Obama, McCain, Dogs, and Tomato Soup
64Day of the First 2008 US Presidential Candidates’ Debate
26 September 2008
I call my daughter this evening and ask her to join me at 9:00 p.m. to watch the first presidential candidates' debate between Barack Obama and John McCain on television.
She says, "Thank you, but no thank you."
My daughter lives a half-mile from me, so geographical distance is not the reason for her saying "Thank you, but no thank you." I sense she has other things to do. I've learned in recent years that when she's polite like this and says thank you, but no thank you, she means it.
I say, OK, and I think, well, she's a young adult who has other friends to watch the debate with, or she just isn't interested. And I don't push it. But I don't think she's not interested. She will watch this moment in history with someone other than her mother. And that's fine with me.
Meatball and Tomato Soup Dog
Two Nights Ago
Two nights ago, she and her gorgeous big dog were here visiting with me and my big Goldie dog and enjoying a feast of roasted chicken, fresh corn on the cob, and homemade tomato soup.
Before their arrival, I found a video on YouTube that shows an exceptionally cute, long-haired dog lapping up meatballs from a bowl of tomato soup. As I watched the video, I wondered whether he would actually eat the soup, too. And so he did. Meatballs first, but apparently, tomato soup by itself was fine, too.
I am not your dog person, therefore I'm not sure if homemade tomato soup is good for dogs, but I always follow my daughter's advice when it comes to dogs. During our supper, I told her about the video, and she said that tomato soup is OK for dogs to eat.
Daughter's Dog Dressed for Supper in Red, White, and Blue
At the end of our supper, I ladled a small amount of my homemade sweet and tangy soup into two small dishes and placed them on the kitchen floor in front of the dogs.
Two little dishes and two big dogs on my kitchen floor. Tomato soup flew everywhere, spewed out by big tongues. The two little dishes were like hockey pucks looking for a goal. My kitchen floor was amok with red goop. I freaked out about the mess, but my daughter said, "Wait."
She was right that we should wait. The dogs abandoned the pristinely scoured empty dishes and licked up the floor as well. There was not a spot of red goop when they were done.
Back to the Day of the Debate
In this early evening of the candidates' debate, when I know my daughter will not be joining me to view the spectacle, she calls from her cell phone and asks how much tomato soup I have in the freezer. I say, a lot. She asks if I have enough for her to share with Suzie, Meg, and Sara. I say, sure. She stops by, picks up the soup, and heads home to share with her friends before they watch the debate.
This warm and simple sharing of food among young friends (and I'm guessing among their dogs as well) strikes me as being just the right thing to do this evening. The girls have views of this presidential race which may be quite different from mine, and it's good for them to be together to share the experience of what the two candidates will say in this historical first debate as the presidential nominees of their parties.
As the 9 o'clock hour approaches, I fix myself a cup of tea, put a fresh blueberry muffin on a plate, and give the dog a treat. The dog and I retire to the living room to watch the debate.
McCain's Refusal To Look Left
A Shocking Vision
As the minutes roll by, I am shocked by what I see. Not what I hear, what I see. Not once does John McCain turn his head toward Barack Obama, who is to McCain's left. McCain's arrogant ignoring of his debating partner runs beyond rudeness, right into comtempt. If McCain can treat Obama this way, I guess he can treat me this way, too. I can't help but think that he just risked messing up his chances of winning the election.
The blueberry muffin sticks in my throat, and I want to gag. In disgust, I switch the channel to Animal Planet and watch wild, drunken monkeys make a mess in a tropical resort's outdoor restaurant and bar somewhere far away. I finish my tea, turn off the TV, and go to bed.
Before I doze off, I find myself thinking that McCain needs to sit down with his esteemed advisors, plus a couple of big dogs, for a nice supper of homemade tomato soup, roasted chicken, and corn on the cob.
And watch how well the dogs clean up their own messes.
I wonder what my daughter and her friends think of the debate? I'm sure I'll find out tomorrow.
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Comments
Hi Sally!
I'm so relieved to see so many people today who had this same reaction. I found that not even halfway through the debate I could barely stand to even listen to or look at McCain, as it felt like pure hatred was just seeping out of him like acid. It disgusted me to see his hateful dismissal of Obama--he talked about him only in the third person and then only in the most dismissive and disrespectful way, as if her were a small ignorant child instead of a statesman and a law professor from one of the most prestigious colleges in America. I can't help but feel that his behavior is a bit of a preview of how he will treat all of us if he is elected. It really made me sick.
That's why I'm making gingerbread with real whipped cream today.
