Third Presidential Debate Reactions

Pundits have already begun to weigh on tonight's debate. Here is a roundup of some of the reactions.

Marc Ambinder:

Tonight, we saw a McXplosion. Every single attack that Sen. McCain has ever wanted to make, he took the opportunity tonight to make.   Around 30 minutes in, McCain  seemed to surrender the debate to his frustrations, making it seem as if he just wanted the free television. His substance suffered; it didn't make sense at times.

New York Times:

This debate was a lot more confrontational than the first two, with Mr. McCain repeatedly taking jabs at Mr. Obama. Whether it was enough to reverse Mr. McCain's sagging fortunes remains to be seen.

Josh Marshall:

It seems like we've now seen McCain's Ayers/ACORN primal scream. I'm not sure Obama knocked anything out of the park. But at the end of it, I don't think McCain landed any solid punches either. And McCain was often incoherent and a bit kitchen-sinkish. Basically a draw, though if recent polls are any indication, the draw in debate terms may hurt McCain since people do not like McCain's attacks.

Andrew Sullivan:

McCain seemed almost wistful. Obama ended on "sacrifice, service and responsibility." Obama won this for the third time. A small prediction: there will be YouTube mash-ups of McCain's facial reactions on the split screen. And they will have a longer life, for good or ill, than many of the substantive exchanges.

Johnathan Chait:

I thought John McCain was more effective and coherent tonight than in the previous two debates. He mostly controlled the terms of the debate, in part by defining the average American as a plumber who earns more than $250,000 a year. His points, though often inaccurate, were not always rebutted (in part because Obama simply didn't have time to rebut every allegation.)

However, McCain lost the overall message of the debate. The cost of McCain's sharper tone was that he sounded more like a dogmatic Republican. Obama was softer, let many points go, but was much more effective at sounding like a moderate.

Mark Halperin:

McCain: Substance: Grade: A-
Style: Grade: B+
Offense: Grade: A-
Defense: Grade: A-

Obama: ubstance: Grade: B
Style: Grade: B-
Offense: Grade: C+
Defense: Grade: B+

Comments

[pjburns11]

I am not President Bush.

Methinks the Maverick doth protest too much.

http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/the-tragedy-of-maccain/

[normathumb]

Was it even a few months age he was bragging about how much he supported Bush?

[RFBorjal]

Is Mark Halperin cross-eyed?

[KGinSanFrancisco]

He is a staunch republican!

[longtalldrink]

Ohhhh, that explains it then. I was wondering WHAT debate he was watching, IF he were watching it at all, or just hoping the debate matched his pre-written "reaction".

[fetchezlavache]

Mark Halperin: WTF?

[Bitsko]

What, no Teddy Roosevelt quotations this time Johnny?

[old lady]

Campaign bigwigs finally caught up with "big stick" being too touchy for Viagra generation

[Hipployta]

What was Mark Halperin waching?

Mr. Obama took that debate hands down. I loved the glowing smile when Mr. McCain tried to bring up non-existent ties between him and Ayers and called ACORN (ACORN!) a radical group LOL.

Yup, helping the poor...totally radical.

[yorkie]

IT'S BEEN A VERY LONG,EXHAUSTING CAMPAIGN AND IT SHOWS,,,,, MC WAS THIS YRS GORE IN POOR MIS CUE DEBATE PERFORMANCES,,,POOR ADVICE AS WELL,,,,ALSO YOU HAVE O,,A PRES OF HARVARD LAW REVIEW AND MC-GRAD NEAR BOTTOM OF NVL ACADEMY CLASS,,, AND THAT SHOWED!!! MEDIOCRE LEADERS WON;T CUT IT,,,HOPEFULLY NEVER AGAIN AFT W ! HOPEFULLY NEW ERA OF THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST IS USHERED IN WITH ELECTION OF O' BIDEN !

[I john]

There is a point that's very important and was shown on this debate today.
Obama and McCain have shown their behaviour when facing difficult situations, like the debate itself.

Obama have shown that he's is ready, to no matter how difficult is a problem he will always face it with reason, calm and analysis, which is precisely what the U.S. needs now, people that think before acting and the ways their choices are made to best serve the American people.

On the other hand McCain have shown that he's very nervous and impulsive and that's not what America needs now.

This times aren't for unthoughtful decisions, but strength and calm, the wars, government spending and the economic crisis. All that require a president that is able to maintain the calm no matter how difficult the situation may be.

Obama have shown this quality. Even if Obama do not have experience in certain areas of expertise (well nobody is an expert in every field) one thing he has shown today, the ability to be rational about all issues, and we must not forget that presidents have advisors in many fields of expertise and Obama showed today that he is really prepared to listen to them and solve the issues to the American people the best possible way.

