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Snap Polls Give Overwhelming Win to Obama

The first snap polls on the debate are out, and they're giving a resounding win to Barack Obama.

In the CBS poll of undecided debate-watchers, 53% say Obama won, only 22% say McCain won, and 24% say it was a tie.

The CNN poll was just read on the air, surveying all debate-watchers in general. It shows 58% saying Obama won, to 31% saying McCain won. Barack Obama's personal ratings are 66% favorable to 33% unfavorable, way ahead of McCain's score of 49%-49%.

Late Update: Some more numbers from the CNN poll were just read on TV. Obama was seen as stating his ideas more clearly by 66%-25%, was seen as the stronger leader by 56%-39%, and was more likable by 70%-22%. McCain did win in one category: He's the candidate who launched more attacks on his opponent, by a whopping 80%-7%.

Late Late Update: Independents, who made up 30% of CNN's sample, gave it to Obama 57%-31%, essentially the same as the overall margin for Obama.


217 Comments

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4-0
Fat lady get your fat ass to the stage and sing your heart out.

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She done sung - those are her last notes you hear hanging in the air...


I really thought McLame was going to lunge at Obama at any second and grab his nose between his little yellow teeth like an enraged ferret-

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At this point there is a entire choir of fat ladies singing on stage.

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i hope they sing at the inauguration.

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i hope they sing at the inauguration.

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I've read about your Secret Obama African Flag. For shame!

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Methinks McCain will be spending more time with his family...

President elect Obama.
Yup, I could get used to that.

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Arizona is a pretty nice place to retire from what I hear.

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A Sedona ranch helps quite a bit.

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For those who never been there, its very very very expensive to live there.

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Yes, most of us cannot come close to being about to do so.

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The magnetic vortices are free. We can drive by.

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When your in Arizona, It is a must see. A beautiful drive up Oak Creek Canyon towards Flagstaff.
The town is full of tourists, and the leaves are changing color.

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No shit - that's a gorgeous place.

I like Taos a hell of a lot better - but Sedona is beautiful.

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I want a president that DOESN"T have a ranch. GO BAMA

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I want a president that DOESN"T have a ranch. GO BAMA

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This is the first debate I watched a substantial portion of, live.

I was stunned at how angry McCain still is. It's amazing to me how after the last two debates, even after all the coaching he must be getting, he can't contain his anger and contempt.

And it THRILLS me to no end to see that the American people are seeing this too, and are turned off by it.

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McCain tried to label himself as the underdog, (are you kidding me) and it didn't work.

Even the Republicans I was with thought the weird breathing and out-of-context talking points recitation was weird and inappropriate.

I just kept say, "you pesky kids better get off of my grass; I know who your parents are". They laughed and totally agreed.

When McCain said, "I'm not George Bush (in 2004)", Obama should have replied, "The 2000 race is over and I'm not George Bush either."

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I was pretty sure at one point that McCain was going to deck Obama. That's one angry man.

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TRY to deck Obama. It seems to me that in that, as in the election, McCain would come up second best.

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The split screen was a killer; Mickey couldn't stop fidgeting and blinking his beady eyes . . .

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Now that is funny, can't stop laughing

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Now that is funny, can't stop laughing.

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For people who pay attention to subtleties, what struck me most tonight was that McCain cried his crocodile tears -- as if going for the Joe Biden emotion moment -- over being called a racist. Obama's been called a racist, too, and worse. Far worse, including a baby killer. And none of that showed. He didn't stoop to it and you know what, I can support someone who knows that you don't let a bully see you cry -- that, to me, is Presidential. When was the last time any president you admired complained of hurt feelings? Obama's answer: Our feelings don't matter, the American people matter.

Presidential. Everything else that happened in the debate, to me, pales next to that moment.

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Same here. I think it just burns McCain's ass that he is being whipped by Obama. McCain strikes me as very racist and the notion that a black man is just handing him his ass is just too much to take. McCain is a very dangerous man and has no business anywhere near the White House.

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Same here. I think it just burns McCain's ass that he is being whipped by Obama. McCain strikes me as very racist and the notion that a black man is just handing him his ass is just too much to take. McCain is a very dangerous man and has no business anywhere near the White House.

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Can I just say....WoooHooo!

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This was the first debate I thought Obama won outright. I have no idea why the punditry thought McCain was ahead until the Lewis exchange.

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I thought this was the first debate that McCain crowded Obama enough to even claim a tie.

I'm actually a bit surprised to see undecideds split like this since I'm assuming that at this point, most of the undecideds left are actually McCain leaners who haven't seen enough to come to him yet. If this is an indication of how the remaining undecideds are going to fall, Obama's looking at 400 EV's in 20 days.

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mcSame is really like an incumbent here. So as far as the undecideds go, they've had many, many years to get to know mcSame. If they weren't for him before, then they'll likely break for Obama. That's where the momentum is. I agree. We're looking at a landslide coming.

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Could someone please explain to me why we're supposed to believe that "I am not President Bush" is such a powerful line? Is it that pundits desperately want to hear echoes of "you're no Jack Kennedy" in it?

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Nail on head.

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Game. Set. Match.

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Al Hunt: McCain started out great then turned "schizoid".

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I thought he was a disaster from the beginning, with the stuttering and the shaking and the repetition of "they're angry. They're angry and they're angry."

