Third Presidential Debate Results: Obama Presidential; McNasty Demented
Third and final debate: Obama won definitely; McCranky lost resoundingly
McSame with his blinking, eye-rolling and grimacing looked absolutely unpresidential and lost.
Obama projected leadership with his answers and demeanor; McSame was the cranky, old man dropped into a situation he couldn't handle and didn't understand
Here are some short excerpts from other blogs and web sites:
From AmericaBlog: "Tonight had to be a game-changer for McCain. It wasn't. He was on the defensive most of the night and led almost every answer with an attack on Obama. He took swipe after swipe at Obama, but those attacks didn't work.
"There is a stark difference between these candidates. Obama can be a president for the 21st century. McCain is mired in the past and has no vision. Obama gave intelligent, well-reasoned answers to the questions. McCain spent too much time launching his attacks.
"Started watching CNN's post-debate coverage. The pundits so badly wanted McCain to do well....they still like their old pal. But, they know him too well to understand how badly he comes across. One of the worst things they can say about Obama is that he was professorial and wonkish, which means Obama is very smart. Be nice to have a very smart president.
"Also, I'm over these undecided voters. At this point, a lot of them seem to want to be on t.v."
"There is a stark difference between these candidates. Obama can be a president for the 21st century. McCain is mired in the past and has no vision. Obama gave intelligent, well-reasoned answers to the questions. McCain spent too much time launching his attacks.
"Started watching CNN's post-debate coverage. The pundits so badly wanted McCain to do well....they still like their old pal. But, they know him too well to understand how badly he comes across. One of the worst things they can say about Obama is that he was professorial and wonkish, which means Obama is very smart. Be nice to have a very smart president.
"Also, I'm over these undecided voters. At this point, a lot of them seem to want to be on t.v."
(I agree. If you're still undecided at this late date, you're not a serious voter.)
Also from AmericaBlog: "The most striking result came on the favorability ratings. Although the focus group was officially undecided, it leaned towards McCain. Here were the favorability-unfavorability ratings for each candidate at the start:
McCain: 54 favorable / 34 unfavorable
Obama: 42 favorable / 42 unfavorable
Here's what the ratings looked like after the debate:
McCain: 50 favorable / 48 unfavorable
Obama: 72 favorable / 22 unfavorable
McCain: 54 favorable / 34 unfavorable
Obama: 42 favorable / 42 unfavorable
Here's what the ratings looked like after the debate:
McCain: 50 favorable / 48 unfavorable
Obama: 72 favorable / 22 unfavorable
CNN Poll: Obama 58, McCranky 31
CBS Poll: Obama 53; McNasty 22
More from America Blog: "TIME's Jim Poniewozik:
"Um, Sen. McCain, women don't like it when you put 'health of the mother' in air quotes."
McCain: "Just again, an example of the eloquence of Sen. Obama. He's for the 'health of the mother.' You know, that's been stretched by the pro-abortion movement in America to mean almost anything."
From Time: "In politics it is generally not considered a good sign when voters are laughing at you, not with you. And by the end of the third and last presidential debate, the undecided voters who had gathered in Denver for Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg's focus group were "audibly snickering" at John McCain's grimaces, eye-bulging, and repeated references to "Joe the Plumber."
"The group of 50 uncommitted voters should have at least been receptive to McCain” Republicans and Independents outnumbered Democrats in the group by almost 4 to 1, and they started the evening with much warmer responses to McCain than to his Democratic opponent, Barack Obama. But by the time it was all over, so few of them had declared their support for McCain that there weren't enough for Greenberg to separate them into a post-debate focus group. Meanwhile, the Obama supporters had to assemble in two different rooms to keep their discussion groups manageable."
From Atrios: "Pundits all agree: despite the fact that McCain looked like a demented lunatic, he won!"
This photo from Reuters sums up the debate: (h/t America Blog)
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