Don't forget that personal behaviour reflects the basis in which the policies are handled by a candidate once elected.

In my opinion Obama shown today he's the best choice for president.

[ed777]

I wish the rest of America was as rational as you. We have a very clear choice this election, anyone who claims to be undecided is either has closet prejudices or questionable judgement let the landslide begin.

[wniccolo]

The last debate was frustrating because McCain was so reliant on bullying and intimidation tactics ("that one!").
This debate... he pretty much gave up the pretense of actual points (at least most of the time).
i like how obama would lay out his plans in plain english, and McCain would just continue on with the health care "fee" and joe the plumber.
in improv it's considered annoying when you don't listen to your co-star and/or deny their last statement ("there's an elephant in the room." "no there isn't.")
in a presidential debate it's just unacceptable. to think that he wants to be president and he can't even pay attention to what his opponent is actually saying.

[Bitsko]

He's a rude boy that John.

[pinqqe2]

McCain... I'm sad to say is just not up to it mentally - debating is a mental contest. And again he lost. The talking points ad nauseum, the sighing, the eye rolling, the freezing poses. You would have thought he was some angry bla ck chic. [coming from sometimes self-described angry bla ck chic LOL]. Even his jabs would have been more effective if he didn't get this "I just one-upped you" look on his face after every quip. And when is he going to stop his Heath Ledger's Joker impresson? It was cool in Dark Knight, but Mc's tongue wagging thing is absolutely GROSS! McCain was a tad more specific than in previous debates, and I'm sure to some, the fact that he did "better" than his last debate means he won. Ok sure, he won... the right to say he debate better than last time. But that's it! He clearly didn't win this debate vs. O.

And um... why does he feel the need to correct the moderators... didnt he do that crap with Brokaw too? Raggedy old man.

"That One" (nobody forgot) Wins!

[jdmba]

I've never heard another woman describe herself as an angry black chic.

McCain acts like a child; a little spoiled brat who throws a fit when he doesn't get his way, then engages in mockery and baiting. He follows Playground Politics.

[SherryIndianapolis]

My boyfriend teases me about it all the time. Regarding myself, I find no offense in it .

[old lady]

another shared characteristic with dubya

[InspiredByTruth]

How many Americans make over $250,000 a year? Less that 5%.

But these are the same people who care about the capital gains tax, not health care or gas prices. Its highly insulting (especially in an economic crisis) to define the obscenely rich as "the average American".

[TongoRad]

Yup, on Faux News Hannity described Joe Plumber as middle class. People who make 250K shouldn't be whining about paying tax. Wankers.

[Texas-Peach]

And there i was, thinking we were a middle class family making 45 thousand....

[OBXartist]

Mark Halperin is clear on which candidate is Obama and which one is McCain, right?

Mark, for your benefit, Obama was the African-American guy with the red tie. He won the debate by any measure that makes sense to count. In fact, he mopped the floor with his opponent.

McCain was the bitter old guy with the blinky, blinky thing going on...the grimacing, heavy breathing, incoherent guy. You know, the one who rambled around Bill Ayers, ACORN, taxes, education and healthcare all in the same nonsensical answer.

[Strywever]

You forgot the lizard tongue. Creepy!

[miamia]

ha, ha! What's up with that tongue thing he does? Creepy is right. Maybe his lips are dry?

[marthlois]

Mark?? Huh?

[eXcommunicate]

BTW - $250,000/year *is* rich in my neck of the woods. I don't care if your business is shoveling s h it. If you make $250,000/years in PROFIT, then you are rich.

[Shadow08]

Same here, any way you look at it, that's a quarter of a million. That's a lot of money. If you can't live off of that, you've got a problem.

[Texas4Obama]

The one thing (the ONLY thing) that I've read tonight that does not make any sense is Mark Halperin's grading of the debate.

[Texas4Obama]

Maybe Mark was playing one of those debate drinking games ;)

[Shadow08]

He sees what he wants to see and hears what he wants to hear. I don't know how else it could be explained.

[old lady]

So deep in Johnny's pocket he has to look down to kiss up

[MrBwood]

Halperin, says that it looked Mcain won by a wide margin. Yeah, and my Dodgers cleaned up on the Phillies. What was he looking at?

[old lady]

Latest reports on the Mental Recession made him a whiner

[AHydel]

What debate was Mark Helperin watching? McCain gets asked a question about his healthcare plan and he never answered it. He just went on about the same tired rheteric he uses to attack Obama. The guy looked like his face was going to fall off. I swear to got, me and my girlfriend almost threw up at one point when McCain was scrunching up his face all angry like, I had to look away. But if you're into that, that's cool Mark...I guess