Presidential Debate Reaction

Obama missed an opportunity to explain that the health of our nation's citizens cannot be held hostage to a corporate profit motive.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton writes: According to the transcript, mentions of "middle class" Obama: 4 McCain: ZERO* * That's a repeat from the fir...

I worried that the American public had been so seduced over the past eight years by self-serving stories -- rather than practical realities -- that the storyteller would always win the day.

My feeling is that the Couric interview might have done for McCain what the first Nixon-Kennedy debate did for Nixon in 1960 -- a true watershed moment.

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.

I'm glad that Senator Obama brought domestic issues to a foreign policy debate, because fixing "home" would alter our foreign relations.

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.

It was a good night for Obama because, when 83 percent of the country believe we are on the wrong track, standing toe-to-toe with McCain on foreign policy is all you need to do. And Obama clearly did that.

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.

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.

Obama did not win this debate. He didn't lose it either. But McCain was given far too much leeway in my opinion without counterpunching, which might reinforce the trope that Democrats don't know how to fight.

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.

The result tonight was another frustrating piece of American media that is at once far too polite, and at the same time, dismissive of an American public's need to know anything beyond jingoistic self-aggrandizement.

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.

McCain, to be fair, showed some of his knowledge in a good way. But he's too old, he's from the 20th century, the country doesn't need him now.

***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...

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.

This debate underscored the central question that each of us must ask ourselves before choosing our next president: Will our children and our children's children fare better than us?

Nora Ephron: Ringside: 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 wo...

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.

Obama won on key issues demonstrating that our foreign policy is more than just about the surge. McCain frequently reverted back to clichés calling his opponent naïve and lacking judgment.

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.