Can we at least all agree on this?

[BigCatDaddy]

This was the best debate in the last 8 years. Obama did a much better job then Gore or Kerry, and McCain did a much better job then Bush.

[dirk digler]

Yes. Like I said in the other thread Obama did very well on the economy and McCain did very on foreign policy. Pretty much what I expected.

I thought Obama held his own on foreign policy and didn't make any mistakes that I could find.

[Captain Obvious]

No. This debate was awful.

[Friendo]

I didn't like Kerry, but no--hell no! Kerry was much better than either of these guys.

[cdcox]

I thought the format and moderation was good. I also prefer the fewer sound bites that we were subjected to tonight.

[KC Jones]

I'd agree. There was for less of the ridiculous sound bite bullshit than we've had before. For the most part they stayed on topic and actually tried to answer the questions.

[dirk digler]

On CNN they said that both candidates messed up on Iran and the Republican Guard. It is the revolutionary guard. McCain said it first and then Obama stupidly followed him

[Mr. Kotter]

I thought the debate was substantive, in many ways....but from a viewership perspective....it was a snooze-fest (at least for those of us who have been following the campaigns.) Nothing new, nothing unexpected, and no knockdowns or real note on either side.

[WilliamTheIrish]

I thought the debate was substantive, in many ways....but from a viewership perspective....it was a snooze-fest (at least for those of us who have been following the campaigns.) Nothing new, nothing unexpected, and no knockdowns or real note on either side.

Interesting. I thought Obama got up off the carpet after the economic segment and he let McCain punch himself out while he rambled on about the Cold War and seeing "Three Letters.... K....G...B.... when he looked at Pooootin.

IMO, Obama was calm and reserved while McCain looked like a weary old man.

[ChiTown]

No. This debate was awful.

qft

[Mr. Kotter]

Interesting. I thought Obama got up off the carpet after the economic segment and he let McCain punch himself out while he rambled on about the Cold War and seeing "Three Letters.... K....G...B.... when he looked at Pooootin.

IMO, Obama was calm and reserved while McCain looked like a weary old man.

Obama was calm, and statesman-like for the most part (and that's an important accomplishment, IMO); but he was also playing defense all night, and he agreed with McCain far too often....too quickly. McCain was feisty to be sure, but Republicans LIKE that "edge".....and so do many Independent types. I didn't get the sense of weary for McCain, you mention....but he's old, so maybe I expect that and adjust for it.

A tie is a win for Obama IMO, so that means Obama gets a technical "win" I suppose. I had hoped he might deliver the knock-out punch, but I guess we'll have to wait on that for a bit anyway.

[RJ]

Interesting. I thought Obama got up off the carpet after the economic segment and he let McCain punch himself out while he rambled on about the Cold War and seeing "Three Letters.... K....G...B.... when he looked at Pooootin.

IMO, Obama was calm and reserved while McCain looked like a weary old man.


That KGB thing didn't come across well at all, IMO. Neither did Obama's bracelet retort. I guess he didn't want to let McCain win the battle for the bracelet voters.

[HolmeZz]

I thought it was interesting and more substantive than the ones in recent election cycles. The contrast between the two is just so great that it can't help but be interesting.

[the Talking Can]

This was the best debate in the last 8 years. Obama did a much better job then Gore or Kerry, and McCain did a much better job then Bush.

the format and moderating were key

foreign policy is abstract anyway, the economic debate will have a lot more contrast and sparks....

but was much less cringe worthy than usual...no really dumb questions

[the Talking Can]

i'm in the "obama just needed to look calm and presidential to reassure nervous white independants" camp....and he did that

polls of focus groups and uncommitted voters are already showing big win for obama...


sure, i'd like to see a knock down drag out fight...but i'm a partisan

obama is only worried about independents now, and this night was for them, imo...on that basis alone it was a success...

[jAZ]

I thought Obama held his own on foreign policy and didn't make any mistakes that I could find.
Wolf Blitzer pointed out that McCain screwed up the name of the new PM of Pakistan. And someone from CNN pointed out what I thought I caught too. McCain mentioned Iran's "Republican Guard". It's the "Revolutionary Guard".

Problem is (and I'm sorry to say Obama missed this) that Obama followed McCain and not only did he miss a huge opportunity to correct McCain, he used the same wrong term himself.

[Frankie]

Can we at least all agree on this?

That your avatar is pretty racist? Yes we can.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Obama was calm, and statesman-like for the most part (and that's an important accomplishment, IMO); but he was also playing defense all night, and he agreed with McCain far too often....too quickly. McCain was feisty to be sure, but Republicans LIKE that "edge".....and so do many Independent types. I didn't get the sense of weary for McCain, you mention....but he's old, so maybe I expect that and adjust for it.

A tie is a win for Obama IMO, so that means Obama gets a technical "win" I suppose. I had hoped he might deliver the knock-out punch, but I guess we'll have to wait on that for a bit anyway.

You are so used to losing, you don't know what it's like to win.

[patteeu]

On CNN they said that both candidates messed up on Iran and the Republican Guard. It is the revolutionary guard. McCain said it first and then Obama stupidly followed him

So you're saying that McCain demonstrated leadership? ;)

[trndobrd]

I think the presence of a moderator who wasn't trying to stroke his own ego caught both candidates off guard. Kudos to Jim Leher...kind of like a college basketball referee that you don't notice.

[splatbass]

i'm in the "obama just needed to look calm and presidential to reassure nervous white independants" camp....and he did that


Exactly. I think America found out that Obama isn't the "angry black man" that the right has been portraying him as, and I think it probably got him some votes from people that weren't sure about him. He looked calm, cool and presidential.

[splatbass]

I think the presence of a moderator who wasn't trying to stroke his own ego caught both candidates off guard. Kudos to Jim Leher...kind of like a college basketball referee that you don't notice.

I thought he tried too hard to get them to engage each other directly. Clearly McCain's strategy was to ignore Obama and not address him directly, so Lehrer should have just dropped it.

[penchief]

This was the best debate in the last 8 years. Obama did a much better job then Gore or Kerry, and McCain did a much better job then Bush.

Yes, I couldn't help thinking that all the way through the debate. They were both strong and made their case.

I thought Obama was too easy on McCain and could have nailed him harder on a couple of issues. I thought McCain was a little too hard on Obama and may have overstepped on a couple of issues.

That said, I think they both did what they needed to do. And it actually made me feel better about the campaign overall.

[penchief]

So you're saying that McCain demonstrated leadership? ;)

I thought he demonstrated message discipline but not leadership.