Kelly O'Donnell Awkwardly Pre-Games McCain's Debate Performance

Remember the days leading up to the second presidential debate, at Belmont University? That debate was in town hall format, and we were told that John McCain was going to Own the Night, because he is a Town Hall Debatin' Genius who strides the Town Hall Earth like a Town Hall Colossus. What would Obama do, with all his inexperience, faced with the challenge of talking, while occasionally walking? Well, we all know what happened in Belmont: McCain wandered around the stage like a listless drunk on the foredeck of a garbage scow, and everyone cringed and complimented Obama for not subjecting McCain to the ten additional town halls that the Arizona Senator wanted, even if that was the reason McCain JUST HAD to go negative.

Anyway, according to MSNBC's Kelly O'Donnell, you need to forget all that! As it turns out, every single quotidian detail about tonight's debate could be a GAME-CHANGER for McCain tonight. And to the end, O'Donnell wants to remind us that McCain's real strength is sitting in chairs! And the media's spent so much time talking about how awesome McCain is in town halls, that they've plumb forgotten to talk about how awesome he is NOT in town halls.

O'DONNELL: I was able to talk to some of the people who are closely involved in the preparation. And last time we talked so much about the town hall format, and tonight we are going to see the two candidates seated at a table with Bob Schieffer. And what they're telling me now is that we focus so much on the supposed skills and advantages that a town hall might give John McCain, but they remind me today that John McCain has been a guest on the Sunday shows - Meet The Press, Face The Nation - almost more than anyone in Washington today. He holds the number two spot behind Bob Dole for most appearances on Meet The Press. So that kind of a format, the intimacy of sitting close to your opponent and the moderator, being seated, the body language involved there, that kind of a setting is something where they think that he is at home.

OH NOES! You mean to say John McCain is about to LET SLIP SOME MAD BOB DOLE SKILLZ UP IN THIS PIECE? Dag, y'all! I'm sure that Barack Obama will soon come to regret the day he agreed to sit at a table with a consummate Washington insider that's wasted a third of his life appearing on those dreadful Sunday morning babblefests.

[WATCH.]

PREVIOUSLY, on THE HUFFINGTON POST:
MSNBC's Kelly O'Donnell's Mindblowing Pronouncement

Comments

[Solange]

Bob Dole indeed! What an apt analogy. Dole, too, was a Republican who long sought the presidency and was finally rewarded with his Party's nomination, but in a year when the GOP was not likely to win.
He, too, proved to be a grumpy old man on the campaign trail.

[Wigelah]

Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. Really? REALLY! Really??!!

[gene1138]

Kelly's so not coming down from the tire swing. http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/209662.php

[Aviewpoint]

I don't look for K e lly O' D on nell to report objectivel­y... She is either completely in the tank or wants access to Mc C ann "bus to nowhere" - we will see...

[myklwain]

she has been on the mccain team from the start. careful not to say anything negative about senator mccain. she is with the mccain campaign full time for nbc.

[reddevil69]

WTF she's talking about,,,,

[SEQUOIABISON]

Wishful thinking perhaps, but far from accurate.

[ebanks84]

Boy, was she wrong!

[RoveRoveRoveYourBoat]

...but consistant

[scared4ALL]

Obama could use more money to cover the lagging states needing to wake up.

McCain's going to fight dirtier now. If we can imagine that?

How about contributing and investing in our children's future?

We can't afford not to, you know?

https://donate.barackobama.com/finaldebate

[booker52]

Didn't seem to work well for Sen McCain last night now did it???

[butterfish]

Let's not forget Kelly O'Donnell right after McCain's convention speech. She said that McCain publically never talks about his POW experience or even reference the fact that he was a POW. That one floored me. His whole campaign, up to that point, was all about equivalence: POW = hero = commander-in-chief. That was McCain's only talking point up to that time!

[tedbear]

Now that is the most ridiculous statement I have heard yet! Seriously, does she also think we are stupid. McCain has ridden that POW status for all its worth and more to the point of abusing it. I mean, most guys who were in wars, many who were decorated, don't ever want to talk about their experiences. Those guys are quiet about it because (listen here to what I say John McCain) they think it was their duty, and they do not want credit for doing their duty. John McCain makes himself look small and pathetic by constantly, and repeatedly ,and unrelentlessly bragging about himself and the fact that he was a POW.

[Diplomacy]

Why do reporters covering individual candidates make it their business to 'carry the campaign' message. Just give the facts!

We were told John McCain is the 'Guru' of Townhalls. Well, his performance said otherwise. His body language was terrible, he paced, he seemed confused at the end when he walked right in front of the camera when Brokaw was trying to say goodnight to viewers.

John McCain has been trying to control his anger in every single debate. Telltale sign: he has a very disturbing 'tongue thrust' problem in trying to control his anger.

Last night's final debate was no different. The 'tongue thrusts' started 15 minutes into last night's debate as I made note of it on the clock.

Rahm Emmanuel had it pegged before the debate last night. John McCain looks like the the old man, dressed in his dressing gown, getting the newspaper, who yells at the kids to get off the lawn.

You just can't SPIN that body language!

[Farrwriter]

Kelly O'Donnell IS a reporter. I am not sure how anyone got that this is HER opinion. Reporters just tell you what one camp has said versus another camp. Analysts or pundits can freely give their opinions based on the research, connections, experience, etc.

O'Donnell clearly says... "I was able to talk to some of the people who are closely involved in the preparation. And last time we talked so much about the town hall format, and tonight we are going to see the two candidates seated at a table with Bob Schieffer. And what they're telling me now is...."

See that? What THEY"RE telllng me now is..... Not what she thinks now. This is an instant of trying to kill the messenger. But this happens to reporters quite a bit. There are so many bloggers, analysts, etc., in addition to the fact that people don't listen well the first time, that it does become confusing.

[mom2sons]

Just the facts mam! LOL She is a repug shill like Andrea. VOTE OBAMA-BIDEN 08!

[bluemonk611]

Ironically­... there are seldom bigger babblefests than Linkin's articles.

and the holmes-slice cutsey language he uses... again and again.. whoa!!!! what a "hoot!"

[MsDebate]

These people make me sad, that they dont use their brain cells, they all act like the straw man who went to see the Wizard looking for a brain.

[racom]

There is a reason for that search, they are desperatly in need of a brain, any brain. This gal is another piece of fluff, so many like her calling themselves journalist and all they do is carry rumors and spout campaign rhetoric and talking points feed to them. Pathetic.

[Ojamas]

Jason, you nailed it. "Oh noes!" Is there any chance McCain will concede the election before November 4th? It's plain now that the only way he can win is further vote-tampering and ballot-fixing with a Supreme Court assist. How does McCain go back to work after this? I'd be too embarassed after running a campaign like his. www.ojamas.usjamas.us.