I know I don't have to explain to you why that makes sense.
Trish, one of the things I love so much about you is how you know and accept yourself. Don't ever apologize or make excuses for being reluctant to participate in our political process. I am very glad that you will vote, especially since you come from a state in this US of A which has been rife with political corruption for decades.
As you know, I have not always been interested in politics. In fact, this year, for the first time, I am feeling an excitement I can taste. It has a lot to do with Hillary and Sarah (not that I support Palin in any way, as you know), because it has a lot to do with women in general.
Debates and discussions on sexism as well as those on racism have been Banned from the Board in this election, not only by the parties and their candidates, but by the media. However, racisim and sexism are playing their parts, whether the Political Correctness gods and goddesses want to recognize it or not.
Thank you so much for speaking openly and freely about your thoughts on the political process.
When you come to visit and have some soup, I promise that Cinnamon will lick up any spills to the floor that you make!
Always, Sally
It's interesting that people are eating and watching, we all needed comfort -- My husband and I went for homemade cinnamon rolls, I, too almost gagged eating them as I was so disgusted by McCain's disrespect!!
I screamed at the tV and my dog got very upset - your dog story touched me!!
Our sons watched the debate across the Bay, they, too screamed at the TV. I think McCain will hear the delayed sound in November.
A wonderfully warm peek into your night of the Debate. I loved this!! We should have all had a conference call!! We were definitely on the same frequency! =))
Very sensitive HUB for a sensitive time. Obama deserved respect, McCain is not capable of giving.
Pam, I think many of us (meaning women who witnessed this debate) came away with this sick feeling, to one degree or another, but not enough of us are willing or able to see it for what it is.
This sick feeling arises because we have been shamed, humiliated, or abused in the past, and now a situation pulls the trigger releasing those feelings in the present. The present trigger is the disdain we saw McCain direct at his opponent, a man of mixed race, apparently as devalued as a woman. Mostly, we put this sick feeling aside (it's my imagination, or, I have too much to do and I can't think about it, or, he didn't really mean that). Most of us deny this feeling because we have to survive, day to day, and it's an aweful lot of work to get to the roots and deal with them.
Yes, indeed, I know exactly why you are going to have that gingerbread and whipped cream. It's the same reason I had that muffin last night.
Thank you so much for your always insightful comments.
Marisue, one of the things that scared us all so much was the hatred that emanated from McCain. If you are a person who is able to understand the communication from the body as well as from the words, you can't mistake this man's contempt.
I have known people who give off this aura, and I have learned the hard way how to stay away from them. I sincerely believe there is something unbalanced about this man, in the way of a personality disorder or worse. I believe something more specific, but I won't say it. So you can read between the lines. You've had plenty of experience.
I think the caloric consumption of the American people who watched this debate last night is significant. A way to counteract the pain.
Thank you so much for your valued comments.
Always, Sally
Hi Sally. A wonderful piece of writing as usual, invoking so much more feeling and understanding about LIFE than the mere subject of the hub. I know your fans (I'm number 1) appreciate it. I feel as though I have been a guest in your kitchen.
Regarding the debate, I thought McCain was, at first, faltering, and then, tap dancing around the truth (to put it mildly). I brought to mind the last several years when politicians will go on television and say anything, and presumably, many people believe. (Case in point: Bush telling the head of FEMA - former horse show manager - that he had done a "good job" before, during, and after Katrina.) Who believes this stuff and what planet have they been living on? As my mind wandered, I found myself wishing...wishing more than anything else, that Obama would finally turn to him and say, "You, sir, are a liar. A baldfaced, unmitigated liar of the worst kind." This would never happen of course, but wouldn't that have been spectacular?
Thanks again for the great piece of writing!
My brother, Tom, was also a Navy man, and knew of many stories about McCain, I don't think McCain is stable. Frankly, I would suspect anyone tortured in the manner he was would come away with many personality disorders, temper problems, and even hate for others. Now, I don't blame all of his personality on the torture, I
I waas typing and my cat added her comment, thus booting me off...sorry and hope you can fix them.
Anyway, I do not blame McCain's problems solely on his POW experience, yet think it may be partially to blame for what is in my opinion - a totally wrong choice for the country. McCain does not seem stable, is certainly filled with disdain for others, (hate?) and we should NOT elect this man.
I agree his hatred for Obama was very evident in his posture and expressions, and even his tone of voice. Obama detected it, you could tell by his facial expressions as well. It was eletric and I felt sad that a candidate for President would have to experience this.