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Co-sign.

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Did he say so? I thought McCain was shaky and incoherent from the beginning. And nervous laugh, contempt, anger -- near explosion, throughout. I just don't understand why those pundits are saying it was McCain's night -- then again, I guess they will change their initial reaction after seeing poll results, just as they did in the previous two.

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I couldn't get past the botox.

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My feeling was that the pundits were going to say, as usual, that McCain was strong here and there, but that he didn't do enough to help his cause.

I think he did MUCH worse than that. I agree, his anger is phenomenal.

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That is what Hunt actually said on Charlie Rose. Actually used the word "schizoid".

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By the by, if you get the "No suitable nodes are available to serve your request" when you submit your post, try going back to the previous page (back button) and reload it. It works for me -- the reloaded page shows my comment, without any double post etc whatsoever.

(This should be an emergency rescue solution).

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4-0
Fat lady get your fat ass to the stage and sing your heart out.

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Can I just say....WoooHooo!

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I love these instant polls - it puts the spin into context before the next days newscycle.

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I agree. They take all of the spin out of the spin room.

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checkmate yahtzee and gin my friends

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I feel like the heaviest bureden is lifted off my shoulders.


Relieved

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Given no game changers in this one and the fact McCain still hasn't found his straight talk this time, it's probably over but the paper work by the people on November 4th to make it official.

Say good night John and go back to the senate.

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You guys are all sadly wrong. I just spoke with Joe the Plumber, and he strongly believed that this performance delivered EXCELLENT NEWS FOR JOHN MCCAIN.

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THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS FOR JOE THE PLUMBER!!

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CBS actually had the guy on the phone with a live interview with Katie Couric who promptly cut him off because it was coming up on the top of the hour. They cut off Joe the plumber (oh you can watch him online...).

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Nobody cuts off good ole' Joe and gets away with it.

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Don't worry. Apparently, John McCain feels more than comfortable speaking for Joe.

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Joe the Plumber SO has a LOCK on the Republican nomination. Unless Palin want it. Or Zombie Reagan.

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Joe the Plumber at this point can just write his own ticket. I'm thinking maybe he can be Secretary of Plumbing in the new administration.

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Given no game changers in this one and the fact McCain still hasn't found his straight talk this time, it's probably over but the paper work by the people on November 4th to make it official.

Say good night John and go back to the senate.

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This certainly is encouraging - but I really want to know what independent voters thought (exclusively) -- to see where we are going.

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Well, before the debate MSNBC ran the results of a poll in which the question was whether the debate was going to effect their decision and the results were: 94% No, I've already decided and of course, 6% undecided.

As I said earlier, I suspect that 6% may never have voted in their lives and won't start now. LOL!

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94% have decided. 6% are undecided. Obama is ahead by about 8%. Assuming McCain gets 60% of the undecideds, Obama still wins going away. The fact is Obama is going to get a lot more that 60% of the remaining 6%. This election is now all about coattails. Time to elect Kay Barnes.

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I cannot for a second believe anyone who is engaged in this process is undecided. The candidates are so opposite. My sweetie looked at me after the end statement by Obama and asked how anyone could NOT vote for him, I agree.

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I had a similar reaction. McCain's closing statement was all about HIS "service," while Obama's was about a vision for the COUNTRY. Barack just seemed so much more grounded and like a genuine public servant.

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There are always undecided nincompoops in every election; I have never been able to understand it . . .

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I feel exactly the same way. I can't for the life of me understand how anyone can watch the two candidates and come up with an "undecided." Then, throw in the VP candidates and still remain "undecided?" Palin truly scares the crap out of me. I'm just wondering when McCain is going to be seen behind the scenes telling Palin it's all her fault. Nope John, it's YOUR fault for picking such an idiot for VP. All I can say is thank goodness he did. Picking someone credible might have made a big difference in this race.

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Poor John said Obama didn't vote to confirm Justice Breyer. Barack just let it slide. President Clinton nominated Breyer in 1994 I think. How many more oopsies will turn up?

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Barack also didn't vote for Thurgood Marshall or Abe Fortas! WTF?!

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Oh, snap.

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Poor John said Obama didn't vote to confirm Justice Breyer. Barack just let it slide. President Clinton nominated Breyer in 1994 I think. How many more oopsies will turn up?

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Repulican Spin Room:

WHO FARTED!

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And they have ran out of Money to spin this. These Repugs are BROKE BROKE BROKE.
No more money no more Honey! Yeeee Heeee!

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It's not "have ran," it's have run.

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Those are huge numbers

Here are some more I just heard on CNN.

These numbers might not be exact because I'm going from memory...

Who is better suited to handle the economy:
Obama: >60%
McCain: (missed it, sorry!)

Who spend more time attacking their opponent:
McCain: >80%
Obama: 7%

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CNN: O won with 58% among the independents and 59% said O will do better on economy. 80% said McLame was negative.

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Did anyone think it was weird that McCain kept talking about not paying for transplants. Did he mean implants?

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He was going after Biden with hair plugs...No one got it!

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I thought this was the first debate that McCain crowded Obama enough to even claim a tie.

I'm actually a bit surprised to see undecideds split like this since I'm assuming that at this point, most of the undecideds left are actually McCain leaners who haven't seen enough to come to him yet. If this is an indication of how the remaining undecideds are going to fall, Obama's looking at 400 EV's in 20 days.

