This was, I think, a mauling: a devastating and possibly electorally fatal debate for McCain. Even on Russia, he sounded a little out of it. I've watched a lot of debates and participated in many. I love debate and was trained as a boy in the British system to be a debater. I debated dozens of times at Oxofrd. All I can say is that, simply on terms of substance, clarity, empathy, style and authority, this has not just been an Obama victory. It has been a wipe-out.It has been about as big a wipe-out as I can remember in a presidential debate. It reminds me of the 1992 Clinton-Perot-Bush debate. I don't really see how the McCain campaign survives this.
Total domination. McCain needed a game changer. I think it was Obama is the one that got it.
UPDATE: The CNN panel -- journalists, Democratic pundits, and Republican pundits -- agreed that McCain simply did not do enough to change the trajectory of this race.
UPDATE: A majority of the CNN focus group of uncommitted voters gave the debate to Obama. It was close, 12 to 10.
UPDATE: Josh notes in the comments that an MSNBC poll of Pennsylvania voters thought Obama won, 60%-40%.
UPDATE: Another from the comments. CBS poll of uncommitted voters has Obama 39%, McCain 27%, and the rest said a tie.
UPDATE: CNN poll has Obama winning the debate by 54%-30% of debate watchers. Obama's favorables climbed from 60 to 64% and McCain's favorables stayed at 51%. Obama's unfavorables fell by four points (down to 34%). McCain's unfavorables stayed at 46%.
UPDATE: More from that CNN poll, this time on the issues.
Who will better handle Iraq? Obama 51-47%
Terrorism? McCain 51-46%
Economy? Obama 59-37%
Financial Crisis? Obama 57-36%
UPDATE: CNN's poll now broken down by partisan make-up. Obama won over independents by 54-28%.
Comments
60-40 for Obama - PA Independents on MSNBC (Josh - 10/7/2008 10:51:38 PM)
CBS Poll--- (KathyinBlacksburg - 10/7/2008 10:54:52 PM)
Obama 39
McCain 27
The rest said tie
That was only of uncommitted voters (Lowell - 10/7/2008 10:57:58 PM)
The full numbers aren't that different (DanG - 10/8/2008 1:19:18 AM)
With Dems and Republicans included, it's 40% to 26%, a 2-point swing. But you have to expect Dems and GOP to cancel each other out, so our numbers amongst undecideds is a good sign.
At cnn.com (KathyinBlacksburg - 10/7/2008 10:57:20 PM)
I can't get my vote to count!!!!!
Finally got it to work (KathyinBlacksburg - 10/7/2008 10:58:51 PM)
Opportunity to tell Fox News who you think won the debate (Pru - 10/7/2008 11:03:17 PM)
Please visit and comment (respectfully...let's take the high road!!!)
So much for the straight talk express (Quizzical - 10/7/2008 11:18:42 PM)
After all that's happened in the last few weeks, and with the Fed and the Treasury Department committing well over a trillion dollars to various emergency measures to keep us out of a depression, it was amazing that McCain still is insisting that nobody, but nobody, is going to have to pay more taxes if he is elected. More tax cuts for everybody! It was either a stunningly dishonest performance, or the man is clueless.
As Warren Buffett succinctly said, "the money has to come from somewhere."
I thought it was just the same old talking points (tx2vadem - 10/7/2008 11:19:10 PM)
Therefore, an automatic win for Obama.
I liked the question about sacrifice. Obama got closer to a good answer. And McCain's was abysmal. You know I have head about cutting government service, but her question was what would you ask of us? And as to cutting government, ask any Texan how successful the Sunset Commission has been.
I wanted them to level with us on this question. And say it is going to get worse before it gets better. Americans will have to make personal sacrifices. Not just government, not just businesses and banks, but individuals too. We will have to be a part of the solution. Government can give us tools, but we need to use them.
McCain: Back to 7th grade (Lowell - 10/7/2008 11:29:59 PM)
No class.
Appalling (rosebudrmm - 10/7/2008 11:58:56 PM)
This really shocked me. Not the kind of man I want representing me.
