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Reactions to Obama-McCain Debate

Here's some early commentary on tonight's debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain:

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  • Talking Points Memo: Much Clearer Strategy- "Obama seems to have come into the debate with a much clearer strategy."
  • Washington Post: Fact Check- McCain seriously misstated his vote concerning the marines in Lebanon. He said that when he went into Congress in 1983, he voted against deploying them in Beirut. The Marines went in Lebanon in 1982, before McCain came to Congress. The vote came up a year into their deployment, when the Marines had already suffered 54 casualties. What McCain voted against was a measure to invoke the War Powers Act and to authorize the deployment of U.S. Marines in Lebanon for an additional 18 months. The measure passed 270-161, with 26 other Republicans (including McCain) and 134 Democrats voting against it.
  • Washington Post: Fact Checker- John McCain raised an old Republican canard, repeated often in the primaries, when he claimed that Obama's health care plan would eventually turn the health care system over to the federal government. The Illinois senator proposes helping individuals purchase health insurance through a system of subsidies and tax credits. He is also in favor of mandatory health insurance for children. But he is not advocating a state-run health system, such as the one that exists in Britain and some European countries.
  • CNN (Bill Schneider) Obama Scores a Direct Hit- Obama scores a direct hit, saying that McCain wants tax cuts for the wealthy. He's associating McCain with the Bush record on tax cuts.
  • CNN (Bill Schneider) Obama hits familiar chord on Iran- Obama's answer on Iran was interesting and important.because he's talking about something that a lot of American's understand. Our involvement in Iraq has strengthened Iran.
  • FL- Tampa Tribune (Blog) "Israel-The Next Big Argument" After arguing over Iraq, John McCain and Barack Obama moved quickly to probably the next most emotional argument in foreign policy-Israel. They got into it over a question from moderator Jim Lehrer over Iran, and McCain went for the most crucial line: "We cannot tolerate another holocaust." That hits a weakness for Obama, whose enthusiasm for Israel is questioned by some in the U.S. Jewish community. Then McCain went for another claim that's been debunked: That Obama refused to call the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a "terrorist" organization. Obama had sponsored legislation that did just that, but voted against a bill including that measure which, he said, also included authorizing an open-ended effort in Iraq.
  • The Caucus (Katharine Q. Seeyle) Using the Tax Word -Mr. McCain tosses out a barb to Mr. Obama, saying that you ought to hear Mr. Obama's definition of rich, but didn't provide it. Mr. Obama almost took the bait - and then switched! Instead of being driven by Mr. McCain he described his tax cut plan, saying 95 percent of people will get a tax cut "and if you make less than 250,000, you will not see one dime's worth of tax increases."
  • Washington Post (Live Blog) Fact Check: McCain accused Obama of wanting to stage "military strikes" inside Pakistan, which is a misleading account of what Obama famously said in 2007: That he would be willing to go after Al Qaeda targets inside that country with or without the approval of the Pakistani authorities."If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will," Obama said.
  • Miami Herald: Obama engages McCain on his diss to Spain -Barack Obama just scoffed at John McCain's assertion a week ago or two ago that he wouldn't meet with Spain's Prime Minister. "Spain!" exclaimed Obama. "Spain!" "I'm not going to set the White House visitor list before I'm president," McCain replied, getting in a dig at the presidential-seal like sign Republicans have ribbed Obama for displaying. "I don't even have a seal yet."
  • ABC News: That's pretty close to an outright lie by Sen. McCain -- saying he wants to hand over healthcare to the federal government.
  • First Read (Athena Jones) Longer format helps- He's on message, hitting his talking points on the contrasts with John McCain on taxes, his plans for healthcare and energy independence. He seemed to cover more ground than McCain whose main points were about cutting government spending.
< Debate Highlights | Late Night: Final Debate Thread And Other Thoughts >
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  • Display: Sort:
    NPR commentators had it as a draw (5.00 / 2) (#1)
    by Exeter on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:40:20 PM EST
    With that caveat that Obama held his own on foreign affair -- the focus of debate -- and, therefore, in that sense a draw was a win for him.

    Something I noticed (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Steve M on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:44:36 PM EST
    a lot of the standard Republican scare lines - Democrats want the government to run your health care, etc - didn't get even a blip from the audience response meter, except of course for the Republicans.

    In fact the more McCain talked about health care, the further and further down the lines went for him.

    And Obama's went up when he mentioned (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Teresa on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:50:22 PM EST
    health care, even with Independents. I hope he realizes that.

    Parent
    CBS (none / 0) (#19)
    by cal1942 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:18:20 AM EST
    had a live action graph that showed Obama scoring heavily when he pointed out that McCain was wrong on point after point concerning Iraq. The graph showed McCain sinking when he spoke of health care.

