Candidates On The Best And Worst Of Times

CBS Evening News: Obama And McCain Answer Katie Couric's Presidential Questions

(CBS)  In November, Americans decide whether Barack Obama or John McCain becomes the 44th President of the United States. In the series "Presidential Questions," CBS News anchor Katie Couric asks questions that move the candidates well beyond the usual sound-bites. Some questions concern policy. Others are more personal. All will give you a better sense of who these men are - and what has shaped them. What follows is Couric's question and the candidates' full answers.

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Katie Couric: What do you think is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to this country?

John McCain: Well, that's an excellent question. Obviously, our founding was the best thing that ever happened to our country, because that was a unique collection of the most wise, informed and incredible individuals who joined together to found our nation and create a document that is still a model to the rest of the world.

Maybe the worst thing that happened to America, in modern times, is the Great Depression. It affected probably more, a greater percentage, of our population than any other economic - or other impact - that we experienced. Literally, half the population, or 40 percent, whatever it was, huge, numbers that are incomprehensible were out of work. And people literally starved in America. And that, we can't ever repeat that.

Barack Obama: The best thing that ever happened to this country was the founding fathers and the starting premise of America. "We hold these truths as self evident that all men are created equal endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, among these, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." That idea just kept pushing throughout centuries, through a civil war, through civil rights, through women's rights. It became the North Star for people, not just in America but around the world.

The worst probably would have to be slavery in this country. Although the treatment of Native Americans oftentimes … showed great cruelty. You know, but slavery was a stain on this country. Fortunately, we had people like Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman and Dr. King and you know, so many were able to battle through that legacy. And we're still wrestling with it. But it's one where I feel more optimistic about the direction of this country.

[reboog1]

Bill Clinton tells it like it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsynspIqAoE&NR=1

[ofbyfor2]

Liberals want to sit on their A$$ and collect a check from the Government which will come from the Taxes You Have Payed! And don''t let the Obama Campaign Continue to Pimp You Out for $6.00 an hour!

Posted by CBScensorsU2 at 07:29 PM : Oct 08, 2008

I am so sick to death of boneheads like this saying that liberals are lazy. Not only do I work much more than 40 hours most weeks (w/o overtime pay because it''s a salary position), but also a 5-6 hr per DAY commute that cost me $600/month.

[ofbyfor2]

Obama will bankrupt this country because no wealthy American will feel comfortable offering their hard earned money to deadbeats, that is the wealth distributuon plan, called socialism. So, in essence, the wealthy corporations will not pay the high taxes ( they will lay off workers) because of the plan Obama will impose and the country will fail due to lack of work from the inept, unqualified & inexperianced candidate such as Obama. Get into reality or stay away from the general election, please.

Posted by john43218 at 07:36 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Was Clinton a socialist? Did the wealthy ''suffer'' under Clinton''s tax policies? (poor babies, sniff)

Because Obama''s tax proposal is essentially the same as Clinton''s.

Seems we were doing a whole lot better then than we are now.

[phillysage]

The answers of Obama and McCain to Katie Couric''s questions make it clear that Obama is the one with the real American principles, putting the principle of freedom uppermost.

[republicants]

College Students, don%u2019t let THE REPUBLICANTS use their scare tactics that is propagated on media outlets like FOXNEWS Think for yourselves, look at the disaster this country is in after 8 years of Corporate Tax breaks - 6 years of a Republicant president, congress and senate. 6 years with no obstruction to moving your agenda forward - and look at us now ! Things will be different after you have graduated, because the democrats will be in charge. Most Republicants want to sit on their A$$e$ and figure out new ways on how to ruin this country - they want 4 more years in order to make turn us from the greatest country in the world to a third world country, while they stash the money they have made on the American workers sweat into some fund that is protected by the laws they have created. Don''t let McCain force you to go look for a job overseas to make ends meet, while his Oil and Corporate buddies rake in the millions

[republicants]

Desperation is rearing its ugly head, the republicans see the writing on the wall and are beginning to lose their freakin minds.

It is funny how I don''t see any of these republicans commenting on the job Bush has done, listen to a Bush speech and you will hear the same promises that McCain ,his sidekick, is making. Luckily the American people have heard enough of this nonsense, the republicans don''t understand that their plans doesn''t work, it is proven, there are no new jobs due to the unbelievable tax breaks the corporations were given. No child left behind is a disaster, the Iraq war was conceived using smoke and mirrors. We are in the worse shape, as a country that we have been in decades, all after an 8 year run by a Republican president, 6 of those years with a republican congress and senate. There are no excuses, so they resort to what they are good at fear-mongering, lies, half truths and spin.

