27 Days Out: "John McCain Wanted to Have 10 of These?"

Jesse Lee is the Online Rapid Response Manager for the DNC, this is a daily update on the day's messaging.

ABC's The Note asks today: "John McCain wanted to have 10 of these?" The New York Post's Charles Hurt fleshes that idea out: "And that was supposed to be the platform where John McCain would shine the brightest? ... If last night was the arena of McCain's choice, he's in deep trouble these next 26 days. Obama was loose, polished and seemed to enjoy the whole thing. Afterward, he stuck around for a long time, posing for pictures with throngs of people gathered on stage. McCain was awkward and rambling and said some pretty strange things..."

Let's look back at Obama first, here are some of the highlights (double click the Youtubes to go to the pages with transcripts).

Obama on Speaking Softly and Pakistan

Obama on Iraq: "Some things I Don't Understand..."

Obama on Healthcare, the answer Luntz credited with turning his Fox News focus group

Maybe it's unfair to just let Obama speak for himself while rounding up reviews of McCain, but hey, life is unfair.

Richard Wolffe seemed to detect a bit of the erraticism we've come to know and love.

Richard Wolffe, Newsweek: "He paced up and down in fits and starts as he spoke. He leapt from subject to subject, sound byte to sound byte. Between answers, he sat down and scribbled page after page of notes, then jumped up and paced around silently. Early on, he seemed ill at ease in engaging with his questioners; how close should he stand? And how much should he look at them? His approach seemed to present a serious challenge to the show's producers, as they struggled to find the best way to frame McCain's interactions."

Even Stephen Hayes couldn't find a conspiracy theory to justify claim McCain won:

Stephen Hayes, Weekly Standard: "Obama's test in the first debate was to present himself as a plausible president, as a guy who didn't seem out of place on stage at a presidential debate and wouldn't seem out of place delivering a State of the Union address. Much as I'd disagree with the policies in such a speech, it was clear that he passed that test. Tonight, his job was to persuade voters--particularly independents--not only that he could be president but that he should be president. I suspect polling in the next couple of days will provide evidence that he passed that test, too."

And et tu Bill Bennett?

First Read has more, it's not pretty.

As Joe Biden said moments ago, "Now, I realize I'm slightly prejudiced about our ticket, but if this was the best of five series, it would be over":

Comments

[DorightWoman]

The one thing that McCain will never understand, hubris is a sin that no one forgives---or forgets.

Obama did us proud.

McCain's voice was shaky when he started out, which surprised me, he looked very nervous. I think he's scared of Obama.

[EbonBear]

McCain wanted ten of these things? This is his preferred format?

That wasn't a debate, it was a massacre.

[ATruthBeKnown]

Barack did him a favor ...for which McCain should thank him. Had there been 10 of these, this election would have been put to bed a long time ago. McCain is lucky. He only got a spanking last night instead of a Chicago beat down.

Notice he left last night quick, fast, and in a hurry. He was also getting more irritable and frustrated during the second half. He seem to be straining to maintain his composure. This POTUS stuff is a young man's game.

Release the Hounds !!!!!!

[bitterindependent]

mccain just got smacked in the mouth in his own house....w­ill he start griping about those rigged townhalls that obama opposed...­.i think not....




that one '08

[ElBruce]

Are you kidding? McCain obviously totally won. Wandering aimlessly around the stage was a masterstroke: he's the maverick! Which direction will he shuffle next? And his obvious glee with the "that one" remark, followed by giggling through the rest of his answer was awesome, a political version of dancing in the end zone. Handshake? PSYCHE! And he completely won on getting the hell out of there quick.

Keep it up Johnny, you're doing great!

[tel8034]

McCain mocked Obama for not going to the Middle East ..........­....... Obama did and got a home run.

McCain mocked Obama for not being Commander-In-Chief material ..........­....... Obama debated him twice and blew McCain away on that front.

McCain mocked Obama for not having joint town meetings with him and even said his campaign went ugly BECAUSE Obama refused to have joint town hall events with him ..........­......... Well MCcain FINALLY got his JOINT TOWN HALL EVENT ..........­.......... AND OBAMA BLEW HIM OUT OF THE WATER.

You'd think McCain would have learnt by now.......­..........­.......... McCain is an 20th century candidate stuck firmly in the Vietnam war era, who is completely lost in this 21st century world.

[SeriousBlack]

Methinks we will not be hearing McCain griping about Obama not agreeing to 10 town-hall debates any more.

[brody4bho]

He wanted them because he could stack the deck with rigged questions to make "that One" look bad, sound like a baffooon, etc. But "that One" knew better. He looked really bad in this variation of his preferred format.

[milo h minderbinder]

Amen to this. This was easily the worst debate format I've ever seen. Just horrible.

Obama absolutely made the right call by not agreeing to ten (TEN???) of these.