    Over all I'd say that Obama held his own in an area that was supposed to be a McCain advantage.

    But it's really hard to tell what most viewers feel.  Do they key in on specific issues or do they simply take away a general impression?

    Parent

    CNN poll (none / 0) (#21)
    by MKS on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:24:56 AM EST
    measured three things:  overall winner, the economy and Iraq.  Obama won on all three.

    Parent
    MKS (none / 0) (#24)
    by cal1942 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:28:36 AM EST
    What were the margins?

    Parent
    As I recall, (none / 0) (#26)
    by MKS on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:34:46 AM EST
    they were something like this:  Overall-Obama 53-39; Economy was something similar;  Iraq was Obama 53, McCain 47.

    Men were for McCain 48-44, or something like that.  HUGE gender gap for Obama--something like 20 points....

    Obama also won voters over 50....All recited by Anderson Cooper or John King.

    Parent

    Many thanks MKS (none / 0) (#28)
    by cal1942 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:58:07 AM EST
    The 48-44 McCain male margin SEEMS closer than the Bush advantage among men over Kerry in 2004.

    That could be a good sign if it holds.  I'm looking at this number, because if closer than in 2004 it may mean that we're in better shape than I thought.

    And a win with people over 50 means us old folk aren't so dumb after all.

    Parent

    Republicans (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by cal1942 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:27:27 AM EST
    have been running on scare lines for as long as I can remember.

    Let's hope they've succeeded in making themselves the ultimate scare.

    Parent

    yeah (none / 0) (#4)
    by Faust on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:45:30 PM EST
    I noticed that too.

    Parent
    Awesome (none / 0) (#18)
    by andgarden on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:07:09 AM EST
    If that's true, the ear of Republican governance could be over.

    Parent
    ear? (none / 0) (#42)
    by dws3665 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 08:55:03 AM EST
    I would have located it somewhere lower on the body.

    Parent
    My reaction (5.00 / 0) (#3)
    by Faust on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:44:48 PM EST
    Net win for Obama. Obama will get 2 point shift in polls. Net loss for my drinking game. McCain didn't say "my friends" enough.

    "My friends" (5.00 / 0) (#7)
    by txpublicdefender on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:49:55 PM EST
    That screwed me on my drinking game, too.  I thought for sure that would have me trashed by the end of the debate.  

    Parent
    My Friends is under wraps (5.00 / 0) (#14)
    by CoralGables on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:55:54 PM EST
    "Ms Congeniality" finished in a tie with "My Friends". I'm betting we never hear the Ms Congeniality line again.

    Parent
    Who knew (5.00 / 0) (#20)
    by cal1942 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:23:09 AM EST
    that the winning bet would have been ' what Obama doesn't understand ...'

    That preface, to so many of McCain's remarks made me want to vomit.  McCain may well have simply pointed out that it was he, McCain, who didn't understand.

    Parent

    Sen. Obama was not present in the (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by oculus on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:48:15 PM EST
    Senate to vote on Kyl-Lieberman.  He was campaigning in New Hampshire and sd. Reid didn't let him know the vote was scheduled.

    Fact checking the fact checkers. (none / 0) (#9)
    by Teresa on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:52:52 PM EST
    You're right oculus. (the first part, I'm not sure that Obama didn't know...he was the only one it seems).

    Parent
    I'm trying to be analytical (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by oculus on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:54:34 PM EST
    fair here.

    Parent
    Halperin Summary Incorrect (5.00 / 0) (#6)
    by WorkinJoe on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:49:49 PM EST
    If you actually look at the Halperin piece,the photos are mixed up.  He gives McCain an A- and Obama a B-, not the other way around.  I give Halperin a D- for effin that up.

    Apparently even Jim Lehrer (5.00 / 3) (#10)
    by oculus on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:53:26 PM EST
    was being graded in real time.  I wish he drafted the questions and asked them in this format for each and every debate, starting with the primaries.

    Parent
    If you read the analysis (none / 0) (#11)
    by Steve M on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:54:22 PM EST
    it is very, very obvious that he meant to give Obama the better grade.

    Parent
    Yeah it was like the whole the article was (none / 0) (#15)
    by CaptainAmerica08 on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:58:40 PM EST
    mixed up.

    Parent
    what's up with McCain's lack of eye contact?? (5.00 / 0) (#29)
    by kmn944 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 01:03:58 AM EST
    McCain definitely didn't enjoy being on the stage with Senator Obama. No eye contact either means he' s severely intimidated by Obama, or perhaps he is just showing his snobbishness. But I suppose the old white guy could be showing a few signs of underlying racism or prejudice.

