In the final presidential debate between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama, hot-button issues such as abortion, negative campaign advertising and the vice-presidential choices dominated the discussion. For some viewers who watched the debate at 33 Revolutions Café in El Cerrito, that was a welcome change of pace.

“They really got them kind of butting heads,” viewer Suzanne Klein said of the debate topics.

Many pundits said before the debate that McCain needed a strong performance to revitalize his campaign. Poll numbers have suggested that Obama’s lead over the veteran senator is growing, and some even project an Obama landslide.

McCain openly challenged Obama with his comments, calling the senator out for reneging on a pledge to use only public financing for his campaign and again stating that Obama never went against the leaders of his party on issues.

“But it’s very clear that I have disagreed with the Bush administration. I have disagreed with leaders of my own party. I’ve got the scars to prove it,” McCain said.

He also brought up Obama’s past relationship with William Ayers, a former political radical who is now a college professor who the McCain campaign has sometimes referred to as a “terrorist.”

“I don’t care about an old washed-up terrorist,” McCain said. “But as Senator Clinton said in her debates with you, we need to know the full extent of that relationship.”

“Mr. Ayers has become the centerpiece of Senator McCain’s campaign over the last two or three weeks – this has been their primary focus,” Obama said in reply. “So let’s get the record straight: Bill Ayers is a professor of education in Chicago… Mr. Ayers is not involved in my campaign. He has never been involved in this campaign. And he will not advise me in the White House. So that’s Mr. Ayers.”

Viewer Pat Bell said Obama handled the Ayers situation very well.

“People have said that Obama was sort of baiting John McCain to go after him on the Ayers thing,” she said. “And he was ready. He gave a really strong response.”

Obama followed a pattern he started in previous debates by comparing McCain to President Bush and talking about a “new direction” for the country.

“If I occasionally have mistaken your policies for George Bush’s policies, it’s because on the core economic issues that matter to the American people – on tax policy, on energy policy, on spending priorities – you have been a vigorous supporter of President Bush,” Obama said. “And it hasn’t worked. And I think the American people understand it hasn’t worked. We need to move in a new direction.”

“Senator Obama, I am not President Bush,” McCain retorted. “If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago. I’m going to give a new direction to this economy in this country.”

Viewers at 33 Revolutions said Obama was victorious in the final meeting of the candidates, although the crowd was definitely skewed in his favor.

“I doubt if there is a McCain supporter in there,” Bell said about the café.

“I thought (McCain) did an adequate job,” viewer Eric Van James said. “I think he was probably better in one of the other debates.”

The final verdict on both candidates will be decided when voters head to the polls Nov. 4.

Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain met for their second presidential debate Oct. 7, and for the third time in three weeks the Cerrito Speakeasy Theater in El Cerrito was filled with people eager to see democratic discourse on the big screen. Veteran broadcaster Tom Brokaw moderated the debate and chose the questions for the candidates.

“The audience here in the hall has agreed to be polite and attentive – no cheering or outbursts,” Brokaw said in his opening. “Those of you at home, of course, are not so constrained.”

The viewers at the Speakeasy took those words to heart: They cheered, applauded, booed, hissed and laughed throughout the 90-minute debate. McCain’s entrance brought a series of jeers along with it, while Obama received a hero’s welcome.

The format of this debate was a town hall meeting, which many pundits and political observers said would benefit McCain. But viewer Robert Wilson said the format did not work for the Republican senator on this night.

“His more folksy style would usually do well with a town hall meeting,” Wilson said. “But probably because of the television cameras, I think he began to wander with a lot of his answers, instead of being folksy.”

The debate was held on the campus of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Some of the voters in the debate auditorium stood and asked questions of the candidates, while other questions were selected by Brokaw from thousands of Internet submissions.

The economic crisis was once again a major topic during the debate, and the candidates clashed over the $700 billion bailout, taxes and spending cuts.