Lets hear a plan on how they will get us out of the mess we are in, instead of what they perceive will happen when Obama is elected. Uh nevermind....we know what your plan is we lived it for almost 8 years now.

[legacyabq]

Republicants:
You make a rational, clear, and cogent point.
Well said!

[legacyabq]

Republicants:
You make a rational, clear, and cogent point.
Well said!

[geek143]

With respect to Senator Obama, I suspect the concentration camps that the US ran in WW2 for anyone from Japan was a dark day in our history as well. Slavery was also disgusting but the internment a modern day example of what can happen.

The leaders who are pimping out Americans for $6.00 an hour is the Republican Administration that has refused to raise the minimum wage.

The policy of cutting tax''s with irresponsible spending has cost every citizen $5 trillion dollars, go fact check that, and the interest on the national debt makes welfare look like chump change.

The liberals (like the anti christ clintions?) balanced the federal budget.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but not facts.

[pvperson]

ofbyfor2, Don''t get too excited, remember CBScensorsU2 has NEVER held a job in it''s life. It''s a shut in with nothing else to do but be a neo-con troll.

CBScensorsU2, did it remember to change it''s colostomy bag today?

[stopsocialis]

Notice how all the debates are held by liberal commentators who refuse to ask Obama about his radical associations and ties, not to mention his twisted judgment and the money he has received from radical Muslim organizations and individuals. He assisted in the campaign for a radical politician in India who wanted to push Sharia law in that country, and Obama supported him and just as early as last year during the primaries Obama was making phone calls to this individual seeking campaign advice.

But the main-stream muslim loving american hating liberal media continues to do the American people an extreme disservice by refusing to report Obama''s radical ties and associations and his background.

All they care about is power, money, and greed, and they will pay for these sins if Obama is elected, big time, because you reap what you sew, and if Obama is what they want, they''ll be in for it.

All I have to say is I don''t want to hear any of them whining and complaining later on...because again, you GET what you ASK for.

[timesupreps]

Time to tax the very wealthy to the hilt at about 90%. That should do the trick of sending all those greedy Wall Street *** packing for some other country. Hey they are welcome to leave if they do not want to pay. They can go to Dubai with Halliburton and try to rip off them off and see what body part they remove first, and them second... They would not put up with *** and neither should we...

[donnie7942]

Did you folks see Michelle Obama in that skirt?

[timesupreps]

Time to tax the very wealthy to the hilt at about 90%. That should do the trick of sending all those greedy Wall Street *** packing for some other country. Hey they are welcome to leave if they do not want to pay. They can go to Dubai with Halliburton and try to rip off them off and see what body part they remove first, and then second... They would not put up with this s-hit and neither should we...

[republicants]

"All I have to say is I don''''t want to hear any of them whining and complaining later on...because again, you GET what you ASK for."

- Al Gore - when asked about George Bush being elected

[donnie7942]

Imagine that bum sit''n on yer face?

[minivanracer]

how ironic...the black guy picks slavery to be the worst thing in american history. the great depression trumps that in the fact that EVERYBODY was affected by it. not just one race. dont get me wrong mr obama, slavery was a horrible thing, just as the massacre and destruction of native american culture was a horrible thing. but slavery was no great depression.

seriously though...anyone could have predicted obama would say something like that. just like everybody in america, he is a racist. the only difference is that he has spite to go with it and he makes it known.
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the man scares me. didnt obama blatantly state that when he is elected, he will attack pakistan? what kind of leadership is that? pakistan is our friend (sorta) in this whole war on terror and obama wants to burn that bridge? the world already hates us enough.

and while i like some of the things obama has to say, the bottom line is that McCain simply knows better than obama. and certainly knows ALOT better than mr. bush despite what the media says. infact McCain HATES bush. but he cant express that now because he could loose support of the whitehouse during this election.


McCain Palin 08!

[downtowner97]

It''s amazing that McCain enabled Herbert Hoover the second (George W Bush) while he created a second Depression, and now he says we can''t do that again. He also helped Bush destroy the documents he lauds from the founding of our country. This is hypocrisy at its worst.

[donnie7942]

He''s the only guy who ever gave us checks, downtowner. Bill Clinton had a surplus. But did we see checks from him? Uh-uh.

[donnie7942]

Guess he figered it ''money in the bank''.

[republicants]

"McCain certainly knows ALOT better than mr. bush despite what the media says. infact McCain HATES bush. but he cant express that now because he could loose support of the whitehouse during this election."

