--- title: The Three-Minute Debate | TIME description: Highlights from the first presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama canonical: https://time.com/video/NaExV483/ og:title: The Three-Minute Debate og:description: Highlights from the first presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama og:url: https://time.com/video/NaExV483/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/NaExV483/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Three-Minute Debate twitter:description: Highlights from the first presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/NaExV483/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # The Three-Minute Debate > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: The Three-Minute Debate [Watch (HLS stream): The Three-Minute Debate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NaExV483.m3u8) (3:24)  _Published 2008-09-27. Highlights from the first presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama_ --- Jul 27, 2023 1:01 PM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [Senator John McCain Dies at Age 81](/video/2ow4bkZQ/) ### Senator John McCain Dies at Age 81 [The Final Three-Minute Debate](/video/UFDEud1I/) ### The Final Three-Minute Debate [The Second Three-Minute Debate ](/video/KMVnUgwu/) ### The Second Three-Minute Debate --- ## Transcript >> Where do you stand on the financial recovery plan? >> Although we've heard a lot about Wall Street, those of you on Main Street-- >> Failures on Main Street and people who will lose their jobs. >> Ten days ago, John said that the fundamentals of the economy are sound. >> Say it directly to him. >> I do not think that they are. >> Say it directly to him. >> Well, the-- John, 10 days ago, you said that the fundamentals of the economy are sound. And-- >> Are you afraid I couldn't hear him? He has voted in the United States Senate to increase taxes on people who make as low as $ 42, 000 a year. >> That's not true, John. It's just not true. And if we wanna talk about oil company profits-- under your tax plan, John, this is undeniable-- oil companies would get an additional $ 4 billion. >> Senator Obama has the most liberal voting record in the United States Senate. It's hard to reach across the aisle from that far to the left. >> Liberal. Mostly, that's just me opposing George Bush's wrong headed policies. >> What do you see as the lessons of Iraq? >> You cannot have a failed strategy that will then cause you to nearly lose a conflict. >> We've spent over $ 600 billion so far, soon to be $ 1 trillion. We have lost over 4, 000 lives. We have seen 30, 000 wounded, and most importantly, from a strategic national security perspective, al- Qaeda is resurgent, stronger now than at any time since 2001. >> I went to Iraq in 2003 and came back and said, " We've got to change this strategy ." >> You said it was gonna be quick and easy. You said we knew where the weapons of mass destruction were. You were wrong. >> I'm afraid Senator Obama doesn't understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy. >> I absolutely understand the difference between tactics and strategy. >> Now, having resolved Iraq, we'll move to Afghanistan. >> That al- Qaeda is the greatest threat against the United States and that Secretary of Defense Gates acknowledged the central front-- the place where we have to deal with these folks is going to be in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. >> He said that he would launch military strikes into Pakistan. >> Now, you don't do that. You don't say that out loud. >> The single thing that has strengthened Iran over the last several years has been the war in Iraq. >> We cannot allow a second Holocaust. >> So, obviously, our policy over the last eight years has not worked. >> You sit down across the table from someone who has called Israel a " stinking corpse ." This is dangerous. It isn't just naive; it's dangerous. >> A resurgent and very aggressive Russia is a threat. >> I looked into Mr. Putin's eyes, and I saw three letters, a " K ," a " G ," and a " B ." >> The ideals and the values of the United States inspired the entire world. >> There are some advantages to experience, and knowledge, and judgment. >> What the next president has to do-- and this is part of our judgment. >> And I honestly don't believe that Senator Obama has the knowledge or experience. >> How ordinary people are able to live out their dreams. And that is something that I'm gonna be committed to as president of the United States. >> I know how to heal the wounds of war, I know how to deal with our adversaries, and I know how to deal with our friends. >> And that ends this debate tonight. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"The Three-Minute Debate","description":"Highlights from the first presidential debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/NaExV483/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2008-09-27T07:08:22.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NaExV483.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/video/NaExV483/","duration":"PT3M24S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/video/NaExV483/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}} ```