McCain's not one to be counted for dead .... but assuming the conventional wisdom is right and this was his last chance to turn things around by having a major victory ... the fact that he didn't - - means he lost.


I have to wonder why John McCain was so clearly uncomfortable with the format he pushed and pushed for. He even got in a dig about Obama not wanting to participate in Town Hall debates. Yet Obama was poised, comfortable and ultimately presidential. McCain was nervous, testy, petulant and obviously ill-at ease.

And yeah, sorry, but walking around the stage looking like a frail, old, cripple did not do his image any good either.


"That one" did not go over well with many folks, Mr. Cricket. Between that and insinuating the black man who asked a question about the economy had never heard of Fannie May, McCain came off as something of a racist.


Then again, that's the constituancy he has to count on if he wants to win the election at this point.

Right. Context. When you wrote what I linked to, the context of your post was in reference to what McCain said (at least it was only a few posts after when MBC pointed it out). YOu didn't seem to care about the context in which McCain used it....which was complimentary to both parties.

To be clear, I have no problem with what Obama said.

I probably agree with that, but Zogby has shown a trend moving toward McCain in the last few days. The debate may provide a point in the polls for McCain, and one to two points isn't much in the last 4 weeks.

Certainly Zogby is only one poll, but I believe most have shown a bit of closing over the last week.

If they can't put on a better show than that, they should cancel the third installment.

I get a kick out of McCain's selling of his commander-in-chief abilities:
"I have plans for every military contingency."
"What are they?"
"I can't tell you."

I do think Obama should try to craft a response to McCain's point that Obama has never reached across the aisle or defied his own party's leaders.

Don't forget the shortness of breath at times. Some 72 year-olds have the stamina to be president. John McCain is too old.

"Steady hand at the tiller" is not a line he should have used, much less TWICE.


And I'm not referring to his physical unattributes. He has a reputation for impetuousness which he so publically demonstrated to America with his non-suspended Campain Suspension stunt.

His rep as the completely out of control quasi-crazy man was inflated for all to see ... and when comparing him to Mr. Freeze Obama .... well, "steady hand at the tiller" was not something to say over and over.

Zogby's pretty much alone in that. Every poll I've been watching has Obama holding or increasing his lead.

Per the RealClearPolitics average of national tracking polls, they tightened by about 1 point over the last week.

But that is moot, the electoral map has only continued to swing towards Obama.

As Flippy said, that was the question. "Prioritize these." McCain did not. Obama did. The concept that we can do everything at once because "we're Americans, we can do anything, that's what we do in America, etc" was totally ridiculous.....and again, not an answer to the question.

That said, I was disappointed that Obama stepped on the format so much. I think he did it about twice as much as McCain did. At least, when he demanded to respond, it was for a good response....but it still irked me. Answer the questions, show respect for the moderator, the format, and your opponent.

CP, I agree with you. I found, to my eyes, neither candidate "won" neither one played the game as the rules were set out. I found that surprising since this is McCain's preferred mode, he looked far more uncomfortable than Obama did. But I was really irked that Obama took a long way around to answering the questions, when he did, since he is my candidate of choice. What part of answer the direct question do you not understand?

As well, Flippy, you read my mind, if I had been playing a drinking game, every time I heard "my friends" I would have been on the floor and gone within the first 45 minutes.