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It was not much of a contest, McCain does not have it and seems he never did. Too many cheap shots: pork, Joe the plumber, Palin, Lewis, Ayers, Acorn, across the board cuts, etc. McCain was firmly entrenched in a bag of kinda gotchas and cliches for the stump and media sound bites. Me think McCain kinda toast!

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Did anyone think it was weird that McCain kept talking about not paying for transplants. Did he mean implants?

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That explains it, I didn't know what the hell McCain could have against transplants. He meant IMplants.

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If there was ever a time to do this...

THIS

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IS

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IS

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EXCELLENT

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NEWS

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FOR

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Joe the Plumber!

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JoePlumentum'08!

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FOR!

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JUSTICE BREYER!

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AUTISM...er, DOWNS ... er, WHATEVER

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AUTISM...er, DOWNS ... er, WHATEVER

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AUTISM...er, DOWNS ... er, WHATEVER

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TRAITOR JOE LIEBERMAN!!!

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For Obama and all of us at TPM.

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SOLDIER TEACHERS!!

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Not surprised that Obama won the the 'Did a better job explaining his policies" and McCain won "Attacking"

McCain spent so little time explaining what he would do, and so much time criticzing Obama and/or whining about being called names.

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On laughing at your own jokes, the clear winner was McShame.
On number of times mentioning Joe the Plumber, the clear winner was McLame.
On negatives, the clear winner was McPoopypants.
On looking angry and sounding sarcastic, NO CONTEST, the clear winner was McDumbass.

On looking and sounding presidential, the clear winner was Obama.
On appealing to undecideds and independents, the clear winner was Obama.
On policy issues, the clear winner was Obama.

That makes McCaintankerous the winner, 4-3!

Seriously, I feel the same as Kash, relieved.

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It was not much of a contest, McCain does not have it and seems he never did. Too many cheap shots: pork, Joe the plumber, Palin, Lewis, Ayers, Acorn, across the board cuts, etc. McCain was firmly entrenched in a bag of kinda gotchas and cliches for the stump and media sound bites. Me think McCain kinda toast!

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Josh just posted on McCain's weirdly smug and obnoxious comments about womens health in regards to abortion. That has been McCain attitude throughout the campaign, pandering to the far right base, and totally at odds with his Maverick image. A disaster.

Another similar example: McCain snickered in the last debate characterizing Obama as naive because he wants nuclear power to be "safe and clean, or something" and that McCain had "been on Navy ships with nuclear power, it's safe."

It's pretty clear McCain doesn't have any respect for the other side of the debate, or the other side of the aisle, or anyone beside McCain. Also that he has no idea how to argue to anyone who doesn't already agree with him. And, he's largely regurgitating hard right ideology, well past the expiration date.

Want provisions for women's health in late-term abortion law? McCain knows you're just a "pro-abortion" baby-killer throwing up disingenuous arguments. Concerned that nuclear power be "safe and clean" and again, you're just some tree-hugging hippie, probably a dope smoking dropout too. Because McCain knows none of these issues concern Joe Sixpacks like him.

:rolleyes:

This is the best the GOP has? Pathetic.

The party of ideas? Yeah, bad ideas from decades ago that have now been wholly repudiated. This makes our second Republican led experiment in laissez faire, ending in disaster. Religious fundamentalism and attacking secularism? Anti-intellectualism? Hostility to the environment and renewable energy? Aggressive FP, colonialism, and nation building at gunpoint?

What other ideas have the GOP had in the last 30 years? Seems every one has been a complete disaster.

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As the father of an amazing eleven-year-old autistic daughter, I thought to myself, "Hey, maybe autism won this debate!"

But then I realized that McCain's pandering may have ruined the issue for some time.

And Sarah Palin understand parents like me so well, so soon into her experience as the parent of a special needs child? Huh?

No, John. It doesn't hit you how difficult a fight it will be, how much of your effort, heart, and soul will have to go into getting what a special child needs, until the third or fourth year of their life at the very soonest.

McCain is a scoundrel of the worst sort. A very special sort.

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First of all, you sound like a wonderful and proud father. Kudos to you. Health care is my "issue" this election year, and I frankly thought McCain used autism and special needs in a most disgusting way. If he really gave a damn, he would have a lot better health care plan. And you are right, Palin has not had time to even understand what she and her child will face in the years ahead. At this point, she understands little to nothing at all.

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And wasn't it hideous how he dragged that poor child into the debate? It's one thing to make the point when it's appropriate but that was just unabashed exploitation.

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So much for keeping family out of the election.

I can't help but thinking, she's set women's rights back 50 years, abortion rights back decades also, and now she's going to set back the rights of special needs children decades as well?

Fucking awful, all of it.

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Even worse, if possible, he said little Trig was autistic, when the child has Down's Syndrome. He could at least get his pandering straight.

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Thanks Amelie. I appreciate your wonderful note.

You're right. McCain's plan lacks in that it is not a plan at all.

And wtf? Republicans proposing new taxes?

Inexplicable. As I've found myself saying often during this cycle, down is up and up is down.

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On laughing at your own jokes, the clear winner was McShame.
On number of times mentioning Joe the Plumber, the clear winner was McLame.
On negatives, the clear winner was McPoopypants.
On looking angry and sounding sarcastic, NO CONTEST, the clear winner was McDumbass.

