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I thought McCain and Obama were both really funny. McCain probably even a little funnier; he's definitely got more practice.

Lots of great lines on both sides, though.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/16/mccain-and-obama-palling-around-must-be-the-al-smith-dinner/

Is this the charity dinner after the debates? I saw some highlights on Channel 4 news tonight.

Both candidates were great and I would agree that McCain edged it.

Really enjoyed it.

Its good to see they can joke even at this late stage.
But it must be remembered that almost all of it is by their script writers.

Yes, watching the clips where they hugged, I had to remind myself that politicians are good at presenting themselves, not necessarily good.

Kilkrazy wrote:Yes, watching the clips where they hugged, I had to remind myself that politicians are good at presenting themselves, not necessarily good.

They also probably are quite friendly in real life with each other. They are political opponents, not deadly enemies. I remember people throwing fits because Bill Clinton and George Bush(41) were seen hanging out together a few times and doing some charity work together.

I think they may be friendly again at some point. That wasn't exactly a hug. And anyone who watched McCain in any of the debates can tell that he's not friendly towards Obama.

I'm not saying they are best buds, but people act like they are supposed to hate each others guts.

Obama had better lines, but McCain has better delivery.

Obama/Biden '08

Obama sometimes comes over as a bit too smooth.

I agree with general consensus, Obama had better material written for him but McCain delivered his stuff better.


I also find it a little odd that politicians are supposed to hate each other. Most pollies are there because they want what’s best for the country, and from the few I’ve met there’s generally a lot of respect across the aisle, albeit couple with a strong assumption that the other side is misguided on the bigger issues. At the same time politicians are work colleagues and rivals – it leads to an interesting relationship.

But I’d be surprised if there was much of camaraderie between Obama and McCain. Obama hasn’t been in Washington all that long, so it’s unlikely the two would have had any real contact before they started campaigning against each other. The campaign, in turn, has been reasonably nasty, especially when it comes to personal attacks on Obama – there aren’t too many people who get accused of palling around with terrorists in their stride.

So I’d agree that the anger and contempt that supporters show for the other side generally isn’t shared by the politicians themselves, but I’d also be surprised if that hug the two guys shared was at all comfortable for either of them.