Local Members Of Democratic, Republican Parties Gather To Watch Debate

Marge Hudson thought Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, showed courage when he announced he wouldn’t participate in Friday night’s presidential debate because of the nation’s economic crisis.

Jenny Whitaker, on the other hand, thought it was a ploy to get attention.

Julie Drake said Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain’s vice presidential running mate, is “smart and educated” and many people “just can’t stand that.”

But Whitaker said she’s unprepared for a candidate who “makes a lot of bold statements.”

Although their opinions differed – all three had one thing in common: They spent Friday night gathered with a group of like-minded people to watch the first debate of the presidential election.

“It’s always a lot more fun to watch a game like this with fellow fans,” said Joe Conner, a Johnson City, Tenn., resident who joined about 75 fellow Democrats at the Marriott Courtyard in Bristol, Va.

Local members of the Democratic and Republican parties gathered at separate events to watch the debate between McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, and engage in lively discussion about the upcoming election.

About 50 Republicans gathered at the Bristol, Tenn., home of Denise Tran Mai.

Guests at both parties voiced strong opinions about their views.

“I think Obama’s tax plan will hurt small businesses, and that’s what we’ve got here. We don’t have a lot of large companies in the area,” Hudson said while sitting in Tran Mai’s living room with a group composed primarily of women.

Drake chimed in, “A lot of Democrats say they’re voting for Obama because they want change, but when you ask them what they mean by change, they don’t know,” she said.

The lively discussion jumped to various issues of the campaign before the debate began at 9 p.m. On the subject of Palin’s pregnant 17-year-old daughter, the Republican women seemed to agree that the issue had no place in the political debate. They also seemed to agree that character and values play a large role in this election.

Their opinion of Obama: “Frankly, Obama scares me,” said one woman, and several others nodded in agreement.

Among their concerns – Christian values, which several woman said are being pushed out of the discussion and should play a larger role.

“This country was founded on Christian values,” said Senah Hayes, from Bristol, Va.

At the Marriott, the atmosphere among the Democrats was somewhat more formal due to the size of the crowd, but when asked, most folks seemed to agree on certain issues – and disagree with the sentiments expressed at Tran Mai’s house.

“I think Sen. Obama has the answers to the economy, education and health care, and he will definitely bring the change that we need,” Whitaker said.

Link Elmore, of Abingdon, Va., said, “This is the election of our generation, and I wouldn’t be doing my duty as a father and a citizen if I didn’t get involved during these challenging times. There is no denying that what happens in Washington affects the rest of the country.”

The Democrats seemed to agree that the economy was the issue that needed to be addressed up front despite the fact that foreign policy was the scheduled topic of the debate.

In fact, when the first question addressed the economy, there was a little applause among the Democrats and one man stood to high-five another.

Although they had different opinions, the Republicans and Democrats who gathered Friday night shared a passion for the issues facing America and enjoyed getting involved in the political process.

“What do I hope to see happen tonight?” Conner asked. “I would love it if McCain got confused and didn’t know where he was.”

ahunter@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2531