On looking and sounding presidential, the clear winner was Obama.
On appealing to undecideds and independents, the clear winner was Obama.
On policy issues, the clear winner was Obama.

That makes McCaintankerous the winner, 4-3!

Seriously, I feel the same as Kash, relieved.

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It was not much of a contest, McCain does not have it and seems he never did. Too many cheap shots: pork, Joe the plumber, Palin, Lewis, Ayers, Acorn, across the board cuts, etc. McCain was firmly entrenched in a bag of kinda gotchas and cliches for the stump and media sound bites. Me think McCain kinda toast!

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At this point I'm cautiously optimistic, but I'm not counting on anything until Mr President Obama is actually SWORN IN and SAFELY inside the White House.

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I know, I'm holding my breath too. I may not relax until President Obama is giving his farewell address in 2017 - the year my son graduates from high school.

Hopefully in a more peaceful world.

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Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Obama just gave the old man another lesson.

http://pufferfish.typepad.com/

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IS

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Heh.

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I can't figure out how to start a blog, so I'll leave my first ever comment here.

Did McCain spend more time talking about Obama's policies or his own? I'd like to sit down with a couple of stopwatches and figure this out, but maybe, just maybe, McCain is hurting because he rarely ever describes his own plans to the American public.

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My vote is McCain spoke more about Obama's policies, and got nailed by Obama's responses.

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I'm not quite sure what McCain stands for at this point. Obama got a chance to delineate his plans, such as for health care, but McCain did not.

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I'm not quite sure what McCain stands for at this point. Obama got a chance to delineate his plans, such as for health care, but McCain did not.

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IS

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David Gergen is saying that McCain's best bet is to basically turn his campaign into a "Save the Senate" campaign for his party.

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That's obviously the only, rational way to go for them... then again, rationality is not their thing. Expect McScum to keep spending heavily in PA, IA, etc...

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On laughing at your own jokes, the clear winner was McShame.
On number of times mentioning Joe the Plumber, the clear winner was McLame.
On negatives, the clear winner was McPoopypants.
On looking angry and sounding sarcastic, NO CONTEST, the clear winner was McDumbass.

On looking and sounding presidential, the clear winner was Obama.
On appealing to undecideds and independents, the clear winner was Obama.
On policy issues, the clear winner was Obama.

That makes McCaintankerous the winner, 4-3!

Seriously, I feel the same as Kash, relieved.

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Josh just posted on McCain's weirdly smug and obnoxious comments about womens health in regards to abortion. That has been McCain attitude throughout the campaign, pandering to the far right base, and totally at odds with his Maverick image. A disaster.

Another similar example: McCain snickered in the last debate characterizing Obama as naive because he wants nuclear power to be "safe and clean, or something" and that McCain had "been on Navy ships with nuclear power, it's safe."

It's pretty clear McCain doesn't have any respect for the other side of the debate, or the other side of the aisle, or anyone beside McCain. Also that he has no idea how to argue to anyone who doesn't already agree with him. And, he's largely regurgitating hard right ideology, well past the expiration date.

Want provisions for women's health in late-term abortion law? McCain knows you're just a "pro-abortion" baby-killer throwing up disingenuous arguments. Concerned that nuclear power be "safe and clean" and again, you're just some tree-hugging hippie, probably a dope smoking dropout too. Because McCain knows none of these issues concern Joe Sixpacks like him.

:rolleyes:

This is the best the GOP has? Pathetic.

The party of ideas? Yeah, bad ideas from decades ago that have now been wholly repudiated. This makes our second Republican led experiment in laissez faire, ending in disaster. Religious fundamentalism and attacking secularism? Anti-intellectualism? Hostility to the environment and renewable energy? Aggressive FP, colonialism, and nation building at gunpoint?

What other ideas have the GOP had in the last 30 years? Seems every one has been a complete disaster.

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Halprin: I can see no plausible way for McCain to win. (paraphrase)

Also, on the last thread, theWalrus wrote that Joe the Plumber said on CBS (probably on the webcast): Obama "tap danced almost like Sammy Davis Jr." when he was talking to me.

If true, I think that effectively kills Joe the Plumber as a story.

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The shoes made him say it!!!!

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Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Obama just gave the old man another lesson.

http://pufferfish.typepad.com/

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Sorry guys, my previous post showed up 3 times. I kept getting an error when I hit submit!
My bad.

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CNBC, CNN, FOX, and NBC declare O won the debate among the independents. That's what matters.

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The McCain's last hope, The Bradly affect.

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If anything, I think there will be a REVERSE Bradley effect, ie, white folks who tell others they are voting for McCain because they don't want to admit they are voting for "the black guy."

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Sorry for the double post - I got the message saying "no suitable node available" - whatever that means - so I thought it didn't go through.

TPM is pretty darn busy tonight!

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I fully expect the McCain camp to spin this as a victory and to DEMAND more debates.

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Agreed

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They are out of money!

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And, Scheiffer (sp) did a good job as moderator.

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He wasn't so bad but Lehrer was much better...

Please, no more Brokaw ever again!

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Wholeheartedly co-sign.

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What does Palin know about autism, I thought she had a newborn with Downs?

Anyway, the best thing that could happen to special needs kids would be universal health care. Obama sort of made this point, but I wish he had made it stronger. If you care about special needs kids, you don't vote Republican.

