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.

[harbinger09]

What we did to the Indians,makes me cring in shame.We took away everything that they stood for.We killed most of them.The ones that are left are treated as,second class,way below the blacks.Everyone one knows slavery was loathsome,but atleast they along with the other people of color the Asians,Mexicans and all the others (including the whites,that is a color!) are still here in a big Majority and living they''''re lifes and if you read our history,the Indains treated us with kindness,when they came over on the Mayflower.
I
Posted by tass31 at 08:27 PM : Oct 09, 2008


Obviously, you know nothing about the hundreds of thousands of slaves who were destroyed in voyages coming to the new world. ships would routinely use slaves as ballast, often throwing over an entire cargo in heavy storms or in cases where the financiers for a load did not pay them. When they did this, they kept all the men, women and children chained together and when they began pushing them into the sea, the sheer weight of so many forced all others to the same fate.

This is documented as is the fact that blacks are still belittled and mistreated due to skin color while Indians are revered by most whites in theory even as they still exploit them and try to steal more land. At least the Native population got land. When it comes to crimes against humanity and other races--it is not a game of oneupmanship--all of it was and is evil--what is more evil is trying to justify or deny any of it.

[harbinger09]

This is funny--McCain made Republicans embrace a former mistress as potential first lady, illegitimate teen pregnancy, an Airhead for a VP and now they must embrace socialism and helping out the poor with a 300+ billion dollar mortgage bailout--before its over, the Republican party will seem more liberal than the Democrats and the Republicans have to swallow it--because he is all that they have.

Paying for a public bailout,ignoring subpoenas, obstructing investigations, then supporting airhead females for VP with secessionist party spouses and championing pregger teens indeed--what were those conservative values again? Hypocrites.

[tass31]

I like a lot of women,was a Hillary suporter.I was thinking about voting for Obamba.After his remark,that slavery,was the worst thing in this country and what we did to the Indians,was cruelty.I will never vote for Obamba.What we did to the Indians,makes me cring in shame.We took away everything that they stood for.We killed most of them.The ones that are left are treated as,second class,way below the blacks.Everyone one knows slavery was loathsome,but atleast they along with the other people of color the Asians,Mexicans and all the others (including the whites,that is a color!) are still here in a big Majority and living they''re lifes and if you read our history,the Indains treated us with kindness,when they came over on the Mayflower.
It was the greed of our Forefathers that was the worst thing that happened in AMERICA.They almost killed off all those true Americans.I think Obamba is s reverse Bigot.I will not vote for McCain or Obamba.

[tass31]

I like a lot of women,was a Hillary suporter.I was thinking about voting for Obamba.After his remark,that slavery,was the worst thing in this country and what we did to the Indians,was cruelty.I will never vote for Obamba.What we did to the Indians,makes me cring in shame.We took away everything that they stood for.We killed most of them.The ones that are left are treated as,second class,way below the blacks.Everyone one knows slavery was loathsome,but atleast they along with the other people of color the Asians,Mexicans and all the others (including the whites,that is a color!) are still here in a big Majority and living they''re lifes and if you read our history,the Indains treated us with kindness,when they came over on the Mayflower.
It was the greed of our Forefathers that was the worst thing that happened in AMERICA.They almost killed off all those true Americans.I think Obamba is s reverse Bigot.I will not vote for McCain or Obamba.

[tass31]

I like a lot of women,was a Hillary suporter.I was thinking about voting for Obamba.After his remark,that slavery,was the worst thing in this country and what we did to the Indians,was cruelty.I will never vote for Obamba.What we did to the Indians,makes me cring in shame.We took away everything that they stood for.We killed most of them.The ones that are left are treated as,second class,way below the blacks.Everyone one knows slavery was loathsome,but atleast they along with the other people of color the Asians,Mexicans and all the others (including the whites,that is a color!) are still here in a big Majority and living they''re lifes and if you read our history,the Indains treated us with kindness,when they came over on the Mayflower.
It was the greed of our Forefathers that was the worst thing that happened in AMERICA.They almost killed off all those true Americans.I think Obamba is s reverse Bigot.I will not vote for McCain or Obamba.

