Well the debate is over, the dust has settled, and the results from both sides are in. We will look at two websites from each corner of the ring and then try to and make an assesment on how this will effect the election.
First the Libs, from my favorite bunch of socialist loonies, the KosKids.
A lot of pundits and commenters and some Diarists are abuzz over why John McCain didn't look at Barack Obama even once during the debate Friday night.
Rude, say some. Arrogant, say some. Condescending and contemptuous, say others. Passive-aggressive outrage, say still others, a lack of eye contact meant as an insult to Obama - not a planned insult, but because McCain is just that kind of person who can't bear to think of others as equals, who was pissed off that this other person was even allowed on the same stage as him - a king, having to mingle with the commoners.
Probably, to some extent, all true. But none of those counts as the real reason.
The real reason is that every time Barack Obama says "...when I am President," John McCain knows in his heart that this will soon be true [1]
Arrogant, ccondescending, and contemptuous? Uuuuh, guys there was a debate on tonight. Maybe in between reciting mantras from the Communist Manifesto they could have realized their attention was required so they could have given some good socialist interpretation of events as they unfolded. Highly disappointing guys, you are getting fat and overbloated.
Fire Dog Lake did much better. They, unlike the National Enquirer..oops...I mean the Kos, at least tried to give some analysis.
McCain controlled the debate tonight. He came off as a brittle, grumpy, mean-spirited old coot, but on the economy -- which should have been Obama's strong suit -- McCain managed to divert the conversation to tax cuts and kept Obama off the kitchen table issues where he excels [2]
The good news? Well, McCain sounded bitter and looked hunched over and mean. He wasn't likeable, and most of the Monday morning quarterbacks on my teevee seemed to agree. Obama can definitely recover in the next debate -- he didn't have any kind of a major falter. [2]
Second article,
McCain might have arguably done a better technical job of debating and the transcript may look like a victory for him, but he came across horribly: brittle, old, condescending and downright mean. You wouldn't want to have beer with this guy, that's for sure. [2]
Now, on to their Conservative counterparts. First up, Michelled Malkin,
I’m giving it to McCain — and you know I’m a tough grader on him.
He was slow out of the gate — a broken record on earmarks and spending — but Obama failed to turn the bailout debacle against him. McCain hit his stride in the second half, schooling Obama on counterinsurgency, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia.
McCain made no major soundbite-able gaffes. It was more a matter of a few missed opportunities for McCain than the commission of any major errors. Major omission of the night from McCain: Did he say a single word in defense of conservative principles and free-market economics? [3]
From Powerline,
Both campaigns have furiously spun last night's debate, and "who won" polls tell us nothing, so far, except about the readership of the web site or publication sponsoring the poll. Clearly neither candidate made a major blunder that has become a news story in itself, so the issue comes down to one of impression: which candidate made more sense and looked more Presidential to the majority of undecided voters. My guess is that by holding his own, Obama helped himself with a lot of fence-sitters. [4]
The reactions gauged are mostly typical of what you would expect from the supporters of each candidate, except for Powerline. That is the one I tend to agree with, for the most part.
John McCain won, no doubt about it, but it was not a "slam dunk." Stunningly, he almost did better on the economy than foreign policy, not that his display of international affairs was weak. But, McCain being the grizzled veteran in this arena was expected to hand Obama his ass. Mac did not deliver in that category.
McCain had more to lose than his weaker opponent, all Obama had to do was dance around the issues and in lawyerly fashion that is exactly what he did. There were minor moments when one candidate got the better of the other. But there were no definitive moments of substance that actually defined them positively or negatively.
So, the final analysis coming out of this is; McCain won but advantage Obama.
CT
[1] Daily Kos
[2] FireDogLake
[3] Michelle Malkin
[4] Powerline
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