Judgment vs. Experience: A Viewing Guide
It’s not easy to grade debates — winners and losers being a matter of perception — but one way to watch tonight’s debate is by counting the number of times Sen. Barack Obama cites his judgment in some way, and how many times Sen. John McCain cites his experience.
This is the crux of their competing foreign-policy arguments. Obama argues that he has superior judgment, typically citing his early opposition to the Iraq war, as contrasted with McCain’s long held support for the war.
McCain argues that he’s got the requisite experience, painting Obama as a naïve idealist who’d do things like meet unconditionally with leaders of rogue nations.
The topic matter — foreign policy — is probably a slight McCain advantage. But remember that the Obama camp asked that the topics be switched so this would be what they talk about in the first debate.
Another thought: Has McCain’s conduct these past two weeks — the halting, stop-and-start efforts around the economy — created an additional hurdle for him tonight? Or is there more pressure on Obama, who needs to be seen as a commander-in-chief, as well as a good campaign closer?
I’ll be blogging during the debate itself — but offline in the 8 pm – 9 pm ET hour, where I’ll be on ABC NewsNOW with Sam Donaldson anchoring our coverage.
Watch it HERE.
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Except that McCain has Judgement and Experience and Obama has neither.
So it’s an easy choice.
Posted by: s.b. | September 26, 2008, 7:42 pm 7:42 pm
s.b.,
You are funny. McCain has oldness, and lobbyist. You think he’s going to change anything? Obama has brains, where McCain does not.
Your’s truly.
Posted by: haha | September 26, 2008, 7:55 pm 7:55 pm
Obama: Full of hot air and BS – taking credit where none is due and slinging mud at those who actually accomplish something.
Posted by: Soetoro_NO! | September 26, 2008, 8:05 pm 8:05 pm
The ONLY important things to know about Obama are who his closest friends and advisors have been over the past couple of decades: The racist,anti-American Jeremiah Wright, the Communist terrorist Bill Ayers, and the crook Tony Rezko. Either Obama agreed with what these people were saying and doing which disqualifies him from being President, or, his judgement is so flawed that he didn’t know enough to dump them decades ago which, again, disqualifies him from being President of the U.S.
Posted by: Ron | September 26, 2008, 8:07 pm 8:07 pm
Obama has more of the kind of experience that matters than McCain does, and clearly has better Judgement.
Just look at the Iraq war… Obama called it a “dumb war” and urged congress to vote against it, but McCain voted with Bush for the war.
On the most important decision this decade, Obama was right and McCain was
wrong. Not sure what “experience” McCain has, except lots of experience being wrong.
Posted by: clifton | September 26, 2008, 8:07 pm 8:07 pm
Obama: Full of hot air and BS – taking credit where none is due and slinging mud at those who actually accomplish something.
Posted by: Soetoro_NEVER! | September 26, 2008, 8:07 pm 8:07 pm
McCain has all the experience but Obama has good judgment. McCain is more reactive while Obama is pro active.
McCain has shown that he is unstable both on the issues and temparament which he displayed in full mode this week. I dont want McCain as commander in chief.
Obama 08. Judgment over experience.
Posted by: Krista | September 26, 2008, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm
Rezko? Ayers? Wow, Ron knows 2 words!
Not sure what Rezko and Ayers did (and no no really cares), but I do know that McCain’s friends include Bush and Cheyney, whose crimes include lying to the American people in order to start a war of lies that killed 4,178 Americans.
What again did Rezko and Ayers do? Did they kill 4,178 Americans?
Posted by: clifton | September 26, 2008, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm
Obama 08. Judgment over experience.\
– Krista
The only experience McCain has is being stupid. His experience includes voting for the War in Iraq, and appointing Sarah Palin to succeed him.
Obama has both the experience, and the judgement, to be President. McCain has neither.
Posted by: clifton | September 26, 2008, 8:11 pm 8:11 pm
McCain will push for more of the same.
The same unnecessary war in Iraq.
The same economic policies that have led to the mess we’re in how.
The same borrow and spend policies of the last 8 years.
One difference, McCain may well break out into his rendition of ‘bomb bomb bomb Iran’
OBAMA!
Posted by: Gus | September 26, 2008, 8:13 pm 8:13 pm
Obama 08. The Common sense choice.
Posted by: keith | September 26, 2008, 8:16 pm 8:16 pm
McCain is already running ads about winning the debate. This is real arrogance.
Obama 08. Vote for good judgment.
Posted by: krista | September 26, 2008, 8:17 pm 8:17 pm
McCain wanted to chicken out of this debate because he couldnt debate Obama. Obama has shown superior judgment over McCain on a whole host of issues ranging from talking to Iran, Iraq, Surege in Afghanistan etc.
All the 6 former secretaries of state agree with Obama. This is what you call judgment.
Obama 08.
Posted by: keith | September 26, 2008, 8:27 pm 8:27 pm
Unfortunately McCain cannot lie on stage because he would be exposed by Obama.
Posted by: Krista | September 26, 2008, 8:29 pm 8:29 pm
I cannot trust McCain on judgement. He displayed a poor judgment in chosing the worst VP in history.
