Notes on First 2008 Presidential Debate.
Arrows indicate person who spoke first (on a per row
basis.)
1st-Barack Obama Questions
Jim Lehrer
Initial Response
-Believes government ‘bailout’
should be used to protect taxpayers
and not “pad wallets” of CEOs.
-Plan must be responsible and has
oversight.
-Current economic state can be
blamed on Bush + McCain
policies.
Rebuttals
-Realized last year that there
would be economic problems this
year.
-We will have to intervene, but
will also have to look at how
regulations were ignored, and
McCain believes that government
regulation is bad.
-We need responsibility, but even
before a bad event happens.
Healthcare system broken, energy
policy not working.
-“John, 5 days ago, you said the
economy was sound.”
Initial Response
-Suspended earmark spending for
his state.
-McCain proposed $300 bill in tax
cuts for corporations.
-Grow the economy from the
bottom up, tax cut for 95% of
American families.
Rebuttals
-Tax breaks for companies that
invest in US
-Health system for everyone to
have basic coverage.
-These are important programs.
-Will “go line by line” to spend
more wisely.
-McCain’s tax policies rewards
those doing well and neglects
those doing poorly.
2nd-John McCain
< -Criticizing Democrats and
Where do you Republicans that they could not
stand on the work together until Republicans
financial took the lead. (FALSE:
recovery plan? Republicans abstained from much
of the initial negotiations)
< -Warned about corporate greed.
-Eisenhower wrote 2 letters, one of
congratulations and resignation.->
Lost accountability. We need
accountability/responsibility.
< -“We have a long way to go.”
-Consolidation of regulatory
agencies that weren’t doing their
job.
“Fundamental belief in the
goodness of the American
worker…United States of
America.”
> -Earmarking is a gateway to out of
What would control spending.
you do different -Obama spent over $932 million
from Obama on on earmarks.
economic
policy?
> -Obama suspended pork-barrel
projects after his start of
presidential campaign.
-Has fought against earmarks,
called “Sheriff”
-Obama proposed $800 billion in
new spending, he wants to cut
spending.
 -Business taxes are high here, but > -Wants to cut business tax to keep
McCain has supported many Your policy on businesses + create jobs.
loopholes in tax code, our tax cuts -Wants everyone to have a $5000
businesses have some of lowest tax credit to purchase own
taxes in the world. healthcare.
-McCain wants to add additional -Worse thing to do is to raise taxes.
tax cuts over loopholes.
-Health credit-McCain wants to
tax health benefits from employers
-Less regulation does not mean
better.
-McCain wanted to give $4 bill to > -I voted against tax breaks for oil
oil companies companies, Obama voted for it.
-Energy bill on floor is good. -Obama voted for tax increases
McCain opposed to it even though who make as low as $42,000
has offshore drilling since it takes
away tax breaks to oil.
Initial Response

-Hard to anticipate what to do next
year, not all his programs will be
done
-Energy independence in 10 years,
alternative energy, US-produced
fuel efficient cars
-Fix healthcare system.
-Space system
-Affordable college for everyone
-Infrastructure (transportation,
electricity grid)
Rebuttals
< -Obama has most liberal voting
What are you record, hard to negotiate.
going to have to -Opposes ethanol addition to gas.
give up, in -Some programs’ costs are out-of-
terms of control. Wants fixed cost contracts.
priorities, to -Defense spending vital.
have to pay for -Saved taxpayers $6.8 bill on
the financial Boeing/Dept. of Defense contract.
rescue plan? -Examine every agency of
government.