Who was right about DC vouchers? I think Obama, who clearly knows more about the subject. McCain looked flabbergasted when Obama contradicted him.

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She doesn't know dick about autism. I hate when politicians try to reach out to families with special needs in such obviously pandering ways. (I have an autistic daughter, so I'm seeing much more of that these days.)

Right now health care offers you almost zero in way of helping with an autistic child's needs. You can't imagine the money our family pays out of pocket for special classes (social skills groups, etc.) and for lawyers to get the schools to respond to our daughter's needs.

And we're one of the lucky families.

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I think we can all agree that the first 20 minutes were ALL MCCAIN ALL DAY. He was definitely on his game, however, maybe when we were on John Lewis or when they brought up Ayers but he seemed to slip off and O stayed on the course of fighting for the middle class and came out on top. It's a 90 minute debate and O won about 75 of those minutes.

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I'm pleased that we're winning, but I'm almost equally pleased that the swiftboat tactics of smear and distraction aren't working this time.

When people realize that they're confronting a real crisis, they don't have time for that crap.

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People probably will remember very little about the words that were spoke. They will remember McCains disturbed look(s), eye rolling, and jumpy movements.

Keep him away from the button!!

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Some people grow up. Some just grow older. McCain is one who just grew older, but has yet to grow up. Age does not wisdom make.

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Did anyone just watch Soledad O'Brien's snap poll: if you had to vote today, who would get your vote?

It was 16 for Obama and she actually said split down the middle.

The votes for who won the debate were 15-10-1.

How is 15 half of 26? Can she not add?

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Er, that's 16 out of 26. Not good to mistype when making a point about stupidity of others.

But, seriously, can Soledad O'Brien not add or was this moment like the Fox correspondent taking the snap poll in the diner and making out like it was tied?

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Like I said, McCain approached the debate like he were talking to Fox News viewers. Obama approached the debate like he were talking to the American people, and it definitely shows.

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Oh if Russert were still with us he most likely would say:

tonight was McCains last best chance, and he didn't take advantage of it. If things continue on the path they are on then McCain hopes are greatly dimmed. This is now Obamas race to lose.

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What the hell is the old goat so *angry* about?! Surely somebody told him this wasn't helping him?

Guess we'll read about it in the tell-all books about his train wreck.

Anyhow, 'Woo-hoo!'

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It's rather sad but McCain just can't help himself. It's just who he is. An arrogant, bitter, and angry man.

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I love the "Zero" moment.

Obama has tricked everyone measuring him in the domains of conventional wisdom.

I think he's so cool, composed he's beginning to get into the skin of all the psudo-pundits at Fox, Gergen, etc.

I think most voters today saw the visual on the screen and said I cannot take that old, crankly, grumpy negative face for four years.

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I meant to day Gregory. Gergen is refreshingly balanced.

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I love that moment too. McScum's eyes were literally rolling while Obama continued in his cool, calm, collected manner. Me fully expecting a video or two at YouTube featuring that moment :)

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I know. I get the sense that people like Gregory are just as annoyed as McCain at Obama's impenetrable equanimity. I love it, and it's why my anxiety level has been pretty low going into every one of these debates.

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I am convinced that most of the journalist on CNN are democrats. After the Insta Polling came in and showed BO won the mood coming from the folks at CNN got lighter. Campbell Brown and Gloria Borger are so Republican.

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someone explain to me the strategy behind McCain's eye makeup... He looked like a barely toned down version of Joel Grey in Cabaret... did he think he could shake Obama buy looking like a freakish imp?

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What good is sitting alone in your room, come to the Cabaret!

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CNN from DailyKos.
Who did the best job in the debate?

Independents

McCain (R) 31
Obama (D) 57

Republicans

McCain (R) 68
Obama (D) 18

Democrats

McCain (R) 5
Obama (D) 88

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Independents

McCain (R) 31
Obama (D) 57

And that's all that matters now. Great night.

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The real question left in the election: can McCain go from not knowing how to use a computer to being able to hack Diebold voting machines in three weeks?

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Here's what mcShame said about healthcare records: We're going to put your healthcare records online!!!

He doesn't realize that recording a healthcare record electronically at the doctor's office IS NOT putting a record online.

For anyone who heard that one line, I'm telling you, it was a disaster!

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You can't steal an election by fucking with the vote after the fact when the numbers are this far apart.

That was the whole point in 2000 and 2004.

This is the biggest margin I've seen in years and you cannot convince people that someone that far behind could legitimately win this election.

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Word word word

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So does anybody here not believe Joe the Plumber is not a McCain Campaign plant that they plan to try and make an issue centered around?

Obama should have known something was up and started talking in generalities about other supporters rather than talking to "Joe" as well, because then he became somebody the MSM would obviously get in contact with and the McCain camp knew he's spout off about how much he liked McCain.

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Absolutely. And, of course, as the guy trashes Obama, he still won't say who he's voting for so that it will keep him in the spotlight. The guy is a total shill.

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If you watch it with the sound turned down you might start to dislike Charlie Chaplin . . .

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EXCELLENT

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John McCain does not have the temperment to be President. He cannot control his anger even when it is in his best interest. A McCain Presidency would be dangerous.

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Acorns threaten the fabric of democracy?  Why does John McSame hate oak trees?