Posted by: keith | September 26, 2008, 8:34 pm 8:34 pm
The fruit of McCain’s experience and judgment?
SARAH PALIN.
OBAMA = LEADER
McCAIN = LOSER
Posted by: Ed from MA | September 26, 2008, 8:35 pm 8:35 pm
My question to all of you support Senator Obama – what has he done to justify being CEO of the largest company in America? What has he ever managed?
Not being negative about him, but the above questions are very difficult to ignore
Posted by: bob hayers | September 26, 2008, 8:36 pm 8:36 pm
Bob Hayes
Obama has been an community organizer, illioise senator and a US senotor.
What has McCain done apart from grounding 5 planes and sinking a ship?
What did Bush do to deserve to become POTUS?
Posted by: keith | September 26, 2008, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm
If you’ve ever seen Senator Obama work with the most fragile of our country, you’d know why he’s leading and won’t look back.
Posted by: Yelfpmets | September 26, 2008, 9:03 pm 9:03 pm
Obama talks about the American people as people or families. McCain talks about the American people as workers.
McCain doesn’t know what it’s like to work for a living or to think about losing his only asset, his home. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and his wife is filthy rich. Are they worried about their future?
Posted by: rlbw | September 26, 2008, 9:20 pm 9:20 pm
McCain killed a corrupt Boing Aircraft Tanker contract and bureaucrats ended up in prison.
You can’t get any tougher than that to prove you are a budget balancer.
Posted by: abcblogger | September 26, 2008, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm
Boeing
Posted by: abcblogger | September 26, 2008, 9:33 pm 9:33 pm
I liked McCain’s response to Obama’s harping on his early opposition to the war when McCain said that the decision facing the next president was not was it right to start the war but how to end it. Obama can’t get out of the past on that subject.
Posted by: Charlie35 | September 26, 2008, 9:53 pm 9:53 pm
McCain keeps harping on the past. The past includes the big lie to the American people by the cowardly Bush jr who would not fight a war and who will not send his daughters.
Posted by: Stevew3 | September 26, 2008, 10:03 pm 10:03 pm
Wow that is rich. Sanctions against Iran. Didn’t the republicans say this was a failed policy and why Iraq had WMD when it did not?
The same old lies, the same old big scares, the same old mcCarthyism.
Posted by: Stevew3 | September 26, 2008, 10:06 pm 10:06 pm
Wow. McCain: 0 Obama: 1
Posted by: Concerned American | September 26, 2008, 10:39 pm 10:39 pm
I was not impressed with either of the candidates.
Posted by: BikernAz11 | September 26, 2008, 10:43 pm 10:43 pm
Concerned American—- No sir, it’s more like Obama 0 McCain 0
Posted by: BikernAz11 | September 26, 2008, 10:44 pm 10:44 pm
Obama was not afriad to look at McCain why couldn’t Mccain look at Obama. Obama got his point across, he will do a great job as president. He gave a strong performance
Posted by: Barb | September 26, 2008, 10:45 pm 10:45 pm
It’s amazing how little most Americans know about the history of our past conflicts and about the analysis of those conflicts in the years since.
It is certainly easy to point fingers and assign blame. Especially when the facts we everyday Americans receive are filtered through the media.
I have never been a huge fan of President Bush, but, I do admire that he is willing to make decisions based on what he feels is the right thing to do. At least, thank goodness, Bush hasn’t let the polls dictate his decision like the Clintons!
Now to Obama and McCain – I don’t trust either of them! But, I trust Obama less. Electing Carter was one of the worst mistakes in the 20th century – because he held a simplistic view of the world! [my word] “Oh if we’re just nice, give ‘em a glass of tea, and talk we can get those tyrants to play nice!”
The rest of the world does not hold the same regard for humanity that we do in the USA!
And, as simplistic as this may be, I wouldn’t vote for Obama because he is a Democrat! As long as Bill and Hillary Clinton are Democrats I’ll never vote for a Democrat. Bill’s tryst with Lewinsky sealed that decision. How dare he sully the Office of the President of the United States!!! And, worse, how dare the Democratic party give him a SLAP on the wrist.
I don’t expect our leaders to be perfect, but, they are held to a higher standard because of their office. Any place else BUT the oval office!!!
Posted by: GladI'mNotShortSighted | September 26, 2008, 11:03 pm 11:03 pm
John McCain’s answer to everything is bomb-bomb-bomb Iran, a cheesy smile, and a hike on the balls of his feet behind the podium. Enough UNETHICAL WAR, enough spending on AN UNETHICAL WAR…If it had REALLY been RIGHTEOUS AND successful, we would have no problems now with our economy. Under John McCain style reasoning, we would continue to send precious United States resources, the most precious our young people, and upward of a trillion dollars. The war machine is a BIG MONEY MAKER for many like John and Cindy McCain. He is the one so naive as to believe THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD BELIEVE THAT we went into Iraq hunting for “weapons of destruction” that by the way were NON EXISTENT. He knows we went in to destroy that country to make it our own and it backfired. Now, Iraq has a surplus, and we are deeply in dept. NO MORE WAR. NO MCCAIN.