"Disdain" hardly describes it (Teddy - 10/8/2008 12:13:28 AM)
Senator McCain, it seems, has a history of demonizing anyone who gets in his way or hampers his desired outcomes---- it seems to be a characteristic of far too many, but especially of Republicans. He apparently believes his own propaganda, the new line of attack he and Palin have introduced. That is: Obama is a secret terrorist, a goddam socialist, hates America, is not really a true patriotic American, something funny/odd about him, not one of us. This is the emotional mindset in the Mac-Pal stump speeches which is encouraging hostile and angry responses from the True Believers in their audiences, those who shout "Kill him!" Fear, anger, revenge: the new motif of our politics. (Go read the comments on Fox News about the debate---- they are mostly a dangerous bunch of crazies in a panicky rage).
Actually, McCain shook his hand earlier (Rob - 10/8/2008 12:33:36 AM)
Sullivan has a picture up on his site.
A man holds his hand out to you, you shake it (DanG - 10/8/2008 1:45:01 AM)
Not doing so is an insult. It's quite clear that McCain has problems with Barack Obama. It's like "how dare he have the audacity to be beating me!"
Just for fun (Lowell - 10/7/2008 11:39:56 PM)
DEBATE (carol17 - 10/7/2008 11:57:22 PM)
WHY DID McCAIN NEVER ANSWER A QUESTION???ALWAYS GOT ONTO SOMETHING ELSE, WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO WATCH. OBAMA AT LEAST TRIED TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS, BUT KEPT COMING BACK TO ANSWER SOME COMMENT FROM McCAIN. LOST TO MUCH TIME DOING THAT AND NEEDED MORE ANSWERS THEN GAVE. OBAMA DID BETTER IN DEBATE AND I WILL VOTE FOR HIM. I JUST WISH HE GAVE A FEW MORE ANSWERS. LIKE THE SPENDING PLAN FOR THE ILLEGAL $700 BILLION. LIKE TO KNOW HOW YOU JUSTIFY SPENDING TAX DOLLARS ON PRIVATE COMPANIES. IF IT IS GOING TO SINK LET IT. LET THE ROT GO AND LET THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF WHAT IS LEFT. YOU WILL ONLY GET ANOTHER LAYER OF ROT AND WHEN IT LETS GO YOU JUST MAY LOSE THIS COUNTRY. THANK YOU, CAROL LUECKER NASHUA,NH
Here it is (DanG - 10/8/2008 12:22:24 AM)
"We will kill bin Laden. We will crush al Qaeda."
Who said that? Barack Obama did.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the next President of the United States.
I mean, if you can't even say THAT! (Lowell - 10/8/2008 5:46:33 AM)
Who in their right mind wouldn't capture and/or kill bin Laden, murderer of more than 3,000 Americans, if they had the chance? Who wouldn't crush Al Qaeda, an utterly despicable group that is plotting MORE attacks on America? Apparently, John McCain wouldn't capture and/or kill bin Laden. Apparently, John McCain wouldn't crush al Qaeda. That alone should disqualify him from the presidency of the United States of America.
McCain was so uncomfortable, he made me uncomfortable! (Peninsula Pete - 10/8/2008 6:05:06 AM)
When I was a kid, we had an old man at the end of the block on 3rd Street in Arlington, that would sit on his front porch and yell at the kids, when they'd dare to roller skate past his house on the sidewalk. "Hey you kids, get off my sidewalk"! McCain not only looks like that grumpy old man, he talks like him and his mannerism's are exactly the same.
GRUMPY OLD MAN THAT HAS THAT "HEY YOU GET OFF MY LAWN LOOK"! That is John McCain!
And Sarah Palin is the most unbelievable, attack pooch, we've witnessed in American political history. She sounds like the head Cheerleader, giving a pep talk to the other cheerleaders, right before the big game! I'm amazed she doesn't break into a "cheer" during one of her pitiful attacks on Obama!
If the "townhall" was McCain's strength, I'd hate to see his weakness. It was a sad and pathetic performance, by an out of touch, grumpy old man, who should be shooing kids off his lawn and sidewalk, not running for President!
As a lifelong Virginia conservative, who has never voted for the party, but for the candidates, I am left with only one choice. Barrack Obama.
Obama has convinced me, that he is sincere and honest about his intentions, and that he truly wants to fix, what McCain and his cronies have broken! Count me as another Virginia Conservative Voter who will vote for Obama!
Welcome aboard. (Tiderion - 10/8/2008 4:10:40 PM)
I trust you'll find the policies not wholly against any of your conservative positions but rather a better and more practical outlook than some of the politics of the past.
If nothing else, I believe Obama will stand up for us to do the right thing and to believe in us.