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McCain did win in one category: He's the candidate who launched more attacks on his opponent, by a whopping 80%-7%.
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Precious, Eric.

The old guy must be so proud right now.

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Here are all four debates:

CBS Debate #1 (uncommitted)
39% Obama
24% McCain
37% Draw

CNN Debate #1 (all voters)
51% Obama
38% McCain
11% Draw

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CBS VP Debate (uncommitted)
46% Obama
21% McCain
33% Draw

CNN VP Debate (all voters)
51% Obama
36% McCain
13% Draw

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CBS Debate #2 (uncommitted)
40% Obama
26% McCain
34% Draw


CNN Debate #2 (all voters)
54% Obama
30% McCain
16% Draw

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CBS Debate #3 (uncommitted)
53% Obama
22% McCain
24% Draw


CNN Debate #3 (all voters)
58% Obama
31% McCain
11% Draw

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The CBS Uncommitted numbers are staggering in their change from the last debate:

Obama: 40% --> 53%
McCain: 26% --> 22%
Draw: 34% --> 24%

The uncommitted leaning towards McCain are to a degree sticking to him, though a -4% isn't good.

But Obama not only took that McCain drop off, but yanked 10 points of the "draw" folks over into his column.

I don't think any of us think that was a great Obama performance. He was quite a bit better in the "Town Hall". But McCain got mopped by a pedestrian Obama peformance. That's how bad the disconnect is for McCain at this point.

I think all the other internals we see from these polls are going to be even worse for McCain than these raw numbers.


John

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CNN Favorable/Unfavorable
Obama, before debate: 63/35
Obama, after debate: 66/33

McCain, before debate: 51/45
McCain, after debate: 49/49

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Fox News Joe the Plumber Poll:

McCain: 100%
Obama: 0%

McCain Wins!

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He certainly wins the Chuck Colson demographic.

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I know things are tough out there. In all 10 of my households, I see people only making $5 an hour, without health benefits, and sometimes less as Cindy and I dock them for being late or uppity. And these people need more tax breaks for oil companies.

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Well, this all gets back to basics. McCain is not very smart. He never has been.

He is not really honorable. He never has been. He just claims to be -- e.g., after all, he didn't support campaign finance reform until after he was caught as one of the Keating Five.

He doesn't know very much. He never did. He just talks to TV cameras. So when policies get to specifics, he rambles, gives talking points, doesn't concern himself with consistency or mastery of concepts. Because he can't.

There is a reason why he finished at the bottom of his class in Annapolis.

He is OUT OF HIS LEAGUE (and don't even get me started about Palin).

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You're right -

I never realized how very dumb he actually is until this campaign. I also didn't know how fucked up he is until the Rolling Stone article.


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CNN poll:

Obama's connection to William Ayers matters to you...

Great Deal 23
Somewhat 14
Not Much 11
Not At All 51

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Ayers is old new...let's start the clock now on the Reverend Wright attack watch....

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sorry..Ayers is old news...let's start the clock on the Reverend Wright attack watch

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I'd vote for anyone, even Bush if I don't ever have to see the faces of McFalin on television ever again.

He creeps me out. She scares...

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It's like a 1-2 punch of pure distaste.

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the one who really won tonight's debate is the american people courtesy of bob schieffer, the moderator. he asked the tough questions which enabled all americans to see the REAL mccain to their benefit. i'm talking about the question on negativity in the campaign (which gave the american people the opportunity to see and hear mccain LIE shamelessly in front of the entire world) and the question of the choice of running mates (which gave the american people the opportunity to see and hear obama act as, dare i say, A MAVERICK apolitical, for not blowing palin out of the water which he could so easily have done). not only did obama show dignity, but he showed class.

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As somebody who disagreed with them in the first two debates, let me say that I think the insta-poll reponders are spot on. I thought the first two debates were a draw while I thought Obama smashed McCain in this one. The pundits may disagree. Whatever. Some will say that McCain put Obama on the defensive more. So? It's how you respond to those attacks. And Obama responded just fine...wonderfully, in fact.

McCain looked disorganized and fumbling. His attacks were ill-timed and uncomfortable. Actually, he looked uncomfortable when he attacked. He listened to the folks on The Corner even though he knew he couldn't pull it off effectively. He inserted the Ayers and ACORN BS at the wrong time. In fact, there was no right time, which is why smarter conservatives were saying he shouldn't go there.

This is a clear Obama win. No doubt. The big question is - between the two guys on your teeveen tonight, who looked and sounded more like a president?

No contest.

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For all his nastiness, McCain does not know how to deliver an attack, he shoots his whole Ayers/Acorn load in one rambling stream-of-consciousness launch, and Obama snatches it from him, explains it to the audience and shoots it all down so smoothly that McCain is left fumbling for a follow-up. What drives the wingnuts crazy is that Obama just doesn't come across like the afro-headed free-Mumia T-shirt wearing black nationalist radical they want the public to see him as. Now they know how liberals felt when Reagan seemed impervious to criticism in the eyes of the majority of Americans

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What's with McCain using Clinton as cover for his Ayers attack?

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I cringed when McCain brought up his buying the mortgages line. Nobody wants to hear that. It is ill-thought out stupidity. Much better to rework the mortgage terms, he probably lost credibility on that one.

