Oct. 8, 2008
Candidates On The Best And Worst Of Times
CBS Evening News: Obama And McCain Answer Katie Couric's Presidential Questions
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The Best And Worst Of Times
What have been the best and worst things that have happened in the history of United States? Katie Couric asks Barack Obama and John McCain.
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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.
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See all 478 Commentshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsynspIqAoE&NR=1
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.
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.
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.
You make a rational, clear, and cogent point.
Well said!
You make a rational, clear, and cogent point.
Well said!
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.
CBScensorsU2, did it remember to change it''s colostomy bag today?
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.
- Al Gore - when asked about George Bush being elected
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!
- 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
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.
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.
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.
watch?v=Z5z9lD4C2Io
I have been a life long Democrate and Hillary supporter but I will be voting for McCain/Palin this election!
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.
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.
Gives ya a warm fuzzy about having McCain as President, does it not?
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
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
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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.
*********.
best thing: electing Obama in 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?
Posted by CPelzar
Sure. Politicians always keep their promises.
(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. :)
Posted by CPelzar
Sure. Politicians always keep their promises.
Posted by troutfisher4 at 09:16 PM : Oct 08, 2008
Awesome, thanks
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.
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.
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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.
Posted by CPelzar at 09:14 PM : Oct 08, 2008
It depends how much opposition this gets from the right.
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.
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.
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