- So McCain has sold out to keep the White House on his side? This White House? This adminstration?? Why?

McCain was sorta a maverick in the past, now he has given in to his republican compadres and has become a puppet on a string. That is why he doesn''t want to lose the support of the white house, if he were a maverick he wouldn''t care. Some how McCain and Airhead want people to believe they are indepements now, they are republicans and will continue to be so.

We have entered the phase in this election where the American public starts hurling insults to the other side (present company included) ...it is a shame really

Obama 08

[donnie7942]

Everybody knows Sarah Palin is too stupid to know what a terrorist is. Don''t worry about it.

[donnie7942]

So''s John McCain fer that matter. ''Bomb bomb bomb Iran''? ''100 years in Iraq''? The guys a senile old koot. Why ya worrying about it so much?

[rationality1]

OK, wait a minute here.
1. The Great Depression was certainly bad. But did millions die from it? No. Did it create a long term issue in the US that has still yet to be overcome? No.
2. In the US, there were over 4 million people in 1860 alone in slavery. It was an institution that had been going on since the early 1600s. Most of them were in oppressive conditions... beaten, raped, malnurished. Millions of people right here in our country died from it over that span of over 200 years. We had slavery in this land longer than the US has been in existence still today. It still today is the root of racism and other issues.

So no, what was done to the Japanese during WWII was unjust, but is no comparison. And neither was the great depression.

Doesn''t matter what your color is: those are the facts.

[donnie7942]

''Can''''t wait to hear about Palin''''s witch hunter and witch doctors on the campaign trail.''

It never ceases to amaze me how freaky religion can get. And these are the people that are making this countrys decisions. Its war decisions.. Makes ya wonder why there''s terrorism in the world.

[rationality1]

And just so we have our facts:
Peak unemployment during the great depression was 25% (no not 40% or 50% as McCain tries to act like).
That amounted to almost 3 million people out of work.
Now those are bad numbers no doubt, but no comparison to slavery.

[praiseallah1]

Obama is a *** corrupt politician just like those criminals Barney Franks and Chris Dodd who caused this economic mess! Go watch the YouTube video "House of Lies: How Congress Failed Our Economy".

watch?v=Z5z9lD4C2Io

I have been a life long Democrate and Hillary supporter but I will be voting for McCain/Palin this election!

[donnie7942]

Slavery is alive and well today, I''ll have ya know. With illegal immigration.

[donnie7942]

Fatcat CEOs hiring people fer 25 cents an hour overseas, and fer 2 bucks an hour, right in our own backyards.

[rationality1]

And just so we have our facts:
Peak unemployment during the great depression was 25% (no not 40% or 50% as McCain tries to act like).
That amounted to almost 3 million people out of work.
Now those are bad numbers no doubt, but no comparison to slavery.

[donnie7942]

And then there''s the sexxxx trade. Wooo... talk about slavery.

[missingamerica]

I cannot decide...did StopSocialis'' mother leave him the microwave too long, or not long enough?

[donnie7942]

Its always been about money.. Its always been about some greedy despot plantation owner, or some ignorant president.. usually republican.

[stopsocialis]

StopSocialis,
Quit whinning already and go milk the bull martyr boy.


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Posted by six-6-six at 08:57 PM : Oct 08, 2008


six-6-six, you''ll get what you asked for eventually. If not in this life, you''ll get it eternally. demons are only temporary. Your time is coming.

[missingamerica]

The amusing thing is that in at the turn of the 21st century the entire mass of the Republican contituency got together, analyzed the facts, and concluded that Bush was a better man for the Presidency that McCain.

Gives ya a warm fuzzy about having McCain as President, does it not?

[donnie7942]

McCain doesn''t even think straight. He walks like he''s gotta horseshoe up his buttt.. and his wife is wearing vampire suits.

[cpelzar--2008]

Obama the one, alpha omega will
fix the economy
lower my taxes
get me a high paying job
jail the crooks on wall street
clean the environment
defeat our enemies
restore america in the eyes of the world
pay my mortgage off
cut my grass
cook my dinner
tuck me into bed
and for the hell of it, part the seas.

wow, I cannot wait

[mainedoggie]

=========
six-6-six, you''''ll get what you asked for eventually. If not in this life, you''''ll get it eternally. demons are only temporary. Your time is coming.

Posted by StopSocialis at 08:59 PM
======================

Yes, I''m sure. I would expect this kind of comment from an 18 year old, or younger, who was raised under the belt that religion and all of its spookiness that goes with it, is the only way.