“I believe this is a final verdict on the failed economic policies of the last eight years, strongly promoted by President Bush and supported by Senator McCain,” Obama said. “Now, step one was a rescue package that was passed last week…. But that’s only step one. The middle-class need a rescue package.”

“We’ve got to have a package of reforms and it has got to lead to reform prosperity and peace in the world,” McCain said. “And we’ve got to give some trust and confidence back to America. I know how to do that, my friends. And it’s my proposal – it’s not Senator Obama’s proposal, it’s not President Bush’s proposal.”

McCain continued to promote himself as bipartisan, citing legislation he had introduced with Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman (who caucuses with the Democrats) and calling himself a “reformer.”

“I have a clear record of bipartisanship. The situation today cries out for bipartisanship. Senator Obama has never taken on his leaders of his party on a single issue,” McCain said. “I have advocated and taken on the special interests.”

“He attempted to do what everyone wanted him to do: go after Obama,” said viewer Cedric Collins. “That failed, but just by virtue of him trying to do it, it’s going to give him a bump within his own party.”

Obama refuted claims by McCain and his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, that he wanted to raise taxes on the middle class, and again stressed the importance of alternative energy sources as he did in the first debate.

“I’ve called for investments in solar, wind, geothermal. Contrary to what Senator McCain keeps on saying, I favor nuclear power as one component of our overall energy mix,” Obama said. “He said a while back that the big problem with energy is that for 30 years, politicians in Washington haven’t done anything. What Senator McCain doesn’t mention is he’s been there 26 of them. And during that time, he voted 23 times against alternative fuels.”

Viewer Margo Noble said Obama was very effective in the town hall format.

“Obama kept his cool and he answered questions with factual detail and relevance,” Noble said. “It was very convincing.”

Brokaw was much more vocal than the moderators from the previous debates, repeatedly scolding the candidates for straying off-topic and giving long-winded answers. He reminded both senators about the rules of the debate several times, and had a couple of wisecracks at the candidates’ expense that drew laughter from the Speakeasy audience.

“All right, gentlemen, I want to just remind you one more time about time. We’re going to have a larger deficit than the federal government does if we don’t get this under control here before too long,” he said.

And then later, when Obama and McCain both talked over Brokaw in their efforts to get time to follow-up on previous statements, the former anchor quipped: “I’m just the hired help here.”

“You’re doing a great job, Tom,” Obama replied.

Noble said she did not care for Brokaw’s responses.

“I would have preferred that he be a little bit more serious instead of being cute in the way he approached it,” she said.

But viewer Alyssa Lindberg said she placed the blame on the candidates instead of the moderator.

“I wasn’t very impressed with the maturity of our presidential candidates,” Lindberg said. “(There was) a lot of pointing fingers, a lot of ‘oh, well if he gets to do this, well then I get to do this.’ It felt more like high school elections than a presidential campaign.”

Despite her disappointment with the candidates, Lindberg said the reaction of the crowd in the Speakeasy was entertaining.

“I liked it. I couldn’t have imagined a better place to see [the debate], just because it was nice to see the public reaction to what [the candidates] were both saying,” she said. “Definitely a very one-sided public reaction, but a public reaction nonetheless.”

Wilson, who also watched the vice-presidential debate at the Speakeasy on Oct. 2, said he enjoyed the environment inside the theater.

“I was hoping to hear the crowd’s reactions to a lot of issues,” Wilson said. “Of course, considering where we live, the crowd’s responses were pretty predictable. So that was enjoyable, but not really informative.”

The final presidential debate will take place on Oct. 15 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. It is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and will focus on domestic and economic policy.

BY SWETA VOHRA//

Hours after the second presidential debate last Tuesday night, the Internet buzzed with overviews, analysis and quotes from Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain from their town hall debate in Nashville, Tenn. Liberal and conservative publications, aside from differing lead paragraphs, focused on the same issues and quotes, as well as an overall conclusion that last night’s debate did little to change the momentum of either campaign.

