"Why didn't McCain ever look at Obama?" seems to be the post-debate controversy

[jAZ]

...not good for McCain.

[VAChief]

81537

Don't tell me to look at him, I'm John McCain dagnabit!!!

[Friendo]

Matthews is characterizing it as contempt, and that's how it appeared to me. I don't understand why that's so unappealing--it works for meme.

[memyselfI]

Psych Ops.

[dirk digler]

McCain not looking at Obama and acting like a grumpy old man = Gore's sighing

[HolmeZz]

McCain was very condescending towards Obama and I'm hopeful it won't play well.

Obama addressed him as a peer and McCain acted as if Obama didn't belong on the stage with him.

[RJ]

I did notice that and so did a few people I talked to. It was a little weird. I think that's why Obama kept saying "John".

[Mr. Kotter]

Eh, much ado about nothing IMO.

I think it was more an unconscious attempt to try to appear more "Presidential" (albeit, a lame one.)

[the Talking Can]

McCain not looking at Obama and acting like a grumpy old man = Gore's sighing

yeah

[irishjayhawk]

Eh, much ado about nothing IMO.

I think it was more an unconscious attempt to try to appear more "Presidential" (albeit, a lame one.)

More Presidential is ignoring opponents/enemies?

[Ultra Peanut]

Eh, much ado about nothing IMO.The turning points in debates always are.

[dirk digler]

Version of Obama who showed up: focused, firm, prepared.
Version of McCain who showed up: firm.
Mark Halperin’s overall grades: Obama A-, McCain B-

[jAZ]

Even Fox News showed people in Frank Luntz's focus group complaining about McCain's attitude. Mentioned Obama called him "John" and "when he got his name right, he only called him 'Obama'".

Luntz said that 17-10 his undecided voters broke for Obama.

Interesting.

[Donger]

McCain was very condescending towards Obama and I'm hopeful it won't play well.

Obama addressed him as a peer and McCain acted as if Obama didn't belong on the stage with him.

If agreeing with him is the key, then I'd agree with you. Barack Hussein was beaten tonight.

[VAChief]

Even Fox News showed people in Frank Luntz's focus group complaining about McCain's attitude. Mentioned Obama called him "John" and "when he got his name right, he only called him 'Obama'".

Luntz said that 17-10 his undecided voters broke for Obama.

Interesting.

Similar numbers that the national CBS poll found with undecided voters...that is not good for McCain...this was the debate he needed to gain ground since it was foreign policy, his supposed strength.

[Frankie]

Similar numbers that the national CBS poll found with undecided voters...that is not good for McCain...this was the debate he needed to gain ground since it was foreign policy, his supposed strength.

CBS post-debate snap poll, surveying 500 independents:

Obama 40%
McCain 22%
Tie 38%

But IMO, it takes 24-48 hrs to see the real impact.

[the Talking Can]

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ty9BTcERiYY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ty9BTcERiYY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[DaneMcCloud]

If agreeing with him is the key, then I'd agree with you. Barack Hussein was beaten tonight.


Then we were watching two entirely different debates.

[Donger]

Then we were watching two entirely different debates.

You didn't hear Barack Hussein agree with McCain, what, eight times? That's usually not a sign of winning a "debate." They were asked ten questions each?

[DaneMcCloud]

You didn't hear Barack Hussein agree with McCain, what, eight times? That's usually not a sign of winning a "debate." They were asked ten questions each?

No, it's not.

The fact that these two candidates' answers weren't far apart is indicative the of fact that while they share a lot of common ground, there are key differences that separate them. Specifically, the economy, taxes and Iraq.

[Donger]

No, it's not.

The fact that these two candidates' answers weren't far apart is indicative the of fact that while they share a lot of common ground, there are key differences that separate them. Specifically, the economy, taxes and Iraq.

I didn't hear McCain say that once. Surely, if they share so much common ground, that would have been the case.

I suppose McCain is just a stubborn, old man though, eh?

[DaneMcCloud]

I didn't hear McCain say that once. Surely, if they share so much common ground, that would have been the case.

I suppose McCain is just a stubborn, old man though, eh?

McCain debated like a junior high school debater.

He repeated many of the question posed and he sound like an uninformed Miss Teen USA pageant contestant on more than one occasion.