-Won’t give up need for energy <

independence, but individual Neither one is
components may go. proposing major
-McCain gives $15 mill subsidies changes on
to private health comp. bailout.
-Lobbyists
-Worked with Tom Colburn, and
opened up governement books.
-Some underfunded or excess such > -Spending freeze, with exceptions
as Medicare One of you will of veteran affairs, national defense,
-$10 bill on Iraq, when they have become and other vital issues
$79 bill surplus. president, in -Offshore drilling, nuclear power
midst of huge can make jobs, helps with climate
financial crisis, change.
not how it will
affect u, but
what u will do
 -No doubt will affect budget.
-Assume market come back,
government gets back money.
-Short term may not happen,
should expect less tax revenue
-To make that, need to know our
priorities. ($300 bill tax cuts vs.
healthcare)
-You agree with Bush 90% of the
time, voted for almost all of his
budgets.
-Can’t say you will lead on
controlling spending.
Initial Response
-Fundamental difference
-Should we have gone in the first
place
-Opposed war from beginning,
cost, exit strategy, int’l
relationship, not finished in
Afghanistan, not caught OBL
-Spent $600 bill, lost 4,000 lives,
wounded 30,000. Al-Qaida
stronger than before. Spending $10
bill/month
-Lesson is we should never
hesitate to use military force, but
have to use it wisely.
Rebuttals
Initial Response
-Biden chairman of Foreign
Relations Committee.
-Violence has been reduced due to
troops, but that was tactic to
contain damage of previous 4 yrs
of mismanagement
-McCain said war would be easy,
knew where WMD were. Wrong.
-Who is best equipped on how we
use our military?
< -Make sure not handing health care
Are u willing to system to federal government.
acknowledge -Wants family to make health
that the crisis decision.
will have a -Cut spending, Obama has $800
major move on bill in new spending programs.
the way u act? -Veteran programs.
-Healthy economy by lowering
taxes, not raising, and restraint is
best recipe.
-We owe China $500 bill
< -Not elected Miss Congeniality in
Senate.
-Opposed Bush on climate change,
Guantanamo Bay, Iraq war
conducted. Maverick.
-Partner is Maverick too.
> -Can’t have failed strategy
What are the -War after Afghanistan badly
lessons of Iraq? handled
-Fought for change in strategy in
beginning, and this has succeeded.
We are winning.
-Will come home with victory +
honor, which will have a stable
ally.
-Consequences of defeat-Iran,
increase in sectarian violence.
> -Obama: Surge would not work,
until recently, but still says he
would still oppose surge today
-Obama has never went to Iraq for
900 days/never met Petraeus
< -Obama doesn’t know diff between
Point about tactic and strategy
never having -I’m patriotic and troops want to
been to Iraq go back
-Peace is happening in Iraq, same
strategy will be applied to
Afghanistan by Petraeus, this great
general.
Rebuttals
-Troop funding: McCain opposed
funding with timetable. That was
difference, not funding itself
-Was this wise, Afghanistan
worsening, McCain thinks it is
successful while OBL still out
-Robert Gates: start+end in
Afghanistan
-End war responsible, in phases, in
16 months, reduce combat troops,
provide relief to military families
while pursuing in Afghanistan.
-Yes, said it for > 1 yr.
-We have highest fatalities in US Do you think
troops there, cannot separate from more US troops
Iraq
-Send 2/3 additional brigades to
Afghanistan + press government to
work for their people + deal with
poppy trade, Pakistan -> $10 bill
Bush gave them
-Why does Iraq have 4x troops
than Afghanistan when it didn’t
have Al-Qaeda before it
-Never said attack Pakistan; if US
has OBL, Al-Qaeda, and we have
them in our sights, we should take
them out
-McCain threatened extinction of
N. Korea + bombing Iran
-20th century policy of “he’s our
dictator” Pakistan
< -Admiral Mullen suggested
Obama’s plan is dangerous
-Didn’t exceed his wildest
expectations unlike Obama
< -Won’t repeat mistake of Russian
conflict in Afghanistan
-On Pakistan, I’m not prepared to
in Afghanistan? cut off aid to Pakistan, not going to
threaten them, unlike Obama who
wants to order strikes on them
-“We don’t say that [strikes] out
loud. We do them.”
-New strategy, not just more
troops, used in Iraq for
Afghanistan.
-Pakistanis have to understand that
terrorists don’t want them to
cooperate with US
-Needs more troops
< -Pakistan is failed state
(Musharraf)
-1993, admired Reagan, voted
against his sending troops into
Lebanon.
-Supported Bosnia + Kosovo
invasions to prevent violence
-Has record in national security
issues
-Woman wants her son’s death to
not be in vain + gave him a
bracelet, they all say to me we
don’t want defeat; war I was in,
army was defeated, I know how
hard it is for army and military to
recover from it
-We won’t come home defeated
 -I have a bracelet too, she said
please make sure another mother
doesn’t have to go thru it
-No soldier dies in vain, they
follow their orders, troops perform
brilliantly
-Next president: good judgments
-McCain not consistently in touch
with war, he wanted to “muddle
thru” war
Initial Response
-RG is a terrorist organization
-McCain wants to broaden
mandate in Iraq to Iran
-Iran has gotten more nuclear
facilities
-McCain is right, Iran shouldn’t
have nuclear
-But should have sanctions with
cooperation from Russia + China,
since they have interest in non-
nuclear Iran
-Direct Diplomacy with Iran,
rather than McCain
-Punishing countries has not
worked in history
Rebuttals
-Ahmadinejad not most powerful
person in Iran
-US President must meet with
others
-Bipartisan history of meeting with
other countries
-McCain advisor said ok without
preconditions
-Start with low-level talks
