Debate Watch-Party Reports From Around The Country: Obama Supporters Disappointed

OffTheBus community members attended debate watch parties around the country and sent us their reports. We've posted a selection below.

The overall impression was that, at the largely pro-Obama gatherings, the feeling was that McCain prevailed by performing stronger than expected. As Ellen Gill reports, in conservative Lake County Illinois, the let-down reaction from the party attendees spurred Democracy for America leader Matt Lowry to deliver a pep talk after the debate concluded.

Matt was struck that people seemed to be losing their enthusiasm because of the perceived debate loss, or at best, tie, and wanted to make the point that we cannot leave this debate feeling bad or questioning our candidate's strength. We have a lot more doors on which to knock and phones to ring and we have to understand that Obama is not behind. He's actually ahead in the latest polls.... This is not the time to let each little McCain comment or lie affect our enthusiasm or confidence in our ticket, he said.

Margo Dunaj
Gathering The Whispering Democrats In Texas
Surprise, the venue was too small. Organizers reported 160 watched the debate while 40 more were turned away due to "seating limitations and fire restrictions." Yes! In Texas! Who'd have thought? It's lonely being a Democrat here.

Ellen Gill
Northern Chicagoland: Debate Watching Without A Bag On My Head
Most believed that it was a tie, with Obama taking the first portion more geared to the economy and McCain won the latter portion strictly on foreign policy. We were instructed not to be discouraged...

John Hood
In Florida, A Congressional Candidate's Debate Watching Party Breaks Both Blue And Red
A little surprising was the appearance at the party of Judy Woodruff and her crew. I mean, a Cuban restaurant in Kendall's Town and Country Mall is surely a long way from the thick of things... Or maybe not.

Lorelei Jackson
Tampa Cafe Watch Party Brings Out Young and Old
"I'm looking for the truth, the most truthful of the two. I check facts... I just want the person who wins to make the right decisions for America, for America to be alright."
It's Happening All Over America!

Diane Meeks
White L.A. SeniorsFor Obama
There were sighs and moans of disapproval to McCain's red-scare rhetoric on Russia and USA protection of Georgia as pending NATO member, winning the Iraq War, frequent POW hype and reference to Palin as his great partner.

Sarah Moglewer
McCain Mocking In Arizona
The group thought that McCain was ungracious and unkind towards his opponent. They also felt that he was old, cantankerous and too tired to do such an important job as President of the United States.

Edwin Rutsch
VIDEO: Berkeley, Calif., Debate Watch: The biggest Meetup Yet
"I'm hoping that after the election... people will start to recognize that this is how our constitutional democracy is supposed to work --- people coming together in small groups..."

Marci Savage
Watch the Debate; Volunteer For The Ground War
Illinois is not a swing state but people who came out to watch the debate here ended up volunteering for phone banks, letter writing campaigns and canvassing in nearby Wisconsin and Iowa.

Jerome Wozniak
Tuscon Obama Volunteers Rally For Debate
Tonight in Tucson, about 40 citizens gathered in Congressman Raul Grijalva's headquarters to watch the first debate of the presidential candidates. Attending was a coalition of volunteer groups: Grijalva/Obama volunteers; 'Vets for Obama'; and citizens for or against many propositions on the ballot, many state legislature issues. Social Workers, Vets, moms, dads, students, professionals.

Comments

[CharlesJ]

04:04 PM on 10/03/2008

I have been an Obama supporter from the very beginning, and I must say I was far from disappointed. I was quite pleased with his performance. He passed every test, he maintained his professional demenor, and conducted himself extreemly presidentially. Granted I would have loved to have seen Obama slam McCain up against the wall of truth, yet we all know that is not his style. Some say it was a draw, me I say it was a solid home run for Obama.

[fiona2]

08:47 PM on 10/01/2008

Obama can only win if he is able to hear the truth from the people who care about him the most. It is akin to your mother telling you that your haircut is terrible, or your youngest son telling you've gotten fat. It may hurt your feelings or even make you angry, but deep down you know that it is the truth and that you must do something to correct the situation...So, IMHO, McCain walked away a winner because he out performed the low expectation the media had set for him while Obama would have had to reach near impossible standards to impress listenres because of the iunrealsitc expectations the very same media set for him... But, now Obama and his staff have figured this out they can counteract the false expectations and media hype. And, given that Obama won on substance, the next debate should be a big win for Obama.

[AngryCenter]

03:12 PM on 10/01/2008

I too wanted Obama to hit McCain hard, deliver the "knock-out punch". but he wisely restrained himself, and ended up being the only one on the stage looking like he belonged there.

[1dogs2]

08:12 AM on 10/01/2008

My debate watching party was a family affair. I confess to a growing unease during the debate and a wish that OB would call McCain more forcefully on his lies and record. My son's analysis was that OB did just fine and that OB wasn't addressing us, or McCain supporters, but rather the undecided voters who are sick to death of the vile tone and substance of American politics, and that for such people, OB won hands down. Subsequent polls showed that my son was correct.

[ceesaw]

02:17 PM on 10/01/2008

All I would like to see Obama do is to point out to Mccain his various positions on all the issues, and when he calls Obama inexperience-Obama needs to say Senator, you claim to have experience but lets examine your record.Obama needs to point out five major issues that Mccain has blundered on including his eratic behaviour and lack of direction on the current crisis,and in the end say to mccain what experience senator??? America can do without your type of experience.

[sheikwil]

09:37 AM on 09/30/2008

M.S. Bellows, Jr. you are exactly right, the country didn't know if Obama knew Foreign Policy and he proved himself big time and that's all America was worried about so with that even the folks that called it a tie also says that Obama won it because he has not put aside the question is he ready to be President and he is. McCain just threw out more names, but Obama knew the names and could also pronouce them, Obama held his own with McCain on Foreign policy, so he can't keep telling American that Obama doesn't understand because he has proven that he does.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr.]

08:55 PM on 09/29/2008

Post-debate polling shows that voters overwhelmingly felt that both candidates would be competent as President. That's a huge win for Obama: he passed the Commander-in-Chief test. Would a complete put-away have been nice? Sure; but while I don't like it, this election will be won incrementally, and Obama's incrementing his butt off day by day.