Sorry I didn't post my thoughts on the debate earlier this morning. I needed some time to let it all sink in. As with most debates, I find my assessments in those hours afterward to be an incoherent mess. But now that I've had half the day to think it over, here you go...There were no Reagan-esque "there you go again" moments, but last night's presidential debate was a clear and decisive win for the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama. Throughout the evening he showed a mastery of detail, a natural ability for leadership, a cool and collected demeanor, and, quite frankly, he looked more presidential than his Republican opponent. If undecided voters had any lingering questions about Obama's readiness to move into the White House, his performance last night should have convinced them that he is more than ready.
My only criticism of Obama would be at the end, when McCain tried to compare the Democrat to George W. Bush. That required a Reagan-esque slap down by Obama and he didn't do it. But with the Republican candidate playing the role of Bush's bitch over the last four years, I highly doubt Americans will take McCain's comment for anything more than desperation.
Meanwhile, John McCain's body language was angry, his attitude was clearly contemptuous, and he acted as if he was insulted that he even had to share the stage with his rival. The Republican never looked at Sen. Obama during the portions of the evening meant to be conversational; and, at the conclusion of the debate, couldn't even look Obama in the eye as he shook his hand (see the picture above).
Overnight polls confirm my thinking. More Americans say Obama was the winner last night.
CBS News:In the CBS poll, a question was asked about how voters' opinions of the candidates changed following the debate. 21% of those polled said the debate gave them a worse opinion of McCain, where as only 8% said the same of Obama.
Obama 39%
McCain 24%
CNN:
Obama 46%
McCain 43%
Democracy Corps:
Obama 38%
McCain 27%
More reactions from around the blogosphere:
McCain came off, in my view, as a snide, bitter old man. His comments betrayed the sentiment of, “How dare you even think that you can compete with me.” This is what Clinton thought, and it destroyed her.-Daniel Larison of The American Conservative.
All things considered, it’s about a draw. McCain got a couple of good punches in and so did Obama. Insofar as the idea is supposed to be that McCain has a domineering advantage on national security he certainly didn’t prove that point. And for the candidate who’s losing, a tie amounts to a loss. He needs to find opportunities to gain ground on Obama and he doesn’t seem to me to have gotten much done.-Matt Yglesias of Think Progress.
[Foreign policy] was McCain's turf. He needed a solid victory, and he didn't get it. At best, it was a tie. And with the next debates focusing on economic issues, McCain will be in hostile territory.-Markos Moulitsas of DailyKos.
Obama's emphasis on the broader global conflict and our broader responsibilities will reach more people. His vision seems broader, wiser, and more focused on ordinary people. A masterful performance tonight, I think. Obama's best ever debate performance.-Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic.
It's very hard for me to gauge this debate because to me John McCain is quite obviously a crazy, intemperate, nasty old bastard. He was sarcastic, contemptuous and patronizing. I really, really loathe him.-Digby of Hullabaloo.