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Stan Greenberg in Colorado said the respondents felt Obama "won" and that the results were "more decisive than either of the last two." That's a reference to Greenberg's previouon the favorability ratings. Although the focus group was officially undecided, it leaned towards McCain. Here were the favorability-unfavorability ratings for each candidate at the start:

McCain: 54 favorable / 34 unfavorable

Obama: 42 favorable / 42 unfavorable

Here's what the ratings looked like after the debate:

McCain: 50 favorable / 48 unfavorable

Obama: 72 favorable / 22 unfavorable

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Why doesn't McCain stay away from specifics, he's not sharp enough to take on Obama. He should just say, "You're a crazy Muslim! Just like those fine people said at my wonderful rallies." Then he should smirk and laugh to himself like he just scored the winning touchdown.

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Florida Online Newspaper Polls
by 11:30pm
Palm Beach Post
has 91% Obama won
at 11pm

Orlando Sun Sentinel
Obama 75.9%
McCain 21.4%
as of 11;17pm

Miami Herald
McCain 30%
Obama 69%

Jacksonville Times Union
Obama 52%
McCain 38%

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It was hard to stay in the same room as that anger. I kept thinking "go home old man." And the format was geared to make him as comfortable as possible: sitting for 90 minutes in a comfy chair with a sympathetic moderator and good timing.

Go home old man, we have had enough of your angry seething sputtering. ew

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The chair wasn't comfortable! It didn't have a heating pad or an orthopedic pillow. And where was the warm milk McCain ordered?

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McCain won unsurprisingly in one category, and credit must be given where it is due:
CNN POLL: Who spent more time attacking during the debate?

McCain โ€“ 80%
Obama โ€“ 7%

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That's right you guys! Joe the plumber is goin' to sleep and he's for McCain! Confirmed by MSNBC... Eat that!

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The guy was already McLame's supporter. Why else would he bring his name up if Joe had not been confirmed previously?
Next, the guy just faked that he was going to buy a business earning $250K. How would a plumber's business make more than $250k?
Which company is he going to buy? How much does he have in the savings and how much is he gonna get in loans? How much is the company's worth? How exactly does Joe know the company would make more than $250K a year? In addition to others, these are some of the questions that must be asked before deciding if he were a faker, who sounded Republican the first time when he confronted Obama. You will notice that if you go over the questions that he asked Obama.
The only thing I can say is O got caught off guard, but still handled well.

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I think he handled it great. It's all in good fun. I just love how bizarre it was that they mentioned some random guy 50 times.

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Obama : "Senator McCain, that was a pretty good line about how I should have run against Bush four years ago. . . of course, if you really were the 'maverick' you claim to be then you would have run against him four years ago too. OK, now that we've gotten our 'zingers' out of the way perhaps we can get back to policy. . . ."


(Ohhhh, that would have been sweet! A man can dream, can't he?)

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If he was really a maverick he would have chosen Joe the Plumber as his running mate.

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That was the "angry penguin" at peak performance. There's not much left.

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I thought when McCain started going off on women's "health" as not a viable excuse for a late term abortion that he must be confused and still think he is running for the nomination of the Republican party. The only people he was reaching with this extremism ideology would be the most conservative right of his party who are already voting for him. Somebody should tell McCain that he's in the general election now.

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I don't think "Joe the Plumber"
was a plant, per se, but neither
is unbiased...everything about
him suggests that he was/is a
Republican...not that there's anything
wrong with that, if that's who you are.

But I think McCain knows that, and
that's why he wants the media to
hype the (pre-determined) "verdict"
Joe gives on who he trusts more...

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Where's everyone who said John Lewis was out of line? He was 100% right. And Lewis really threw McCain off his game. McLame still steamed this evening.

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McCain scares me. After watching him tonight I thought he made Palin look like a strong candidate...but not really. They are both shockingly weak and certainly unable to lead during the worse financial crisis since the Great Depression.

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It was so satisfying to watch how PISSED John McCain was about getting outspent by Barack Obama. Throughout my life, Republicans have ALWAYS been able to outspend Democrats, sometimes by as much as 3:1 in the senatorial and congressional elections. Republicans have always had more money to pound out their putrid messages of hate and fear.

Not this time. And it's been because so many people have gotten behind BO's candidacy and been willing to support it. For the first time in history, it's our guy who's got the most money, not the Republican fat cat's guy. We have a candidate we can feel proud of, and we can be proud of our efforts too.

It's not over, 19 days to keep working and keep donating. If we finish this off strong, like our candidate will, on the night of Nov. 4th, we'll be able to raise our glasses and toast President-Elect Obama. God, that will be sweet.

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Well saw the highlights. I agree Obama won but relieved all this nonsense is done. I love the fact hacks like Gregory, Buchanan and Mitchell are rendered powerless by the polls that show who the real winner was.

I watched this in the sand with many fellow troops. Muted reaction from many and others just shrugged. I get the distinct impression most troops as old as me or older lean Mccain and anyone younger Obama. The normal 70/30 spilt will not be the case this time around I see more of a 60/40. Maybe even closer...

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It's funny, John McCain does not look like the more "mature" guy at these debates. Cesar Milan would say, "bring me to your calm assertive leader" - this would be Barack. The fidgety old guy would be eaten by the dogs of his own pack.