I was actually surprised that he was that unprepared. But I guess graduating 894 out of 899 prepared him early on for his less than stellar showing.

[Smed1065]

McCain was very condescending towards Obama and I'm hopeful it won't play well.

Obama addressed him as a peer and McCain acted as if Obama didn't belong on the stage with him.

Even with the messiah. I mean who acted like the upper crust tonight?

[Taco John]

You didn't hear Barack Hussein agree with McCain, what, eight times? That's usually not a sign of winning a "debate." They were asked ten questions each?


I thought it was a good tactic for the fact that he took those issues away from McCain, while at the same time did a great job to contrast their approaches in foriegn policy, where Obama is more in line with the American public.

[Taco John]

I suppose McCain is just a stubborn, old man though, eh?


http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/g/z/1/mccain_get_off_lawn.jpg

[Taco John]

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc122/fmacraze09/GetOffMyLawn.jpg

[RINGLEADER]

I thought they both did well in their own way (which is a net win for Obama IMO).

Still think Obama has problems when it comes to certain questions like meeting with rogue leaders (and, although most won't care to question him on it, he's taking multiple positions on so many things now it's hard to keep track of all the "nuance"). And McCain had problems explaining the flaws in Obama's tax plans (and for those of you who support his plan, I'm not knocking it here, just saying that politically McCain wasn't very adept at explaining why raising taxes or redistributing wealth historically doesn't work in the absence of huge capital infusions from other sources). Obama just really comes across as the MUCH more polished candidate. McCain doesn't seem to understand that people don't pick presidents based on their position on "earmarks". I don't know, maybe his internal polls tell him something different because he is really hanging his economic policy on it. He sort of found his voice when he took on spending, and I wish someone would point out to Obama that the president doesn't have a line-item veto (or the time to go through the millions of line items that he keeps promising to review "line by line").

No one scored a knock-out but I think the fact that Obama said "I have a bracelet [from a fallen soldier] too" then had to read off the name of the person it honored came as close to a real gaffe for him. McCain's low point was his defense of his own tax policy (which should be easy to do -- although I thought Obama was masterful in dealing with the question and that probably has a big influence on the impression that was left).

Jim Lehrer did an outstanding job in my opinion.

Anyway, those are my opinions. McCain needs to make Obama seem unsafe and that mission wasn't accomplished tonight.

[Programmer]

Even Fox News showed people in Frank Luntz's focus group complaining about McCain's attitude. Mentioned Obama called him "John" and "when he got his name right, he only called him 'Obama'".

Luntz said that 17-10 his undecided voters broke for Obama.

Interesting.

So what? Obama nor McCain were professional in that part of the debate. It should have been more the Senator Obama (as McCain offered up a few times) rather than just Obama or John.

Obama calling him John all night was an open insult and was disrespectful to his position.

[Programmer]

I thought it was a good tactic for the fact that he took those issues away from McCain, while at the same time did a great job to contrast their approaches in foriegn policy, where Obama is more in line with the American public.

WTF are you talking about? The AMERICAN PUBLIC? Obama no more is in line with the American public than you are. Your perspective is very slanted and if you agree with Obama that indicates that his perspective has it's own base bias.

Don't quit your day job, as a political commentator you are clueless.

[KC Jones]

Obama calling him John all night was an open insult and was disrespectful to his position.

No Tom (and I mean that in the most insulting way), they are Senate colleagues and one would expect them to call each other by first name. Where do you get this bullshit?

[the Talking Can]

Jim Lehrer did an outstanding job in my opinion.

Anyway, those are my opinions. McCain needs to make Obama seem unsafe and that mission wasn't accomplished tonight.

that's the nut....and mccain is running out of opportunities and time

CBS (http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/09/26/politics/horserace/entry4482028.shtml)

Nearly half of those uncommitted voters who watched the debate said that their image of Obama changed for the better as a result. Just eight percent say their opinion of Obama got worse, and 46 percent reported no change in their opinions....

...Why did voters' image of Obama improve? Many volunteered that they were impressed by his poise and knowledge about the issues, that he was more knowledgeable about the issues than they thought previously. When it came to McCain, those same voters said he "didn’t control himself well under pressure," that he was "angry and bad-tempered," and that he "talked too much about the past."