Third debate: McCain vs Obama

[Andrew49]

President Bartlet Wrote:

Obama looks sounds and acts like a President, McCain does not - only a grumpy old Senator.

Spot on. McCain was in character through the three debates. Obama has been a centre of calm all the way through.

[Hakaman]

The CNN poll on the debate shows that 58% of the TV audience thought Obama won the debate.

More importantly, 59% thought that Obama was sounder on the economy than McCain and 80% felt that McCain spent more time attacking his opponent than outlining his own policies.

These results are evidently wrong and only part of the Liberal / Socialist / European / Pro-Abortion / Pinko / Democratic-led Bias against McCain and Palin ticket. After all, Hannity and Colmes on FOX News had a survey and clearly showed McCain won the debate by 88% to Osama's pathetic 12% .... how can you argue with such 'Fair and Balanced' result?

[Andrew49]

Hakaman Wrote:

FOX News had a survey and clearly showed McCain won the debate by 88% to Osama's pathetic 12%

McCain with only 88% !!!! ... his campaign must be slipping!

[cyberianpan]

I predicted this:

Originally Posted by cyberianpan at 12:31 Am Wed 15 Oct
Latest national poll from NYT/CBS shows a 14 point gap! A big reason given for this in the poll is that McCain is perceived as engaging in negative campaigning.

Biden/Obama have tricked McCain into promising to bring up Ayers at the debate:

McCain is now snookered. This debate is his last stand - and it is looking like it's gonna be ugly !

Originally Posted by cyberianpan at 10:47 Pm Wed 15 Oct


Obama has baited the hot head ... now McCain, who already was "all in" on tonight is going to be forced to campaign negatively. It's Ayers or bust !

CNN now say today:
Martin: Obama is setting up McCain for the political rope-a-dope
Martin: Obama is setting up McCain for a knockout blow.

At no time during the Democratic primary has Obama tried to pick a fight. So when he told ABC last week that when it came to bringing up 1960s radical Bill Ayers on the campaign trail, McCain "wasn't willing to say it to my face," I instantly saw it as Obama throwing down the gauntlet.
Knowing full well that the senior senator from Arizona has a hot temper, he couldn't resist the bait.

By bringing up an issue voters don't care about, McCain will alienate independents, and make it easier for Obama to appeal to them.
If it happens, just watch Obama pound away at McCain, just like Ali did to Foreman.

The CNN debate poll says this:

McCain won in two categories. Eighty percent of debate watchers polled said McCain spent more time attacking his opponent, with seven percent saying Obama was more on the attack. Fifty-four percent said McCain seemed more like a typical politician during the debate, with 35 percent saying Obama acted more like a typical politician.
"Independents tend to prefer debates that are dominated by substance and light on discussion of personal characteristics," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "The perception that McCain attacked Obama gave red meat to GOP partisans, but it probably didn't help McCain with independents."

And David Gergen, CNN neutral analyst, says

I thought he was heading toward a debate victory- his first. But he veered off course in the middle and he became more and more the angry older candidate

I agree, McCain was winning until the negative stuff started, Obama set him up for the fall... and he fell !

cYp

[jfk2008]

Obama did twice as wall as McCain in changing the minds of uncommitted voters, according to the CBS News poll of uncommitted voters who watched the debate:

As this poll has found after the previous debates, most uncommitted voters' minds have not changed. But more went Obama's way after this debate. Thirty percent of uncommitted voters who watched this debate said they are now committed to Obama, twice as many as the 14 percent who said they are now committed to McCain. Most - 57 percent - remain uncommitted.

Overall, other polls showed that around 20% of voters remained uncommitted before the debate. The CBS News poll suggests that figure's down to around 11.4%.

If Obama continues to get the uncommitted to switch in the same proportions as did after this debate, then his lead will get even wider.

[cyberianpan]

I wonder what the US will think of John McCain's goofiness... for the underdog it doesn't seem very presidential ...



(Yahoo is the source)



cYp

[Andrew49]

McCain did articulate, quite clearly, that he was proud of the people that turned up at his rallies!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKUovpF9LWU"]YouTube - More Racism at a Palin Rally in PA[/ame]

[corelli]

President Bartlet Wrote:

Spot on. McCain was in character through the three debates. Obama has been a centre of calm all the way through.

I agree but, trying to look at it objectively, McCain won last nights debate, in traditional political terms, he was tough, he got his message accross, gave no quarter etc. If it had been a Cowen and Kenny debate then we would all be saying that Cowen (McCain) won hands down.

However, and here is what I think for what it is worth, the political scenario has changed in the US over the last few years particularly given the worsening economy under the Republican Presidency, the "war on terror" which most people now see as a load of hooey, and the invasion of Iraq. Anything associated with Bush and his shocking administration is toxic for the middle ground/undecided voter. That is where the election is won.

Despite what objectively can be seen as a political traditional debating win by McCain, all the polls, save fox and their core republican responders, consider that Obama won by a large margin, where, in truth, he probably did not.

Obama now can do no wrong it seems and, it would appear, save some terrible faux pas, the White House is his.

[lostexpectation]

what about his joe plumber, how many people will he have working for him when he buys his business?

will he be j plumbing ltd, is mccain suggesting he pay the same tax as waitress?

[myksav]

I missed the debate last night, do I need to see it?