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I gots a feeling that McMajorShit will not show up for O's inaugural. Perhaps he'll join W. in cutting brush at the ranch north of Fort Hood [and they can give each other a big hug at 11 a.m. (noon, D.C. time)].

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What in the heck did Josh think he saw? I think Obama was much stronger than last week, during which I was left yawning.

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I don't know how many people watched CNN when they "broke" their poll results.

For the half hour prior to that, the massive group of Talking Heads (must be a dozen) were split between the Repubs like Bennent shilling the Party Line while many of the rest were flashing some of their Tire Swinging habits. They so badly want this to be close down the stretch.

Then Anderson tossed it to Campbell to roll out the Poll. Massive Obama ass stomping.

And you could hear a pin drop.

And the gears grind.

Despite Anderson indicating the 40/30/30 Dem/Rep/Ind split closely mirror the country's 36/26 or so split, you did see people want to cling to 40/30 being favorable to Dems.

Then Anderson tossed in that other networks were were showing similar things, which Gurgen nodded to and Tobin pointed out that CBS had an even bigger gap in favor of Obama. More pin dropping silence as reality slipped into the CNN Spin Room mentality.

After the break and having a chance to recover, Alex was still shilling for McCain, but no one other than the Base is buying the bullshit. He even tried to work the Joe The Plumber storyline.

The they had more internals:

Expressed their views more clearly:
66% Obama
25% McCain

"Wow!"
-Anderson

More time attacking opponent
80% McCain
7% Obama

They had the graphic wrong on that, but Brown read it correctly

Stronger Leader
56% Obama
39% McCain

More Likeable
70% Obama
22% McCain

King, as Nate pointed out on the 538, tried to Tire Swing "skeptisim" that the numbers skewed for the Dems *despite* it already being told to the viewers no less than *three times* that both the Dems and Repubs were above their Country wide numbers by the same %.

No one was quite buying it.

It's like a funeral... to the point of being wonderfully entertaining. :)

John

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I hope the McCain/Palin racists that are bringing stuffed monkeys to the rallies will donate them to homeless shelters for all the children who could appreciate them for what they were meant to produce: happiness instead of hate.

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What in the heck did Josh think he saw? I think Obama was much stronger than last week, during which I was left yawning.

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It's 2:35 a.m. on the east coast and there's no sign of their own polling results on Foxnews.com. CNN has an article about Obama's win. CBS News has an article about Obama's win. Etc.

They must be squirming...what to do...what to do...

Perhaps they will bag election coverage completely and hope for another missing or dead child mystery to sell advertising for them.

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I initially hated these snap polls. But I'm starting to love them. They just keep showing how these so called "expert" analysts know jack shit.

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My major impression...what was McCoCaine juiced up on this time? The guy was jumping out of his skin, and, in between his anger snaps, grinning away like an insane Cheshire cat.

Cortisone maybe? I remember my mum being all bug-eyed on that even when she was really ill. I imagine he is a likely candidate for steroids with all his infirmities.

I really noticed it most at the end when he leapt out of his seat and tried to go around Obama's end of the table, before turning on a dime and racing around the right end.

His gleeful frenzy was only brought to a pause when he had to "hug" Cindy - the disdain he has for Obama meets its match in how much he is repelled by her.

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Would someone please explain to me what the McCain advisors were thinking.

McCain finally has his base (rightward leaning ~40%). He has no way to get the left wing (~40%). The only thing left was the center 20%, and all of the inside numbers in the previous debates said that this middle was turned off by the attacks, didn't care about Ayers stuff, etc., etc.

As Obama's advisors understood, this fall was all about the middle 20%. His challenge was to look cool, calm, and presidential, and he would peel away the middle, one undecided at a time. And he did just that!

But McCain's advisors told him to feed more red meat to the base. He came out in the last debate with more attacks! That just wasn't going to get the majority of that last 20%. What it could cost the repubs is a fillibuster-free senate. If things keep going like they are, heck Mississippi and Georgia senate seats are in play. Who woulda thunk it?

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According to the CNN National Debate poll: 58 percent of all interviewed said Obama won. 31 percent said McCain won.

While 57 percent of Independents say Obama won,31 percent say McCain won 12 percent say draw.

While 88 percent of Democrats say Obama won. Only 68 percent of Republicans say McCain won. That is hard to believe. Do you believe this poll number?

40 percent of debate watchers in the survey were Democrats, 30 percent Republicans, 30 percent Independents. This poll seems to have at least a 10 percent pro Obama poll bias. Do you believe these poll numbers? Do you believe this poll is biased towards Obama? I do.

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Yeah, I don't know which debate these talking heads were watching, but I thought it was one of McCain's worst performances.

Although he did do a fairly convincing impersonation of Travis Bickle.

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no matter how great Obama's doing in the polls, we all need to make sure we continue to work to get him elected. most importantly, we all need to vote and make sure our family & friends vote! take NOTHING FOR GRANTED. let's send him riding into Washington on a tidal wave and show them what a real mandate is! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

http://www.cafepress.com/blackiescorner

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no matter how great Obama's doing in the polls, we all need to make sure we continue to work to get him elected. most importantly, we all need to vote and make sure our family & friends vote! take NOTHING FOR GRANTED. let's send him riding into Washington on a tidal wave and show them what a real mandate is! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

http://www.cafepress.com/blackiescorner

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