    Oh please (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by BrassTacks on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 01:52:24 AM EST
    Must we always play the race card?  I don't like McCain one bit, but I also know that he's been in politics for eons and there has never been any evidence of racism.  I just hate it when we democrats immediately scream racism. It gets old and makes us look like we are preoccupied with race, which I don't think we are.  

     Maybe McCain just doesn't much like Obama.  I could imagine feeling that way about someone I was running against.  Such feelings can exist and have nothing to do with race.  

    Parent

    Calling someone a liberal (none / 0) (#43)
    by BrassTacks on Mon Sep 29, 2008 at 12:43:45 PM EST
    Is quite a bit different than calling them a racist.  Don't you think?

    Parent
    I got that same sense (none / 0) (#33)
    by JavaCityPal on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 02:37:13 AM EST
    from both men. They really don't like each other, and it doesn't seem like that is a new feeling. I wonder if they will ever be able to work together, or if they are even thinking about it.

    One of them is going to be President in a few months, and the other is going to have to rely on the president to sign the bills he authors.

    Doesn't seem smart to carry on a rift.

    Parent

    "Who won" depends on perspective (none / 0) (#13)
    by Abbey on Fri Sep 26, 2008 at 11:55:29 PM EST
    If you believe the war in Iraq is a good thing, the economy is "fundamentally sound," and Republicans have done a fair job over the past eight years  - then McCain won hands down.

    If not - it was Obama all the way.

    Why, yes -- just caught the Fox results (none / 0) (#17)
    by Cream City on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:02:32 AM EST
    and it was McCain 84, Obama 14 for their debate performance tonight.

    Debates have impact on undecideds.  Of course, few Fox watchers are undecideds.

    Parent

    Real or online poll? (none / 0) (#22)
    by MKS on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:26:12 AM EST
    Hmm, the Fox online (none / 0) (#25)
    by MKS on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:30:09 AM EST
    poll says Obama 52, McCain 48....But that is the nonscientific online poll....

    Parent
    Jeralyn, it was interesting (none / 0) (#16)
    by oculus on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:00:33 AM EST
    reading your son's comments during the debate.  

    BTD and He Really Got Along (none / 0) (#34)
    by Jeralyn on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 02:51:17 AM EST
    It was very fun, my son loved it. He was exhausted after, he didn't realize how much energy live-blogging takes :  watching the tv, reading what everyone else is writing, navigating the software, responding to comments....but he was so excited to be part of it.  It brings multi-tasking to a new level.  We ordered in a huge pizza and just had the best time. He even brought me flowers for my birthday 2 days early.  He's a great kid.

    Parent
    Not an Obama fan, but thought he did (none / 0) (#27)
    by No Blood for Hubris on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 12:49:29 AM EST
    very well.  

    McCain, on the other hand, was very much same old same old same old.

    Cranky, too.

    A poll of undecided voters (none / 0) (#30)
    by BrassTacks on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 01:47:54 AM EST
    This is an Insider/Advantage poll.  I know nothing about them, so I can't say anything about their accuracy, but it seems like a solid poll.  

    I hope this debate helped Obama, but I doubt it will make much difference.  I thought Mondale and Gore were great in debates, and look what happened to them.  Put me down as cautiously optimistic.

    I like CNN.... (none / 0) (#32)
    by Maise7 on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 01:56:34 AM EST
    They have a variety of people. I turned to Fox News, but they had 4 republicans to 1 democrat (as usual), so I changed it. Then I went to MSNBC and there was Chris Matthews. Eww. So, I went with CNN. It wasn't biased, IMO and was informative.

    As for the debate, I think overall Obama did better. McCain came off as a jerk. And did you notice that he didn't look Obama in the eye, yet Obama looked at him several times. The 'you just don't understand' line was annoying.


    ya (none / 0) (#41)
    by connecticut yankee on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 07:33:28 AM EST
    I like Matthews too, though he can be erratic at times. But David Gergen is my man, until I know what he thinks, I dont feel like Ive heard the full deal.  He's sort of fililng the Ted Koppel role for me.

    Parent
    At least stunt-man McCain showed up .. (none / 0) (#39)
    by AdamA on Sat Sep 27, 2008 at 03:53:02 AM EST
    and it didn't look like he had too many tricks up his sleeve.  "What Senator Obama doesn't understand ..." was sort of an annoying new one.  

    Can't wait for the McCain ads that highlight every time Obama said, "Senator McCain is right about that .." in the rare and fair times he acknowledged common-ground.  Its use will be a predictable Roveian tactic ... or is that a strategy?

    The highlight was the "use a hatchet when you need a scalpel" response.  So true.