[tass31]

I like a lot of women,was a Hillary suporter.I was thinking about voting for Obamba.After his remark,that slavery,was the worst thing in this country and what we did to the Indians,was cruelty.I will never vote for Obamba.What we did to the Indians,makes me cring in shame.We took away everything that they stood for.We killed most of them.The ones that are left are treated as,second class,way below the blacks.Everyone one knows slavery was loathsome,but atleast they along with the other people of color the Asians,Mexicans and all the others (including the whites,that is a color!) are still here in a big Majority and living they''re lifes and if you read our history,the Indains treated us with kindness,when they came over on the Mayflower.
It was the greed of our Forefathers that was the worst thing that happened in AMERICA.They almost killed off all those true Americans.I think Obamba is s reverse Bigot.I will not vote for McCain or Obamba.

[ofbyfor2]

Well that was very well said I don''''t I agree with graduated scale being fair but you made a good point. I think if the current tax system was adjusted properly and we were not so he** bent on demonizing the rich and making victoms out of the poor. It would be fine.

Posted by Mccain08NC at 03:03 PM : Oct 09, 2008

I believe that the progressive tax code is fair.

Consider this--people making 10x the average workers salary do not work 10x more. Nor are they necessarily 10x more valuable (just take the CEOs of tanking companies as an example).

Then you factor in the difference between discretionary income and the income needed for sheer survival (when was the last time a six-figure employee had to worry about paying their heating bill, for example?).

Third point to consider is that the middle class has always been and always will be the engine that drives our economy in the long run. A healthy middle class is guaranteed to keep the economy moving because they will always be putting their money back into circulation, simply by paying their bills and doing what they need to do to keep their heads above water. The wealthy, on the other hand, can take the bulk of their income and move it overseas. And it''s a myth that they will always take that money and create new jobs. Sometimes, yes, but not necessarily so. Business has a better guarantee of creating new jobs by the profits they make from a healthy middle class.

[ofbyfor2]

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.

Posted by minivanracer at 08:28 PM : Oct 08, 2008

minivanracer--Would you rather go through a Depression or be a slave? Kind of puts it in perspective suddenly, doesn''t it?

[tass31]

I like a lot of women,was a Hillary suporter.I was thinking about voting for Obamba.After his remark,that slavery,was the worst thing in this country and what we did to the Indians,was cruelty.I will never vote for Obamba.What we did to the Indians,makes me cring in shame.We took away everything that they stood for.We killed most of them.The ones that are left are treated as,second class,way below the blacks.Everyone one knows slavery was loathsome,but atleast they along with the other people of color the Asians,Mexicans and all the others (including the whites,that is a color!) are still here in a big Majority and living they''re lifes and if you read our history,the Indains treated us with kindness,when they came over on the Mayflower.
It was the greed of our Forefathers that was the worst thing that happened in AMERICA.They almost killed off all those true Americans.I think Obamba is s reverse Bigot.I will not vote for McCain or Obamba.

[tass31]

I like a lot of women,was a Hillary suporter.I was thinking about voting for Obamba.After his remark,that slavery,was the worst thing in this country and what we did to the Indians,was cruelty.I will never vote for Obamba.What we did to the Indians,makes me cring in shame.We took away everything that they stood for.We killed most of them.The ones that are left are treated as,second class,way below the blacks.Everyone one knows slavery was loathsome,but atleast they along with the other people of color the Asians,Mexicans and all the others (including the whites,that is a color!) are still here in a big Majority and living they''re lifes and if you read our history,the Indains treated us with kindness,when they came over on the Mayflower.
It was the greed of our Forefathers that was the worst thing that happened in AMERICA.They almost killed off all those true Americans.I think Obamba is s reverse Bigot.I will not vote for McCain or Obamba.