The Official 1st Presidential Debate Thread

[Harlan Huckleby]

My favorite moment in the debate was when Lehrer asked Obama what programs or goals he would be compelled to sacrifice because of the financial crisis.

Obama launched into a 5-minute Christmas list of goodies for the voters! health care for all, new energy programs, a chicken in every pot.....

I was surprised that McCain didn't embarass Obama on it. McCain missed a lot of opportunities to pierce Barry, I guess his strategy was to emphasize his own agenda.

(McCain's own answer on the belt-tightening questioning was more spending cuts, which is at least logically consistent. Most experts I have heard think the bailout will make major spending on any new program impossible.)

[MJZiggy]

So it wasn't just me then. "I've been friends with Dr. Kissinger for 35 years and if he could see this..."

[BallHawk]

Except for a few moments I thought McCain was terrible

You have to understand, my standards were EXTREMELY low.

[texaspackerbacker]

I AM VERY VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THINGS WENT!

[BallHawk]

I AM VERY VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY THINGS WENT!

So you're not gonna change your vote to Obama?

[Harlan Huckleby]

sure, Lehrer did an excellent job. what more would you want?

Uh, what more wouldn't you want?

I bet Lehrer has had more organsms in 2008 than you. He still keeps a very heavy schedule as an author.

Lehrer is deceptively sharp, very easy to underestimate. Ya, he can be a little avuncular, and he doesn't press hard, but he asks good questions as an interviewer, he draws out the information, lets people decide for themselves without putting the interviewee on the defensive.

[HowardRoark]

sure, Lehrer did an excellent job. what more would you want?

Uh, what more wouldn't you want?

I heard the candidates talk a lot and didn't notice the moderator......isn't that the way it's suppose to be? Kind of like a ref?

What more would you want?

[texaspackerbacker]

I thought Lehrer did pretty well. As a commentator for PBS, a very left-leaning organization, I would not have expected him to be unbiased. However, he took his job seriously, and did not favor Obama.

[hoosier]

I bet Lehrer has had more organisms in 2008 than you. He still keeps a very heavy schedule as an author.

I beg your pardon, but what makes you think you have any IDEA how many organisms Lehrer or I have? Make light of it if you will, but the human intestine is the last great frontier of science. You, sir, simply have no idea....

Deciphering the "Bugs" in Human Intestines
for National Geographic News

March 28, 2003

The human intestine is a swirling and churning environment that is host to microbial communities as diverse as those found in the Amazon rain forest. And like the regions beneath the soils that carpet the rain forest floor, much of what lies within the gut remains unexplored.

[Partial]

I thought McCain was much better. Obama is terrible without a teleprompter. He was borderline inchorent at the beginning with all his stuttering.

McCain has way more experience and it showed tonight.

[GrnBay007]

Both came across weak on the economy.

And that is really SAD!

[Joemailman]

Although I don't see this debate as being a game changer, I thought McCain did a pretty good job of keeping Obama on the defensive. However, it remains to be seen if McCain's dismissive attitude toward Obama will help him or hurt him. At any rate, I expect Obama to be more aggressive next time.

[HowardRoark]

Henry Kissinger believes Barack Obama misstated his views on diplomacy with US adversaries and is not happy about being mischaracterized. He says: "Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level. My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality."

Posted by Stephen F. Hayes on September 26, 2008 10:55 PM Weekly Standard

[Freak Out]

Landru guide us!

[pacfan]

If I were to score this, I would have given the debate to McCain, but it wouldn't be on merit. Obama has more to lose in these dabates than McCain has to gain. Obama thrives in these academic setings where he can pontificate on his positions without interruption. He loses some of his composure with the quicker back-n-forth and the sniping usually found in these debates. It happened tonight with Obama, while McCain didn't choke like I thought he would.

McCain came across to me as very old and stiff. The "Obama doesn't understand" bit will work for the republican base, it will infuriate the left, but I'm not sure it will win the middle. Does McCain need to solidfy his base with the Republicans? I am also dissapointed but not surprised to see him switching to a more conservative position. His renewable energy kick might be tomorrow's soundbite. I thought all of arizona was against solar energy and McCain's been there long enough with no real change. I could be wrong, of course, my information on this issue is second hand from some very liberal Arizona folks.

I also am very unimpressed with Palin as the VP choice. To me she is a lightweight who may need more VP OJT than Obama's OJT as president should he win in November. I was really hoping that Huckabee would have been McCain's VP. McCain, with Huckabee as the VP, might have been able to stay more moderate while projecting a more beleivable maverick role with Huckabee bringing over the conservatives. Now it seems he has to carry the ticket. Once, or maybe if, the dems take the kids gloves off with Palin she could become a liability. I hope they are able to get her ready for the VP debate with Biden because he might just light her ass up.