Several online articles, particularly from the New York Times and The Economist, led with paragraphs emphasizing the heavy role economic issues played in the debate. The New York Times reported both candidates spoke to the country on a day of continuing stock market plunges, “each promising anxious Americans that he had the better plan and vision to lead the country.”

The Economist also highlighted the importance of economy at this debate, saying “it was inevitable” it would be a major focus. However, after the 90 minutes, “the result was a draw in a predictable and dawdling debate, that undoubtedly suits Mr. Obama better.”

Publications that are thought of as more conservative such as the Washington Times and FoxNews.com, emphasized the $300 billion proposal that McCain offered to help with the current mortgage crisis. The Washington Times reported McCain’s proposal is to “convince undecided voters that they were best-equipped to address the economic crisis that has gripped the globe.”

FoxNews.com, addressing the latest poll numbers showing McCain’s campaign is suffering at the hand of the dismal economy stated, “McCain tried get out in front of the burgeoning economic turmoil Tuesday…announcing a new plan to prevent foreclosures by allowing the government to buy up mortgages.”

Although the leads in the publications differed in emphasis, the rest of the articles centered around the same key issues and quotes. One of the more prominent threads throughout the publications was what voters have been hearing for months – McCain’s attack on Obama’s experience and Obama aligning McCain with Bush’s failure in the past eight years.

The articles said McCain continued to push his opinion that Obama was not ready to be commander-in-chief, and according to The New York Times proceeded to quote Teddy Roosevelt, “you know, my hero is a guy named Teddy Roosevelt,” he said. “Teddy Roosevelt used to say walk softly — talk softly, but carry a big stick. Senator Obama likes to talk loudly.”

In rebuttal, Obama said McCain has said things like “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” and wanted to annihilate North Korea – actions that clearly did not show talking softly.

However, it was only the Washington Times, which mentioned McCain tried to downplay his actions by saying, “I was joking with a veteran – I hate to even go into this. I was joking with an old veteran friend, who joked with me, about Iran.”

Other issues like McCain referring to Obama as “that one” in his most “dismissive comment of the night” as the Washington Times put it, was included in every article. But despite each candidate largely differing on their outlook and their methods of dealing with the economy, the Internet articles were clear to state neither candidate attacked the character of his opponent.

As online magazine, Salon.com, stated: “To the credit of both candidates, no time was wasted on phony issues like Obama’s arm’s-length association with 1960s radical bomb-maker Bill Ayers or McCain’s long-ago entanglement in the Keating Five scandal. Instead, there was a welcome gravity to the debate.”

After recent weeks of attacks from both campaigns as well as mud-slinging campaign commercials, the debate was void of such comments.

As in the other debate, there were no major gaffes or big surprises for voters or pundits. It was also a night where McCain failed to make a significant splash to turn around the numbers at the polls, showing he is losing ground to Obama.

“McCain needed a debate performance that would support a domestic surge in his fading electoral prospects. Such a stirring comeback was not on the calendar for Tuesday night,” Salon.com said.

In fact, as BBC News pointed out, “two polls taken right after the debate – by CBS News and CNN – judged Barack Obama the winner over John McCain.”

The next and final debate takes place Oct. 15, and no doubt the Internet buzz will likely be humming along again with analysis and conclusions about who did what and how well each candidate performed.  Stay tuned.

EL CERRITO – A pensive crowd at the 33 Revolutions Café in El Cerrito watched intently last night as presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama presented distinct plans for addressing the nation’s economic crisis.

Each candidate declared himself better prepared to help bring the country out of what they called the most serious financial disaster since the Great Depression. Most people watching here, however, felt only one man had their best interests at heart.

“Obama is definitely committed to middle class people,” said Lisa Carey, a Berkeley resident. “McCain didn’t say anything like that.”

Held in front of 80 self-identified undecided voters in Nashville, Tenn., the debate reflected the somber national mood and the increasingly high stakes for the contenders.