-Bush recently sent someone to
Europeans about nuclears
-We need strong alliances, unlike
with N.Korea, which no dealing
with made them restart nuclear
program, until Bush reversed his
position on it
-McCain would not meet with
Spain PM, not meet with friends,
how can meet with nations
< -You might think with that
concern, Obama would go to Iraq,
I’ve visited these places, and I
know what our needs are.
-We will prevail in Afghanistan,
with new strategy, but if we suffer
defeat in Iraq with Obama’s
withdrawal, with have calamitous
affect
> -If Iran gets nuclears, is existential
What is your threat to Israel and to region
reading on -We can’t allow 2nd Holocaust,
threat from proposes a league of democracies
Iran? -Russia preventing Security
Council
-Solve this, league with common
ideals and have a lot of economic
power
-Russia has lousy government, and
with French, British, Germans,
others, can affect Iranian behavior
-Iran putting lethal IEDs into Iraq,
Republican Guard
> -Obama would sit and talk with
Ahmadinejad without precondition
and give a propaganda platform to
them
-Nixon/Kissinger
-Must have preconditions before
meeting
 -McCain keeps on saying
President will meet without
preparations
-We should not expect to solve
every problem in a talk
-Bush admin is silent
Initial Response
-Our approach has to be
reevaluated since recent actions
(Georgia) are unwarranted
-Affirm fledgling democracies in
that region, we will support them, Competitor,
free to join NATO with
requirements
-Can’t return to Cold War policy to
Russia
-Nuclear proliferation: deal with
Russia with national security
interests of US
Rebuttals
-We both agree, except on forceful
objections on Russia
-I said that their move was illegal,
first to say have to rebuild their
economy since Russia wants it to
weaken to replace with leader they
want
-Needs foresight
-We have to have an energy policy
on oil Iran, Venezuela, Russia
-Solar, wind, biodiesel, nuclear,
clean coal
-McCain voted 23 times against alt
energy in 26 yrs
-I never objected nuclear waste,
just wants to store safely
> -I don’t even have a seal yet, so I
can’t meet with anyone
-Without precondition, you
legitimize [offensive] comments
-N.Korea most oppressive regime
> -Kissinger is my friend and would
be interested in Obama’s views
-Obama is parsing words when
precondition=preparation
< -Obama said, both sides should
How do you see show restraint on Russia/Georgia,
the relationship his is naïve
with Russia? -Russia fueled by petro $
-Putin = KGB by looking into his
Enemy, Partner? eyes
-Russia should understand we will
support inclusion of George,
Ukraine into NATO
-We should have every right that
Russia behaves in a fashion which
respects international boundaries
and behavior
< -Obama against reprocessing
-Offshore drilling is a bridge to
exploiting reserves
<
Initial Response
-Safer in some ways, $ in airport
security
-Long way to go -Chemical sites,
transit, ports
-Biggest threat now is not nuclear,
but a suitcase
-Nuclear proliferation is biggest
threat
-We need missile defense to
prevent N Korea, Iran
-Al-Qaeda is operating in over 60
countries, root cause is
Iran/Pakistan
-Way we are perceived in world
affects our capacity to get
cooperation against terrorism
-Our world standing went down,
partly due to terrorist torture
-Last 8 years, Bush along with
McCain have been solely focused
on Iraq, but OBL is still out there,
Al-Qaeda resurfacing; we are
borrowing billions from China
-We can’t spend money on
healthcare to people who need it,
invest in education and science,
this is a national security issue
-Veterans can’t get treatment
-Next president has to have a
broader strategic vision missing
over past years.
-My father wanted to come to
college in US since he knew US
ideal inspire the world, but our
current standing is not the same
-What we need to do is part of our
government is to send a message
to the world, that we will invest in
education, live out their dreams
> -Much less than before, safer, but
What do you long way from safe
think the -Long record of bipartisanship
likelihood of -We shouldn’t torture another
another 9/11 prisoner
attack on the -Work closely with allies
US? -America is safer today than on
9/11
-B/c of my recommendations, we
have largest reorganization of
government
-Long way to go, like border
control
> -Obama: Missile defense has to be
proven
-If we fail in Iraq, Al-Qaeda will
base there, every military leader
ways defeat would lose all the
fragile sacrifice made of American
blood and treasure
> -Advantages to experience and
judgment
-I don’t believe he has experience
and knowledge
-He has stubbornness like in this
admin to cling to a belief that
surge has not succeeded
-I have their support and their
recognition of my service to
veterans
-I have ability and background and
knowledge to keep this country
safe and secure. Reform,
Prosperity, Peace
 > -When I came home from prison,
veterans were badly treated, I
worked on getting veterans home,
I know how to deal with
adversaries and wounds of war.
10/2 9 PM VP
debate
Thank You and
Good Night

– END OF NOTES –

– DISCLAIMER: This is not a complete transcript. These were major points that each
candidate pointed out during the debate. The author of these notes cannot be held
responsible for the accuracy of these notes. Notes transcribed during a live nationally
televised debate, broadcasted on major television networks, held on Friday, September
26, 2008 at 9 P.M. EST and lasting for 97 minutes. This document was originally created
with the help of Microsoft Word 2003. –
– © 2008 E.L.P. –
– Version 0.4 BETA FINAL Release –
(0.1-initial notes, 0.2-formatting, 0.3-sp/gm corrections, 0.4-expanding
shorthands/abbrev.)