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McCain – Obama Debate First Impressions

Author | joe | Posted on | September 26, 2008 | 13 Comments

Some random observations:

- A commenter during Ace’s live blog (which was hysterical, by the way – go here and click “Replay,” and click each new link to read through to the end, it is well worth it) noted the pall cast over CNN’s expert commentators is a sign McCain thrashed Obama. Great point, they looked like they just had a death in the family. David Gergen could barely get his words out.

- My wife just noted: “That’s how they looked after Palin’s speech.”

- Obama could not name a single thing he would cut from his plans in light of our financial tightening – except for his energy independence initiative, which incidentally he had just said is the number one thing he would NOT cut.

- McCain, in my view (imagining I’m an independent swing voter), did not clean the floor with Obama. He did not get a knockout punch. But he did sort of dust the blinds with him. Obama was on defense the entire time.

- McCain’s biggest accomplishment: He was the Dad. Obama was the college junior holding forth about how the world really works.

- Obama looked sort of “presidential,” which was something he had to do, except when he was showing his frustration and interrupting McCain which was back to college junior.

- I thought McCain did pretty well on the economy part of the debate, he underplayed his true role in attempting the reform Fannie and Freddie five years ago. In the next debates he should list more specifics.

- I think there are a ton of domestic issues that McCain can clobber Obama with. Lots of time to practice.

- McCain is going to be energized by this. Obama not so much – I predict lots of defensive spin from the Democrats tomorrow. Less so from McCain’s camp.

UPDATE: CNN just showed a group of “McCain supporters” and they are jubilant. We have yet to see an Obama supporter who doesn’t look like they just swallowed something terrible.

UPDATE II: David Gergen would make a good funeral director. He’s got the look down.

UPDATE III: CNN announced within 10 minutes of the end the results of their CNN/Opinion Research poll which had Obama winning the debate in a landslide. How do they do that so quickly, have a thousand people making three phone calls each, or 10 people making three calls each? I think the latter.

UPDATE IV: Hey, anyone with access to an ear in the McCain campaign: Go read that live blog. Some good advice there, seriously.

UPDATE V: Others commenting: Bulletproof Monk. Bearing Drift. Spank That Donkey. Captain Ed.

Category: Bloggers, Campaign 2008
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Comments

13 Responses to “McCain – Obama Debate First Impressions”

  1. McCain - Obama Debate First Impressions « Blogando nos blogs!
    September 26th, 2008 @ 10:48 pm

    [...] Fonte: http://novatownhall.com/2008/09/26/mccain-obama-debate-first-impressions/ [...]

  2. The Bulletproof Monk
    September 26th, 2008 @ 11:10 pm

    http://thebulletproofmonk.blogspot.com/2008/09/and-so-it-all-comes-down-to-what-we.html

  3. dans
    September 26th, 2008 @ 11:35 pm

    Yes, and Obama was debating who ? John ? Tom ? Jim ?

  4. The Bulletproof Monk
    September 26th, 2008 @ 11:42 pm

    I noticed that!!!
    He definitely called him Tom twice, that I counted!!

  5. joe
    September 26th, 2008 @ 11:56 pm

    Bizarre.

  6. jacob
    September 27th, 2008 @ 12:06 am

    BTW on Drudge the vote is McCain 67%, Obama 31%, on the Fox poll is was a runaway McCain result, 84% say he won.

    What Debate where these people watching?

  7. HootervilleGazette
    September 27th, 2008 @ 11:27 am

    What a huge surprise. The day after the debate, Democrats think Obama won and Republicans think that McCain won…LOL

    I new the outcome would depend on which Obama showed up. The Obama who can on occasion be articulate without his teleprompter or the the fumbling fool who is the biggest non-stop gaffe machine since well Dan Quale. Fortunately for democrats, the former showed up.

    I’ll stop short of saying Obama looked presidential, but he did look better than I’ve seen him look in the past. The focus group study that Fox aired after the debate meant nothing to me. The same researcher did a focus group after the Palin acceptance speech and concluded that Palin didn’t do well.

    There is a strong tendency to say PC things when a camera is shoved in your face on national television. A truly poor way to conduct a focus group study.

    As for the Palin / Biden debate coming up, I expect that Palin might surprise some people despite the fact that Obama’s Home Network CNN is predicting that Palin’s performance in the Couric interview is a clear indication that Biden will destroy her.

    I’d advise Biden to stay away from any attempt to discuss the great depression. He doesn’t do well with History.

  8. G. Stone
    September 27th, 2008 @ 11:36 am

    - I thought McCain did pretty well on the economy part of the debate, he underplayed his true role in attempting the reform Fannie and Freddie five years ago. In the next debates he should list more specifics.

    Joe, he should have been all over this.

  9. HootervilleGazette
    September 27th, 2008 @ 11:36 am

    BTW, when Quayle had trouble spelling potato, he was looking into a teleprompter that had spelled it “potatoe”. I’m still waiting for Biden to explain why he thought FDR went on television after the great crash to explain what happened to the American people. If anyone has heard an official explanation from the Biden camp, please post it.

  10. Linda B
    September 27th, 2008 @ 12:47 pm

    HG, I thought that “potatoe” gaffe came in a classroom appearance, where a kid had spelled it correctly and then Quayle “corrected” him? In which case, why was there a teleprompter? Or am I remembering this incorrectly?

  11. Cathymac
    September 27th, 2008 @ 4:02 pm

    There are still 2 debates, I hope McCain is being patient with his attacks. I say look for the Freddie/Fannie explanation in the economics debate.

    McCain closed strong last night, the mock on sitting across from Ahkmadinijad (sp??) was fantastic, as was the “strategy” vs “tactic” smackdown. The words dangerous, naive and wrong were used over and over again to describe Obama’s foreign policy outlook, and it just might stick.

    The problem is viewership wanes after 30 minutes or so, so if that is all you saw you thought Obama won the debate.

  12. dans
    September 27th, 2008 @ 5:08 pm

    Online polls are useless. It is all a matter of who can get a “go here and vote for our guy” email out the quickest, and to the most recipients.

  13. More advice for Sarah Palin | novatownhall blog
    September 29th, 2008 @ 11:47 pm

    [...] was made evident in the first debate that John McCain revealed Barack Obama’s understanding of international relations to be [...]

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