McCain introduced a new and specific proposal for addressing the national housing crisis. Under his plan, the treasury secretary would buy up $300 billion worth of bad home loans and refinance mortgages to help struggling Americans keep their homes.

McCain’s proposal seems intended to deflect both the widespread misgivings of his economic qualifications and Obama’s continued efforts to portray him as an extension of the Bush administration.

“It’s my proposal, it’s not Sen. Obama’s proposal, it’s not President Bush’s proposal,” he said. “I know how to get America working again, restore our economy and take care of working Americans.”

Obama focused on the need for more government oversight and industry regulation, priorities he said McCain has spent a career fighting against.

“I believe this is a final verdict on the failed economic policies of the last eight years, strongly promoted by President Bush and supported by Sen. McCain,” he said.

Obama summarized the Republican economic philosophy as “strip away regulations, consumer protections, let the market run wild, and prosperity would rain down on all of us.” But, he said, “It hasn’t worked out that way.”

The Democratic candidate also identified a need for all Americans to make real sacrifices, particular in response to the energy crisis – a sentiment that seemed to resonate with many in the café audience.

“I like that Obama talked about that people have to make personal sacrifices and start to think about how we use power,” said Gina Barsotti, a school teacher from Richmond. “We can’t just be the way that we are, we actually have to conserve.”

Many in attendance credited the town hall format with maintaining a spirit of civility, even as campaign-trail attacks from both sides have become more personal and acerbic in recent days.

“I think having to answer to people in the audience tempered their fighting,” said Lisa Carey of Berkeley.

But while McCain chose not to directly attack Obama’s background or character, there were moments when he uttered rather pointed personal criticisms of his opponent.

Once, while denouncing Obama for a past Senate vote he cast in favor of an energy bill, McCain pointed towards his opponent and referred to him as “that one.” At another point, McCain said that pinning down Obama’s tax proposals is like “nailing Jell-O to the wall.”

Dial groups conducted by MSNBC and other networks during the debate showed that audiences, most notably independent undecided voters, reacted adversely to such comments. Local viewers agreed.

“McCain showed a little more warmth here and there but he also tried a few jokes that I don’t think came off well,” said Phil Mehas of Richmond.

Kerstin Feist of Albany was more blunt.

“I just feel like McCain is just full of hot air,” she said.

By most accounts the debate did not prove to be a game-changer for either candidate, though a series of online instant polls showed Obama to be the winner, and by a much larger margin than after the first debate.

Even a FoxNews.com poll, won by McCain and Palin following the first two debates, showed Obama winning this round, 62-38 percent.

The final presidential debate will be held Wednesday at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York.

“I have a lot of respect for McCain and always have, but I just think his time is gone,” said Mehas. “Our country just can’t afford to have someone of his generation as president. We need someone with fresh ideas  – hopefully Obama can bring that.”

BY FERNANDO GALLO //

A capacity crowd gathered at the Cerrito Speakeasy Theater in El Cerrito to watch the vice-presidential debate between Democrat Sen. Joe Biden and Republican Gov. Sarah Palin on Oct. 2. Here’s your chance to take a look inside the theater and see the event in an up close and personal way.

The audience at the Cerrito Speakeasy awaits the start of the debate

BY FERNANDO GALLO //

EL CERRITO, Calif. – Many of those in the mostly liberal crowd that gathered at the Cerrito Speakeasy Theater on Oct. 2 to watch the vice-presidential debate believed it would be the undoing of relatively unknown Republican Gov. Sarah Palin. But after she had battled Democratic Sen. Joe Biden for 90 minutes, some said that Palin not only exceeded expectations, but might have actually won some people over.

“People’s expectations of Sarah Palin were extremely low,” said viewer Michelle President. “Her ability to speak coherently on current events will boost the (Sen. John) McCain campaign.”

“The expectations were so ridiculously low that she had to exceed them,” said viewer Marc Kersten.

