Calm, Methodical Obama vs. Angry, Ungracious McCain
The real insights came in the revelations about the way each man thinks under pressure, and the way they interacted. The overall effect was exactly the opposite of what McCain hoped to achieve.
The real insights came in the revelations about the way each man thinks under pressure, and the way they interacted. The overall effect was exactly the opposite of what McCain hoped to achieve.
HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 05.25.2011
[Via Crooks and Liars] How did things go for John McCain last week? Lindsey Graham, who usually flacks McCain with a psychopathic, operatic zeal, got...
Ari Melber | Posted 05.25.2011
Obama's campaign appears to have staked its confidence on the surveys showing a lead among debate viewers -- which suggests that the Iraq issue did not hinder Obama's overall standing.
Howard Schweber | Posted 05.25.2011
This week Congress did the one thing I never would have expected: the members of Congress lived up to their responsibilities. In both houses, in both parties.
Rachel Sklar, Glynnis MacNicol, and John Carney | Posted 05.25.2011
Welcome to our debate liveblog! We're figuring out how this Liveblogging software works. Please don't judge us just yet. Update: Okay! We've figured...
HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 05.25.2011
Good evening everyone! What on earth are we doing tonight? Seriously? Wasn't this stuff suspended? What is going on? Honestly! Today was my day ...
Huffington Post | Rachel Sklar | Posted 05.25.2011
ETP liveblogged the debate tonight with Glynnis MacNicol and John Carney. You can find all the good stuff through the link (we blogged it using the n...
Jon Raymond | Posted 05.25.2011
On his campaign time-out, McCain flew into Washington like Superman and saved the day; not only was he proclaimed debate winner by his campaign hours before the debate had started, but he's also been declared our country's savior by House Republicans for single-handedly steering us to a great bailout plan. McCain is truly a god.
Leonce Gaiter | Posted 05.25.2011
McCain was the cold warrior who speaks in lines plucked from WWII propaganda films. He was also contemptuous; even when prompted, he refused to look at Obama. The gesture suggested either fear, or a psychotic sort of loathing.
Paul Reiser | Posted 05.25.2011
I have to say, I did want to see more fire from Obama. I did want him to let the anger loose. I did want him to slap back at McCain's endless patronizing tone.
Sheryl Crow | Posted 05.25.2011
I think I feel the same as most Americans when I say I am beyond tired of hearing John McCain sell this war and passing it off as great leadership. To me, McCain proved himself as the stubborn one.
Roseanne Barr | Posted 05.25.2011
Obama tried to remind Americans of what is morally right and what is morally wrong, and that was fantastic to witness. McCain defends the status quo instead of the moral right.
Bob Cesca | Posted 05.25.2011
Where McCain was unserious and petulant, Obama was forceful, sharp and, at times, magnanimous. Hell, McCain couldn't even look Obama in the eye. Not once.
Michael Seitzman | Posted 05.25.2011
Ironically, the fact that Obama granted his opponent the courtesy of pointing out the places where they agree is the very quality of leadership that McCain continues to falsely claim as his own.
Nora Ephron | Posted 05.25.2011
There was a moment, when the debate ended and the wives came up on stage, where I actually knew, or thought I knew, who had won. I'm sorry to say it, but it was John McCain.
Max Bergmann | Posted 05.25.2011
McCain has never supported talks with Iran at the Secretary of State level. So either McCain has massively shifted positions on Iran or he is completely misrepresenting his position on Iran.
Art Brodsky | Posted 05.25.2011
As a debate tactic, McCain's behavior was understandable, and a classic Karl Rove characteristic. Take your weakness and make it a strength. Take your opponent's strength and make it a weakness.
Jacob Heilbrunn | Posted 05.25.2011
To listen to McCain speaking in tonight's debate was to be thrust back into a time warp, where al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein are plotting together, and America must go on a crusade to stomp out the infidels.
The Huffington Post | Posted 05.25.2011
Watch the presidential debate live here: Live TV by Ustream...
The Huffington Post | Posted 05.25.2011
Marc Ambinder: McCain's high-stakes gamble: "Tonight, John McCain has more to gain and lose. This week, McCain raised the stakes for himself a thousan...
HuffingtonPost.com | Nico Pitney and Sam Stein | Posted 05.25.2011
As the spin of Friday night's debate settled in and both sides staked a claim to victory, one media narrative began to take hold: while Obama may have...
Taylor Marsh | Posted 05.25.2011
Obama's goal tonight was to simply become an equal to the "legendary" foreign policy man John McCain. He accomplished that, while showing unending patience with his opponent.
The Huffington Post | Nico Pitney | Posted 05.25.2011
***UPDATED 9/27*** A focus group of 45 voters with an "unmistakenly Republican tilt" believed that Obama won the night handily: [B]y a 38 to 27 perc...
The Huffington Post | Rachel Weiner | Posted 05.25.2011
A key moment in the debate, when Obama called McCain out on Iraq: Obama: So John, you like to pretend like the war started in 2007. You talk about th...
Robert Shrum | Posted 05.25.2011
Tonight I think we know who the next President will be. McCain kept repeating that Obama doesn't "understand." But he clearly did. McCain made up no ground.
Amb. Richard C. Holbrooke | Posted 05.25.2011