I''m sorry you pathetic supernatural scumbag, but science does have a place in this great world.

Therefore, I am very happy to inform you that 666 will have no consequences whatsoever.

*********.

[troutfisher4]

worst thing: George W Bush

best thing: electing Obama in 2008

[mairin27]

Posted by six-6-six at 08:57 PM : Oct 08, 2008


six-6-six, you''''ll get what you asked for eventually. If not in this life, you''''ll get it eternally. demons are only temporary. Your time is coming.


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Posted by StopSocialis at 08:59 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Umm so you are the authority on salvation and damnation? You get to say who goes to heaven and who goes to hell. Are you God?

[cpelzar--2008]

Does everyone think that we will be able to buy Health Insurance like the Senators have like Obama promised within a couple of months of his being in office or do you think it will take longer?

[troutfisher4]

Does everyone think that we will be able to buy Health Insurance like the Senators have like Obama promised within a couple of months of his being in office or do you think it will take longer?

Posted by CPelzar


Sure. Politicians always keep their promises.

[mairin27]

Yes. Somewhere in his Addled, 59 IQ mind, he sits on a Throne and decides matters of life and death.....

(In between molesting young boys at his Church, of course).....


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Posted by singinrich at 09:13 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Silly me I didn''t know God blogs. :)

[cpelzar--2008]

Does everyone think that we will be able to buy Health Insurance like the Senators have like Obama promised within a couple of months of his being in office or do you think it will take longer?

Posted by CPelzar


Sure. Politicians always keep their promises.



Posted by troutfisher4 at 09:16 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Awesome, thanks

[jon_mccain]

Obama the one, alpha omega will
fix the economy
lower my taxes
get me a high paying job
jail the crooks on wall street
clean the environment
defeat our enemies
restore america in the eyes of the world
pay my mortgage off
cut my grass
cook my dinner
tuck me into bed
and for the hell of it, part the seas.

wow, I cannot wait





Posted by CPelzar

The Obama man can CPelzar, the Obama man can.

[pensacola98]

Slavery wasn''t able to end until our country survived a great civil war that killed over 620,000 citizens. That is greater than all wars since then combined. The American stubborness didn''t concede defeat until nearly every family lost at least one person to combat.

The Great Deprssion was also a good answer, because the clear cause of the event was preventable with wiser regulation. The American fiscal policy foolishness wasn''t conceded as the cause until the country endured ten years of hardship. Depositors lost all their money and a gold standard blocked out many options that exist today.

Social and economic problems still plague us today and it is clear that without education we will never solve them. Public education has meant different things at different times in our nation''s history. It will never be better than people will allow. Its'' liberating impact on communities is taken as both beneficial and a detriment.

In this nation, most conservatives call an educated person - a liberal and by design, exhibit a nasty resistance towards progress on resolving social and economic problems. Pride never substituted education or put food on anyone''s table. Education, on the other hand, created opportunity and opened minds.

[mairin27]

Does everyone think that we will be able to buy Health Insurance like the Senators have like Obama promised within a couple of months of his being in office or do you think it will take longer?


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Posted by CPelzar at 09:14 PM : Oct 08, 2008

That isn''t exactly what Obama said. If you have insurance and like it you can keep it. If you don''t have insurance he would like a government sponsored system that you can opt into. It would probably work on either a sliding scale of what kind of coverage you want and how much you would be willing to pay.

[incog-nito]

Does everyone think that we will be able to buy Health Insurance like the Senators have like Obama promised within a couple of months of his being in office or do you think it will take longer?

Posted by CPelzar at 09:14 PM : Oct 08, 2008

It depends how much opposition this gets from the right.

[cpelzar--2008]

everybody is being so serious, talking about Slavery, the depression and all of the downer stuff.

Obama said we can buy great health insurance like he has and that he will lower my taxes and fix the economy.

I want it, I want it.

I cannot wait.

[cpelzar--2008]

Does everyone think that we will be able to buy Health Insurance like the Senators have like Obama promised within a couple of months of his being in office or do you think it will take longer?

Posted by CPelzar at 09:14 PM : Oct 08, 2008

It depends how much opposition this gets from the right.

Posted by incog-nito at 09:22 PM : Oct 08, 2008

Thats a bunch of BS, Obama did not say anything about opposition, he will have both houses anyway.

I don''t want to hear him blaming anybody or anything. I want he has promised.

Also his plan to bailout wall street he said it would work, it better work.