The highly-anticipated debate featured two candidates with drastically different backgrounds: Former lawyer Biden is one of the longest tenured members of the Senate, while former beauty queen Palin is only six years removed from being the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska and is in her second year as governor. During the debate she referenced the short amount of time she has had on the national stage.

“And how long have I been at this, like five weeks?” Palin said when asked about campaign promises. “So there hasn’t been a whole lot that I’ve promised.”

A long line formed outside the theater well before the doors were scheduled to open at 5 p.m., and those who had come out to see the debate were divided about its potential impact.

“People are so partisan, it’s probably not going to make much of a difference,” said Dustin Monix.

Viewer Stephen Murphy disagreed.

“I think if Palin comes across great and Biden comes across terrible, I don’t see why this kind of see-saw couldn’t just completely and totally change,” he said.

The crowd that gathered to watch the debate in the two theaters at the Speakeasy was generally pro-Biden, and many of his responses drew applause and whistles of approval. The senator spent most of his time attacking McCain, criticizing his voting record and policies on taxes, health care and the economy.

“The middle class under John McCain’s tax proposal, 100 million families… they got not a single break in taxes,” Biden said. “(McCain) wants to add $300 billion in new tax cuts per year for corporate America and the very wealthy while giving virtually nothing to the middle class.”

Viewer Kristen, who declined to give her last name, said Biden’s knowledge of McCain’s record was extensive.

“He just could recite (McCain’s) voting record like no one I have ever seen, it was unbelievable,” she said. “He just really impressed me, and I haven’t been a Biden fan.”

When Palin went on the offensive concerning Sen. Barack Obama’s proposed health care plan, Biden slammed McCain’s own health care policy in which many Americans would receive a $5,000 tax credit to pay for their own health care plan.

“And then you’re going to have to replace a $12,000 (plan) – that’s the average cost of the plan you get through your employer… with a $5,000 check you just give to the insurance company. I call that the ultimate ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’” he said, lampooning an expensive infrastructure plan Palin reportedly first supported, then later opposed. The comment elicited thunderous applause and loud cheers from the Speakeasy crowd.

Palin tried to build upon her image as a self-proclaimed “hockey mom,” and referred to her family as being part of the middle class in America.

“Let’s commit ourselves just every day American people, Joe Six Pack, hockey moms across the nation, I think we need to band together and say never again,” Palin said. “Never will we be exploited and taken advantage of again by those who are managing our money and loaning us these dollars.”

She also repeatedly talked about McCain’s qualifications for the presidency, and about his so-called “maverick” status in the Senate.

“We’re going to forge ahead with putting government back on the side of the people and making sure that our country comes first, putting obsessive partisanship aside,” Palin said. “That’s what John McCain has been known for in all these years: He has been the maverick, he has ruffled feathers.”

Many of Palin’s comments drew laughter and ridicule from the crowd. Her “shout-out” to a third grade class in Alaska drew howls from the audience, as did some of Biden’s reactions to his rival’s arguments.

“This is gonna’ be a pretty democratic, if not liberal, if not radical, crowd that’s going to come here to the Cerrito to see (the debate), so (laughter) could be expected,” said viewer Jan Probst. “I came to see (the debate) at the Cerrito somewhat for entertainment value.”

There were also a couple of significant gaffes by the governor, including a phrase in which she mixed up Main Street and Wall Street.

“It’s a toxic mess, really, on Main Street that’s affecting Wall Street,” Palin said.

Throughout the debate, the atmosphere inside the theater was relaxed. Spectators sat in large chairs or on spacious couches and watched the proceedings with a slice of pizza or a cold beer.

Despite what some said was a solid performance by the first-term governor, Kersten said he remained convinced that Palin was unfit to be one step away from the presidency.

“I don’t think any reasonable person could come to the conclusion, after watching that debate, that she’s in any way competent, experienced or ready to assume the office of the presidency,” he said.

The debate was the only meeting for the vice-presidential candidates, but Obama and McCain will face off once more on the national stage before Election Day on Nov. 4. The final presidential debate is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, on the campus of Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.