Posted by: Terresa | September 26, 2008, 11:05 pm 11:05 pm
John McCain’s answer to everything is bomb-bomb-bomb Iran, a cheesy smile, and a hike on the balls of his feet behind the podium. Enough WAR, enough spending on WAR…If it had been successful, we would have no problems now with our economy. Under John McCain style reasoning, we would continue to send precious United States resources, the most precious our young people, and upward of a trillion dollars. The war machine is a BIG MONEY MAKER for many like John and Cindy McCain. He is the one so naive as to believe we that the public would believe that we went into Iraq hunting for “weapons of destruction” that by the way were NON EXISTENT. He knows we went in to destroy that country to make it our own and it backfired. Now, Iraq has a surplus, and we are deeply in dept. NO MORE WAR. NO MCCAIN.
Posted by: Terresa | September 26, 2008, 11:13 pm 11:13 pm
Clearly, this is another debate where the news was looking for a clear cut winner and there wasn’t one. Sorry everyone. Put away your ‘Go [insert candidate’s name here’ gear. Independants will decide this election and this debate did nothing to sway anyone one way or another.
Posted by: jbr111 | September 26, 2008, 11:20 pm 11:20 pm
Geo. Bush had experience going into his 1st term and had his father to advise him. In his 2nd term you would think he would draw on all that “experience” instead look at the mess he has made. Im tired of all the people talking about experience. Neither McCain or Obama have presidential experience. The only people who have it are past presidents. Geo. Bush is the “poster child” for “experience means nothing”. Vote for change
Posted by: workerman | September 26, 2008, 11:34 pm 11:34 pm
I agree vote for change. MCCain will change Washington and get rid of the earmarks for the butterfly and to see how tall the grass grows in praires.
Posted by: Pam Storts | September 26, 2008, 11:37 pm 11:37 pm
There was no clear winner in my opinion. The only thing I noticed was Obama veering off the question at hand & changing the subject to fit his needs. McCain did a pretty good job at going after Obama. McCain though needs to brush up on the economy issues & also lay off the attacks on Obama in the experience thing.
Posted by: Matt | September 26, 2008, 11:41 pm 11:41 pm
GladI’mNotShortSighted,
How can you consider voting for McCain given your logic since he met his current wife at a bar while he was still married? Yet you hold Obama, who is married to his first wife, accountable for someone else’s actions solely becasue they are in the same party? I pray you don’t live in a swing state.
Posted by: derek | September 27, 2008, 1:14 am 1:14 am
I am attaching this post from NoQuarter. Despite all the rigged polls through the MSM, this military wife catches Obama’s big lie.
Comment by Holden Caulfield | 2008-09-26 23:37:35
During the presidential debate, John McCain humbly mentioned wearing a bracelet in honor of a dead soldier and promptly shared the name of that soldier with us. Then Obama did something I found absolutely appalling. Obama said, “I gotta bracelet too, it’s uh, uh,…” and then he had to look down to read the name on the bracelet because he could not remember who the soldier was. As a military wife of a war veteran, this relayed clearly to me that Obama wears the bracelet bearing a dead soldier’s name as a political prop with no thought of the individual who made the ultimate sacrifice in giving his life in service to our country. I sincerely hope the American public sees Obama’s awful, heartless disrespect to the military shown over and over again in an internet or TV clip so the media can’t ignore it in their quest to bury Obama’s blunders.
Posted by: Democrat All My LIfe | September 27, 2008, 4:04 am 4:04 am
Obama says he will give the middle class a tax break and increase the taxes on the wealthy and corporations. Many of the “wealthy” are small business people who run subchapter “s” corporations, there the business income is listed on the owner’s 1040 tax form. Increasing this persons tax will result in his having to increase the cost of his products and services, which will be passed on to the consumer, resulting in a tax increase. Economics 101.
Likewise, corporations, in order to maintain their stockholder dividends, and keep their business competitive, will have to increase the prices of their goods and services which will be passed on to the consumer, resulting in the equivalent of a tax increase. Again, economics 101. Obama does’nt get it!!
Posted by: Cecil L. Cline | September 27, 2008, 10:40 am 10:40 am
To Democrat all my Life:
I find that when any politician starts talking about the bracelets they wear on their wrists, it sounds disrespectful. How dare anyone use the death of one soldier as a political tool.
Any politician who uses the names of any of these heroes for their political gains is guilty of shameless pandering.
McCain is the king of pandering. His president lied to begin a war that has killed or maimed thousands of brave young men and women. He has lied throughout this campaign and shown serious lack of judgment by choosing a lightweight as his running mate.
Now is not the time to reconsider your party lines. If McCain hadn’t mentioned his bracelet, then Obama wouldn’t have either. After all the country is facing trillions of dollars in debt created by an irresponsible, greedy, and arrogant republican party.
Posted by: Kate Fergus | September 27, 2008, 4:26 pm 4:26 pm
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Posted by: shqf nadz | October 26, 2008, 12:20 am 12:20 am