8:52: We're back from commercial; a videotaped question asks about how we're getting out of Iraq. Yes, it's the first policy question, 52 minutes into the debate.
I have to say I am actually shocked at the appallingly poor quality of the questions: the worst of the campaign so far. Pure MSM process bullshit. Again: it's now halfway through and there has not been a single question on the economy, foreign policy, healthcare, terrorism, Iraq or any other actual policy issue in this campaign. How much longer can ABC News avoid the actual policy issues in this election?8:54: Hillary says that the threat of withdrawal will motivate the Iraqis to get in gear. That sounds pretty suspect to me.
8:56: Perhaps cognizant that Obama, while responding to smear after smear, talked for about 75% of the time in the debate's first half, Hillary gets to talk about Iraq for five minutes straight.
8:59: Stephanopoulos asks about the question of a nuclear Iran, which is a wee bit more significant in world affairs than whether Obama is or isn't friends with Bill Ayers. Obama gives the right answer, stating that Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, nor fund Hezbollah or Hamas.
9:04: George, playing a McCain clip, asks whether Hillary can promise she won't raise taxes at all on people making less than $200,000 a year. Obama pledges not to do so either. Since when was middle class defined as "less than $200,000 a year"?
9:11: The moderators, both manderins of the "ultra-left-wing MSM," ask a series of questions predicated on the primacy of supply-side economics, cornering Obama when he questions the notion of capital-gains tax cuts causing revenues to go up. Somewhere, Jonathan Chait's head is exploding.
Posted by Stephen Silver at April 16, 2008 08:55 PMWhat percentage of the population makes less than $200,000? People making this kind of cash can almost afford a million dollar house!
Posted by: Jeff S at April 21, 2008 02:18 PM