Obama has 5,000 times the stage presence and speaking skills McCain has. Completly outside the matter of issues or political stances and competence for the job, the plain fact is that McCain on stage with Obama is like putting Lindsay Lohan in a cage match with Jet Lii.
*waves from the fence*
I'm a fence straddler...still. My husband and i watched the debate while drinking coffee in bed. LOL!
I confess I'm still leaning more toward McCain than Obama (please don't throw anything inedible at me...but if it's food from any of your kitchens I'll save it for the next debate to enjoy with my coffee).
I agree with your observation and noticed that McCain did not look at Obama, or address him directly, during the debates even when requested to do so by the moderator. Even remarked upon it to my husband because it was so noticeable.
However, Obama didn't endear me with his comment to McCain which referred to Bush as "your president." I'm not a Republican and have NEVER voted as a Republican. To say I loathe Bush is an understatement and I'll be giddy with delight when he is no longer in office. But despite that fact...and as much as I don't like it...he is still MY president. I strongly suspect that even though Obama might not like it...Bush is still his president as well.
I didn't come away with any good feelings about either candidate from this debate...and I thought they came across as rather childish. So I'm still sitting on the fence for now...
Very interesting relationship between presidential candidates and tomato soup (i.e. something that gets spilled by someone and sits there for someone else to come and clean up). Very good. I never would have thought of that. Thumbs up
That was an excellent comparison, Sally's Trove, trust you to come up with it, very astute. =)
Christoph, wherever I came from, however I grew, I see things in metaphor, I see them as they are related to all other things. One day I will write about the *real* soup, the essence I believe binds all living and inorganic (who's to say that *inorganic* is not living?) things together. That's for another day. Thank you for prompting this thought with your capitalized LIFE. :) In my kitchen, I will extend the same courtesy that I do to Trish...my dog will clean the floor of any errant spilling on your part.
I share your wish about Obama turning to McCain and calling him a liar. For Obama, even though that action would be outside the rules of the debate, I think it would mean a resounding cheer in his direction, made not only by those in the live audience, but also by those watching TV and gorging on comfort food to stem the pain of what they are seeing.
Maybe Obama will find a way to do that. He has some work to do. His delivery is lack-lustre, and as one commentator put it last night, *bloodless*. I believe Obama has anecdotal experiences to touch us with, but we haven't seen him do it yet.
As for tap dancing in the old-fashioned way, McCain will never hold a candle to the Seven Little Foys, but in the new meaning of the phrase, McCain is the champion.
Thank you, as always, for your thoughtful and provocative comments.
Sally
Marisue, as always, you are so on the money. We can't say that McCain has a diagnosable mental problem, after all, we are not his therapists. But we know what we see, and no one should be subjected to the contempt we saw McCain shooting in Obama's direction last night.
Please scratch your kitty for me, and tell her it's OK to paw the keyboard.
Shadesbreath, I agree completely that McCain has a polished stage delivery that Obama lacks. My hope is that the American public can bring forward their intelligence and insight to see through that polished delivery with its condescending smiles and plastic posture, in order to see McCain for the contemptuous opportunist he is.
Hah, I totally meant that the other way around. McCain in my opinion is a horrific speaker (the lack of acknowledging his opponent being just one example), his speaking voice is clumsy and mechanical and I don't find him to be the least bit engaging at all. While I remain undecided regarding who I will vote for, in my opinion Obama is just far, far superior in delivering his message (and quite outside whether the message is one I will ultimately support in totality). Obama has a natural charisma on stage that McCain just can't muster.
Shadesbreath, whatever way you meant it, McCain has much more the stage presence and speaking skills. He is polished, in every sense of the word. This electorate is very much influenced by those polished skills.
I don't believe Obama has any charisma in a debate forum. Although he may be charismatic in other venues, his removed and distanced formal speaking style does him no good here.
I am glad Obama is charismatic to you. He is not charismatic to me at all.
Thank you so much for your comments. They keep us on our toes!
Makes you wonder if either of us are seeing what's really there, eh? Maybe seeing what we expect to see? I like McCain almost as much as Obama, I'll have to watch McCain more closely and see if maybe I'm not giving him due.
Spryte, I see you waving from that fence.
I also see your patriotism. Indeed, Bush is our president, whether we wanted him to be or not, and the fact that he is our president means that he deserves the respect due that office. I hear you, and I agree.
However, I don't fault Obama for his comment to McCain that Bush is "your president". If you look at Christoph's comment above, he wishes (and I do too) that Obama would have said to McCain, "You, sir, are a liar. A baldfaced, unmitigated liar of the worst kind." Well, Obama couldn't do that, considering the position he was in, but he must have been boiling mad.
