Saturday morning debate roundup
Next-day results, responses and reactions to the first presidential debate.
By Thomas SchallerTopics: 2008 Elections, Barack Obama, War Room, John McCain, R-Ariz., Politics News
I really thought Barack Obama conceded way too many points to John McCain (see below). But overall, he was obviously strong on the nonverbal communication and, in general, succeeded at the minimum task in front of him: Not making any major blunders and staying in the debate the whole way. He also benefitted from the fact that the first 40 percent of the debate was about the economy.
McCain needed a win outright, with any tie or better going to Obama. McCain didn’t do that, and so Obama clearly did what he needed to do. The next two debates should be even more favorable for the Democratic nominee.
A few follow-up items of note:
- The CNN post-election poll has Obama winning 51 percent to 38 percent, but cautions that Democrats are overrepresented in the sample.
- Chris Matthews of MSNBC compared McCain to former heavyweight champ Archie Moore, saying McCain looked “down there sort of crouched down. He’s grumpy, he’s angry.”
- Before midnight, the McCain campaign already had a video up on YouTube showing Obama saying McCain is “right” or “absolutely correct” at several junctures.
- Results from the Democracy Corps’ dial tests with a focus group showed that “McCain essentially held his ground in this debate, while Obama emerged with higher personal favorability and increased confidence in his ability to handle critical foreign policy and national security issues.”
- Oh, and Mr. Potty Mouth can be heard muttering “horseshit” under his breath when Obama pointed out McCain’s resistance to talking with fellow NATO member Spain. We’ll see if the media picks up on this.
Thomas F. Schaller is professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the author of "Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South." Follow him @schaller67. More Thomas Schaller.
Related Stories
More Related Stories
-
There's no substitute for government disaster relief
-
Holder signed off on search warrant for reporter
-
Mississippi could begin prosecuting women for miscarriages
-
Mike Judge: "Bowling for Columbine" made me pro-gun
-
Closing Gitmo is not enough
-
Murkowski: Palin too disengaged to run for Senate
-
In IRS scandal, new GOP tactic is ignorance
-
Code Pink activist berates Obama at national security speech
-
Cuomo: "Shame on us" if New York City elects Weiner
-
Coburn calls questions about tornado aid "typical Washington B.S."
-
Conspiracy theorists clash over London attack
-
Voting is not a right
-
Destroying the planet for record profits
-
Ahead of Obama's speech, U.S. acknowledges four American drone killings
-
Pic of the day: Barack Obama at prom
-
Anti-Islam backlash in London after machete attack
-
Must-see morning clip: Bill O'Reilly visits "The Daily Show"
-
Obama’s drone speech will probably be maddening
-
Boehner: "Inconceivable" Obama didn't know about IRS targeting
-
Obama to announce new effort to close Guantanamo Bay
-
House supporters of KXL received $56m from fossil fuel industry
Featured Slide Shows
The week in 10 pics
close X- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
-
Lisa Montgomery embraces her nephew Thursday after a tornado tore apart her home in Cleburne, Texas. The twister killed six people and destroyed entire swaths of the North Texas town.
Credit: AP/LM Otero -
Jack McMahon, the defense attorney for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, speaks outside the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia Tuesday. His client was convicted of killing three babies in his clinic, and will serve multiple life sentences.
Credit: AP/Matt Rourke -
A photo taken Monday captures Vice President Joe Biden's response to a Milwaukee second-grader's innovative proposal to end America's epidemic of gun violence. This guy!
Credit: AP/Jenny Aicher -
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., flanked by a grouper-eyed Michele Bachmann, addresses the IRS' admission that it targeted Tea Party groups in advance of the 2012 election. In an op-ed for CNN Thursday, the Kentucky senator slammed the president for his faux outrage.
Credit: AP/Molly Riley -
Ousted IRS chief Steven Miller is sworn in on Capitol Hill Friday. Miller testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the extra scrutiny the agency gave conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite -
Attorney General Eric Holder pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Holder is under fire, among other things, for the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at the Associated Press.
Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster -
O.J. Simpson sits during an evidentiary hearing at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison for armed robbery and kidnapping, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial.
Credit: AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Jeff Scheid -
Major Tom to ground control: On Sunday astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded the first music video from space, a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
Credit: AP/NASA/Chris Hadfield -
When it rains it pours. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inexplicably inspiring an #umbrellagate Twitter meme.
Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin -
A smoke plume rises high above a road block at the intersection of County A and Ross Road east of Solon Springs, Wis., Tuesday. No injuries were reported, but the the wildfire caused evacuations across northwestern Wisconsin.
Credit: AP/The Duluth News-Tribune/Clint Austin -
Recent Slide Shows
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
- Thumbnails
- Fullscreen
- 1 of 11
- Previous
- Next
Related Videos
Most Read
-
Tornado survivor to Wolf Blitzer: Sorry, I'm an atheist. I don't have to thank the Lord
Mary Elizabeth Williams
-
9-year-old slams Rahm over Chicago schools
Natasha Lennard
-
Oklahoma senator: Tornado aid "totally different" from Sandy aid
Jillian Rayfield
-
Experts: Fox News spying scandal a game-changer
Natasha Lennard
-
Judge tells lesbian couple to separate -- or lose kids
Irin Carmon
-
Inhofe and Coburn: Red state hypocrites
Joan Walsh
-
Greek yogurt, toxic waste hazard?
Kristen Gwynne, AlterNet
-
Facebook's hate speech problem
Mary Elizabeth Williams
-
Brad Pitt keeps breaking his silence on how boring marriage to Jennifer Aniston was
Daniel D'Addario
-
Graphic video reportedly shows possible London machete attack suspect
Jillian Rayfield
Popular on Reddit
links from salon.com

1260 points1261 points1262 points | 583 comments

780 points781 points782 points | 202 comments


House Democrats Dismiss Existence Of Obama Scandals
Obama Faces Dogged Heckler At Drone Speech
Comments
33 Comments