A Breakthrough Night for Obama

Tonight was a breakthrough for Senator Obama, who showed himself truly ready to be president. He responded knowledgeably, thoughtfully and confidently to the toughest questions on the economy, Iraq, and terror. Meanwhile, Senator McCain spent so much time attacking his opponent, he neglected to show how a McCain-Palin administration would differ from Bush-Cheney. As a result, Obama answered the threshold question about his candidacy; McCain did not.

Read more reactions to the first presidential debate from HuffPost bloggers, including Nora Ephron, Bob Shrum, Paul Reiser, Arianna Huffington, Sean Penn, Sheryl Crow, and more.

Comments

[Kiku]

Ms. Albright, I heard listened to NPR with the other Secretaries of State. It was good to hear your voice again, and I'm thrilled to read it hear.

Thank you for finding us here, for your time, and for your words that speak cleanly and eloquently.

Thank you for your service to the country.

[FaceYourFears]

Thank you Ms. Albright, a postitive review from you truly is PRICELESS!

[shedances]

First off, Madeleine Albright ~ I thought you were an incredible first female Sec. of State; and I'm proud of the work you did during the Clinton administration! Next, the message that came through, for me, from the debate was about the profound differences in how these two men 'think' about our world. I mean, Sen. Obama was far more willing to sit down & try to talk/negot­iate/resol­ve critical differences with nations like Iran, Pakistan, N. Korea, etc.; while McCain sounds too frightened of them to even look them in the eye. This is bad, IMO. And to repeat the mistakes we made in Iraq under Bush in other nations ~ as McCain certainly sounds like he's headed towards doing, in the very near future ~ would be tantamount to destroying not only our world reputation & credibility/trust ... but also, further destabilizing regions that, in the long run, would only end up hurting us (esp. on terrorism).

I hope & pray that John McCain stays where he's at in the Senate ... where he can do far less damage; and that Barack Obama gets a chance to lead this country & bring in good, very smart people with integrity & compassion into a next administration, to take us all in a direction that we desperately need to go now .... but are not forced to go, as in the case of Bush & Cheney, etc. Thank you.

[Leah McElrath Renna - Huffpost Blogger]

What a perfect and succinct assessment.

[GraceNeeded]

My favorite line says it all, Senator McCain would "use a hatchet where a scalpel would do". That is a total dis of McCain's policies. He is over the top CRAZED and erratic, when it isn't called for at all - wild over earmarks(18m) while tax cuts to rich (300m), totally gone on Surge in Iraq when the rest of Middle East is being terrorized (no pun intended), gone on Palin for V.P. without taking seriously the risks to our country, etc. etc. McCain’s demeanor didn’t exactly inspire our faith in his diplomacy or ability to “reach across the aisle”.

[deliriousgod]

supporters of the mcCain candidacy overwhelmingly attempt to reframe the threshold question into who has the most passion and vehemence. Sound reason and level-temperament are supposed to pale in comparison with passionate obstinanacy and recalcitrant denial; McCain's claim to the Presidency is hinged on being wrong but wrong with such breath-taking gusto and bravado that it inspires the sympathetic response. Admire the impenetrable armidillo and gilt it in precious metals and hoist it on a litter and Hail it: the Golden Armadillo

[Invox]

The more I see of John McCain with his antagonistic, bullying, erratic personality and Sarah Palin with her inexperience, extreme social views and incomprehensible sentences, I believe a McCain/Palin administration will be far and away worse than Bush/Cheney. McCain isn't conservative; he's a reactionary pretending to be a moderate. Last night, I got a very clear glimpse of now the United States would interact with the rest of the world in a McCain presidency. And God help us.

[GraceNeeded]

Yes, McCain isn't the maverick moderate we thought. I like the word "reactionary" because that is what he does - He REACTS- without thought and deliberation. Like his V.P. selection, he doesn't blink! That is NOT the demeanor nor personality we want near the nuclear codes.

[Boadicea]

Thanks for posting here. I've been a longtime fan, starting back when I still lived in Canada. You so obviously have a great head on your shoulders. I'd love for you to post regular blogs here about foreign policy issues. Would you consider it? YOu're respected on all sides, and you would reach so many people through HuffPo.

[Lotus19]

Thank you Ms. Albright. Since many people have not caught the ads or campaign speeches..­.and the convention is alll bells and whistles, this gave Obama the platform that he really needed. I've supported Obama for quite some time now but last night's performance left me with even more respect for him. Obama is the President for our future...M­cCain is still stuck in the past.

[LolaJeanne]

I agree....o­ne point I want to make is the fact that McCain sees the world in black and white, only in terms of good and evil....Ob­ama, to McCain, is the enemy who he never looked at...it is a METAPHOR FOR HIS STYLE OF FOREIGN POLICY!!! You just beat up on your enemy, you do not communicte directly with them!!!! It is ironic that the older man is the one who is juvenile.

[jankvkleve]

“Neocon” is a new name which points toward an old schism in the Republican party. In the period after WWII you had the interventionists versus the non-interv­entionists­. The interventionists won control of the party. Their candidate was Dwight David Eisenhower, who became president (obviously). The first thing he did was to intervene in Iran on behalf of British Petroleum, overthrowing an elected democratic government and replacing it with a dictatorship. It can be argued that our Middle East problems stem from that one move (which Truman opposed, or it would have happened earlier). Eisenhower was the first Neocon president. It is time that the non-interventionist wing of the Republican party (Ron Paul, etc.) regain control from the right wing fanatics.

[pattyfish]

After watching the CNN special with you and your counterparts, it is clear that Obama fits the bill as President.

Close your eyes and visualize Obama and world leaders.
Do the same with McCain and world leaders...­which brings you more sense of peace....O­bama

[SomeFemaleVoter]

I just did but I started with JMCain and had to open my eyes quickly because it was a real nightmare. Good suggestion.

[wmary82]

LOL

[Grizz]

The McCain Palin ticket is in free fall. I am so glad people are seeing the real John McCain who in the has shown us exactly the leadership skills he has. everything is made off the cuff. Picking Sarah Palin as his choice for VP. Then the economy is sound . He suspends his campain to help with the bailout then decides to debate. If this is country first I want to be last on his list.

[bushfocker]

I love you madeleine albright ........ke­ep up the good blogs

[arthur2008]

If John McCain were as quick to divorce himself from tired neocon Cold War ideology and decades-old economic tenets that have been discredited as he was to, say, abandon a disabled wife, his "experience" might contribute the most significant public policy discussions in generations. Instead, he has chosen to turn himself into an angry and irrelevant old man the world is passing by.

[Greg285]

Madeleine Albright is right on point in all of her observations. Obama was clear, concise, and presidential. McCain? Stuck in the 20th century, talked about his experince and accomplishments. What's wrong with that? He didn't answer the questions that main street cares about. He could'nt even look at Obama! He is an angry old man who knows his campaign is falling apart and he is terrified about that VP debate next week, especially after the CBS interview this week..