novices.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14510.html">MORE

- All that help, plus Jesus from Liberty U? So I guess its just a coincidence that both McCain and Dole are fighting for their political lives right now. Well, it doesn't matter how much help Libby gets, because she's afraid to debate with Kay Hagen anyway. Plus, she'd actually have to go to North Carolina to do that. So whatever "debate" prep she got from this "successful debate coach," she must be using it on Bob.

Probably debating whether 1 or 2 pills will be enough.....
==============================================================================
DeSwiss


http://www.atheisttoolbox.com/">The Atheist Toolbox




"Prayer is just a way of telling god that his divine plan for
you is flawed -- and shockingly stingy" ~ Betty Bowers

[gateley]

1. "All that help, plus Jesus from Liberty U?"

:)

[DeSwiss]

4. Yeah I know, but its a brand new week....

...and I like to get started early.

[underpants]

6. I have heard of the guy at Liberty being quoted as an expert before

I think Liberty won a debate championship of some kind recently


just saying.

They also won the NCAA cross country championship last year.

[DeSwiss]

15. I wonder what the debate topic was???

And who were the judges???

- Just wonderin....

[KharmaTrain]

2. Gramps Is The Pig Without The Lipstick...

Sounds like his "debate coach" did a hell of a job at the Saddleback forum, but his "student" has failed in dealing with a secular world. His "debating" has been tailored to buck up his poor support by his own base and he's still trying to sell them on his candidacy.

Gramps attempt to re-invent himself as a "mavrick" has been a total bust. He talks about being an outsider, while he runs to the right wing mantras anytime he thinks he's losing support with his horde. This dude sold his soul to Falwell and Rove and the "dark side" and thought they would deliver the election to him...and now it's becoming apparent that's not going to happen. The fun now is to see who blames who for what. The battle between the fundies and the fiscal conservatives and the neo-cons will be quite a show.

I'm hoping Gramps tries to "amp it up" at the next debate. May he be as combative and cranky and angry as ever. Methinks Senator Obama has gotten deep inside his head and this will also rise to the surface as Gramps throws "caution to the wind" and tries to "strong-arm" a win...all but assured to alienate even more moderates and independents and make Senator Obama look even more Presidential.

[gateley]

3. Yeah - at Camelback he could do zingers like "How would you deal with evil?" =

"DEFEAT IT!" :eyes: Whereas in a presidential debate, he might actually have to say HOW he plans to defeat evil. The people in the Camelback audience were already in McCain's pocket, but there will be people watching the debate who are actually looking for information and help in deciding who to vote for.

[KharmaTrain]

7. Actually He Was Trying To Win The Crowd There As Well

Remember, the fundies were all a-twitter about Hucklenutz even after it was obvious Gramps had won the nomination. Few made any note that during the remaining primaries, Gramps margin of victory over either Hucklenutz or Paul or even "undecided" slipped to around 75%...meaning 1 out of 4 GOOPers, even when it was apparent he was going to be the nominee still rejected him.

That forum was his big night to both "embarass" Obama and "win over" the fundies. He had those codewords and talking points down solid. The one that got me was how both quick and robotic his answer about life "starting at conception"...it was as though James Dobson was channeled through him. Note that afterwards his support with that segment went up only slightly...thus he had to turn to Grandma Barracuda to reel 'em in.

Cheers...

[gateley]

11. Good point. nt

[DeSwiss]

5. The short-term memory....

...is the first to go at his age. So he's had to rely upon his talking points, and then he kibbitzes with "my friend" and crap like that when he draws a blank, until something that sounds right finally filters through what's left of his brains.

It'll be interesting to see this "ass whoopin'" he's promised to deliver on Barack in the next debate.

- He'll probably pull out the A-material and get that "layin on of hands" thing or something right before they start so its still fresh....

[KharmaTrain]

8. Zingers Galore...

Gramps "tactics" at this point is to win the daily news cycle...to get his clips and quips on the cables more than Obama's. The debate game has always been who gets in the best shot...or most memorable line. Gramps needs a "You're Not John Kennedy" or "There You Go Again" moment for this debate to have an effect.

Yep...you can see Gramps "hard drive" freeze up when he is confronted with a question he doesn't want to deal with and has to figure out how to spin out of it. His "my friends" is a verbal crutch...something said impulsively while the brain searches for how to finish the rest of the thought. At the last debate he said it 17 times. Any "Hi Bob" players out there would have needed detoxing.

Remember, his "whopping" is limited...his base is expecting Ayers or Muslim or Terrorist...does he dare gamble on pandering to his base, soothing his own shattered ego and blowing it all?

Cheers...

(btw...I have some great comments about those garments of yours, but I better behave :spank:)

[Virginia Dare]

14. He desperately tried to get one in during the two previous debates..

and Obama never really gave him the avenue on which to do it. To the contrary, Obama got him both times with the "bomb bomb bomb Iran" line.

I also think he was so conscious of trying to get zingers out, that he lost opportunities to make salient points.

I tend to think that's why McCain bolted from the last debate so hastily. He knew he'd lost it right there. I wonder if he had a juicy line all ready to go and Obama never played the way they thought he would.

[DeSwiss]

17. The problem for McKeating....

...is that the most salient issues that everyone wants answers to, are the same ones he's the absolute worst at explaining. Particularly when it involves banking scandals the thievery. No one gives a sh*t about Ayers when they're worried if they're going to have a job next week.

- And so who wants to go there????

[Virginia Dare]

20. I know one thing..

I will have my popcorn ready...he's going to have to pull out all the stops in order to please his base.:popcorn:

[DeSwiss]

16. PM me those garment comments!!!

Right away because I could use the laughs!!!

:rofl:

[leftchick]

9. well when you deal with old dogs......

you know the rest

[DeSwiss]

18. Hmmm.... the rest?

Does it have anything to do with dog breath???

[radfringe]

10. just a suggestion

[DeSwiss]

19. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

:rofl:

- Gonna need a lot of Nair too.....

[Orsino]

12. It's a different game this year...

...and McCain's got none. "Upping" it is only going to make him look more ridiculous.

[DeSwiss]

21. Which is quite an accomplishment in itself....

...given that I've always thought his whole political career was ridiculous. I never bought into that War Hero crappola, I'm sorry. I think the man is seriously disturbed.

- However, being rich and powerful has proven to be excellant cover for his insanity...

[Orsino]

23. Insane + wealth = eccentricity. n/t

[Berry Cool]

13. My advice for McCain:

"Obama has upped his game. Now, up yours."

[DeSwiss]

22. Hello!!! Fellow PFLAG Member!!!

And I think his game has been "upped" as far as he can go.