We all watched last night’s debates, and it was both a clash of titans and a last ditch effort by both Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain to show America what they are made of. How they did depends largely on what you were looking for. McCain came out swinging: less robotic, more passionate and feisty. Obama came across as more of a teacher schooling a class. It’s rare when you can say that a Black man comes across as too intellectual, but many of the pundits are spinning his appearance that way.

I think the best thing about the debates is that they’ve been great indicators of how these people deal with stress and confrontation. If you like cool and laid back, then you probably scored for Obama (as did most polls which say 53 percent of viewers gave the debate to Obama). They feel it was a win for Obama as he has fought the steadier battle: his punches have connected more accurately and scored more points with voters than McCain’s.

However, if you like someone who deals with confrontation with a bit more hardcore aggression, you may have scored for McCain who is getting props from his base for finally getting in the mix and putting his credentials on the table to be scrutinized. They also liked that he faced off with Obama on William Ayers and pinning down on some specifics of his tax plan. This is what his supporters have been waiting for and word on the streets is that McCain’s base is more energized than ever. Of course, it’s about a day late by and a dollar short, but, as they say with all things, it ain’t over ’till it’s over, and the last ballot has been counted.

What do you think? Who won the debates last night, and overall?  Tell us here.

Images courtesy of dailyrepublic.com.
 
(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

Gov. Sarah Palin was talking to regular folks last night when she debated Sen Joe Biden, but I don’t know if she was talking to folks like us. Going in, there was a danger that Biden, who has a rep in the streets for hard talk, would Deebo-up on Palin and make the Democrats look bad. Instead, he used Palin as a way to deflect to Sen. John McCain and his policies, and this was a brilliant way to debate the issues and not the individual. There is no way for a man to take on a woman and come out looking good, no matter what it is.
 
Palin played to her strength by turning on that coupon-clipping, mini-van driving hockey-mom charm with a wink and nod. But how many Black moms are driving their kids to hockey practice? The “hockey mom” is a statement about class: poor people, or people struggling, who can’t afford all the gear it takes for their kids to play the sport. And hockey is just not that popular with the brothers.  For me, all the talk of hockey moms and Joe Sixpack was more code for middle class White America. She was reaching out, but she was reaching out to them, not US. Think about it—who do you know who even drinks beer out of a can anymore?
 
Palin did better than most thought she would do, but she should have never been underestimated. She’s a quick-study who has learned how to play to her strengths and diffuse her weaknesses. She used her girlish charm to deflect questions and move the dialog the way she wanted to go. By playing the hapless Washington outsider, she was able to steer the conversation. Her cutesy-poo antics were YouTube moments that will keep the electorate talking. A CNN poll shows that most people think that Biden bested her, and he may have, but Palin left the best impression. She redeemed herself with her base. But what’s clearer now than it has ever been is that she’s not talking to people like us. She’s talking to people that look like her and go to her moose lodge and eat whale fat and cheer at hockey games. I didn’t see a fan of diversity or cultural awareness. I saw someone touting one culture, for one America. Hockey moms and six-packers unite: all others, beware.

What do you think?  Did you relate to Sarah Palin’s straight talk for America?  Tell us here.

Images courtesy of abcnews.com

(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One.  TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)