I believe Obama's comment about "your president" was the safest comment he could make under the circumstances, which were, that he was being unjustly accused of transgressions against the American people, and under the *rules* of the debate format, as well as under the hostile attitude of his debating partner who would not acknowledge his presence, Obama said what he could say, as well as that the "your president" referred to the mess that we are all in that McCain was a part of from the beginning. It was a barb aimed at McCain's following Bush's lead. But, again, I don't fault Obama for that.
Better Obama than me! I would have slugged McCain right there on camera, in front of a televised audience. Obama used words.
Thank you so much for your considered comments and the special "Sprytely" flavor you bring to every exchange.
Bowen, I so appreciate your comment. It's time for those who make the mess to clean it up. I'm glad you see this simplicity for what it is.
Thumbs up to you, too!
LOL, Shadesbreath. You are the breath of the shade. We are all blind to one degree or another, or at the very least we see our experiences through fogged, shaded windows. Yet, we do the best we can. That's what free will and fate are all about. Free will is our opportunity to direct our travel thorough life despite limited vision, a vision that is only fully revealed through fate.
You are the breath of fresh air as well.
Time for another muffin.
Warmest regards, Sally
Thanks for writing such a wonderful hub.I felt the need to crunch so I watched the debate with a bag of pretzel rods. I could believe the contempt that McCain showed Obama; it is who has become. I know people like him. My old boss was like him, his anger seething.Obama sound nuanced and intelligent and held his own against McCain's area of expertise.Maybe we should get a bridge line and watch the Palin-Biden debate.Oh yes, what is everybody eating that night?
Susan, I know what you mean about having a boss like that. I think the people most negatively affected by McCain's debating posture on Friday are those who have known someone like your boss in the past. This is not a comforting thought.
But food is comforting! Thanks for the reminder about menu planning for October 2. I can tell you this, in my house it's won't be Alaskan salmon or moose!
Thanks so much for your always insightful comments.
Loved your hub...it was interesting, creative, and fun! I now have a craving for tomato soup...who knew that politics and comfort food could be such a great combination. I'll plan on getting out my extra big bowl on November 4th. Thanks for sharing!
BizzyMuse, you really don't have to wait for November 4. October 2 is the VP debate. For this one, I'm suggesting to all my friends that they don't forget the antacids...the soup will be great, but the debate may cause some discomfort. :)
Thank you for the nice compliments, and welcome to HubPages!
Best regards, Sally
Sally, Sall.. my dear friend that i love so much, again you did it with Flying colors. I missed the debate because i was busy moving,and its to bad you were alone well to watch part of it lol cause i was not that far from you LOL. The dogs and the soup darn I miss that kitchen!!When can we cook again me and you lets hope soon!!ust a gentle reminder LOL im waiting for that email, best regards to your lovely daughter from me please and big hug to the dogs.
Love always
FlyingPanther
Hey FlyingPanther! I really do appreciate your reading and commenting on my Hubs. It's always wonderful to hear your good words. Email coming soon.
All the best, Sally
I couldn't watch the debates -- I listened to a little of it. Because they are not true debates. A true debate would be scored point by point on logic by trained judges just like gymnastics are. It's dispicable that McPain wouldn't look at his opponent, he's from the generation that thinks those "colored" folks should stay in their place I guess and I sort of thought we had gotten beyond his skin tones. That's what it said to me. I think Obama had all his Obamaness coached out of him in an effort not to appear too smart. He came off like a Casper milktoast. Now Airhead vs. Biden, that one I'll wanna watch for sure. Mainly to see if a week of coaching can make up for a lifetime of promqueening. And to see if Biden will just gently flip her, pin her and hold her down chivalrously for the whole debate, or whether he'll go for the jugular and have a feeding frenzy.
It doesn't matter anyway.... the republicans are now preparing which voting machines they should tip. They can do it by remote control, and on the fly by now. They probably HOPE McCain will die so they can have Sarah Palin in there as a hollow puppet, to be manipulated behind the scenes. I believe they have bought off the polls too, so the election returns won't seem so surprising. I once thought McCain was three or four times smarter than Bush (and even so that's still not saying much) but in his choice of Palin he showed shocking lack of judgment. Would he fill the supreme court up with people like her too?
HD, I'm glad my Hub tripped off these comments from you. You have lots of company.
What a true debate is today, is questionable. The committee for setting the rules for presidential debates has its own guidelines...I'd like to put the link here for that, but I'm kind of pooped right now. So everybody can find it by doing a Google search.
There is no doubt that race plays a significant part in this election. So be it. This country is not, absolutely not, all about freedom for all regardless of color, race, ethnic origin, sex, or any other category.
When people vote in November, my guess is that 10 percent or less will have thought about the issues facing all of us. The rest will vote based on their emotions, family alliances, or just plain blindness encouraged by media hysteria.
Thanks for a hot comment. You got my dander up, too.
Vote for McCain!
Misha, I've been away a little and missed your sage comment!
I hope all votes for McCain wind up in his back pocket and he sits on them.
:)
Hi Sally and I am glad you are voting for Obama, or at least I think you are after reading this. I am getting really excited about the election, I feel like it is Christmas or something :). Wonderful hub too.
I've been surprised at how many folks are getting involved, in a big way, with this election when they hadn't been involved in the past. They may have voted, or not, but they never followed the goings-on or volunteered as much until now. Family, friends, even news reporters are talking about how this election is so much more compelling than any that came before, with the exception of 1964 (that's going back a way, so those are the older timers who have that memory).
Yes, I'm voting for Obama. Not because I'm crazy about him, but because I don't want to see McCain in the White House with Governor Palin, literally, a heart-beat (his) away from being in the office herself. The thought makes my blood run cold.
Since I wrote this Hub, even more is being left for the new President to clean up. I admired Barbara Bush, and so I can't imagine how she failed to train her son to clean up his own messes. I find it hard to believe that they didn't all sit down to dinner (maybe even with dogs) and share in the responsibility of cleaning up, just as they shared in enjoying the meal.
Glad you enjoyed!
As with all your other ones, a most readable and enjoyable hub, ST.
Elections in your great US of A are over and the ones in India are now underway. Voting has already taken place in a big chunk of the country, but it will take another month from now for all of us to get an opportunity to cast our ballot. We take life and elections slow and easy.
In the meanwhile my dog is going to get a treat of meatballs in home made tomato soup very soon. It'll be a treat he has never had earlier. And he will be told that thanks for that are due to a certain lady in South Eastern PA and not to any of the candidates who are wooing us desperately these days.
I know who he'll want me to vote for!
Your electoral battle has been won and lost. And the better man is in chair. All of us, specially those in the democratic free world, look up to him to restore some semblance of balance in the economy and to pour some oil on waters much troubled by terrorism and hatred in our world. More strength to his elbow towards those ends.
As a retired military man, even though from another Army, I have a soft corner for McCain. He has withstood tests and proved himself in battle, and soldiers everywhere, even from opposing Armies always honor that. But he was fielded too late in his life. Not only does he have a problem with turning his neck, but he apparently cannot even lift his arm above shoulder level. Wonder if anyone noticed that in his many speeches. These are problems probably related to age and maybe even battle injuries. But that by no means implies that he would have made a better President. Just a personal soft corner somewhere inside one veteran for another.
I agree that animals offer us wisdom, if we are willing to learn to open ourselves to what they have to say. If you will know who your dog will want you to vote for, then how do I get my name on your ballot? :)
Your tribute to military heroes is welcome here. There is no doubt about McCain's service and heroism. But there is also no excuse for his contemptuous rudeness. I see you are astute about how body language communicates more than can be said in words. I think all people are affected by the language of the body, but few are consciously able to describe what they see.
Thank you, Jaspal, for your insights. It is always a pleasure to see a comment from you.
trish1048 says:
15 months ago
Hello dear friend,
As you know, I am not politically inclined. I suppose I fall into the category of what's the use. I know that's not a good attitude to have, but that's the way it is. I believe it stems from listening to the news everyday in dear old NJ, and hearing about all the corruption, lack of ethics, and greed that goes on every single day. I've lost a lot of faith in not only New Jersey's political system, but in Washington as well.
That said, I will be going out to vote. I know very well that one vote can make a difference. I agree with you that it was appalling to see Mr. McCain not even glance at his opponent. If I were in such a situation, you can be sure I'd be looking dead on at my opponent. I'm glad you opted for Animal Planet :)
Now, about the dogs. You know I've found it amazing that Cinnamon will eat anything. I didn't know your daughter's dog did the same. From having owned many dogs myself, I do know they make a terrible mess when eating, especially when it's homemade by Mom. I hope when I come to visit, I don't behave that way when you serve me your tomato soup. I promise I won't make a mess, but if some slops on the floor, that's where I draw the line. I refuse to lick up the floor.
How appropriate that you found that video, it's just too cute! Keep me posted on your daughter's reaction to the debate.
Great hub as always!
love, your bestest friend