Yeah, he nailed it and I think he knows it just about right here.
McHappy! I felt exactly the same way at the end! Cindy looks rather pleased, I must say.
In the happy zone.
I’d say one of these couples is pleased with tonight’s result, the other is not.
UPDATE:
Woo hoo! McCain did beautifully. It was especially terrific to see that arrogant smirk of Obama’s melt away after about 20 minutes. Great stuff. The Live Chat was excellent as usual, and now feel free to use Comments as your debate Open Thread.
A big Thank You to Senator McCain and his family for doing such a good job for us tonight.
My assessment? McCain’s performance immediately quashes the fears of some that McCain didn’t have the fire-in-the-belly. A lot of people had begun to by the MSM spin that McCain was done. It’s clear now he is not. With that myth finished, the next 18 days have never been more important. The ACORN election fraud scandal will get bigger, McCain will continue to hit Ayers, and needs an ad on Joe the Plumber, while repeatedly reminding people about the Pelosi/Reid/Obama machine and their responsibility for promoting and protecting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
I will remind you again of Giuliani’s admonition that Republicans don’t win polls, they win elections. This is far, far, from over and Senator Government knows it. Why do you think he’s spending $3 million for his primetime television a few days before the election? He still thinks you’ll vote for a celebrity with an infomercial. He’ll find out on November you’re bitter and clingy enough to say “no sale.”
REACTION UPDATE:
Hugh Hewitt notes “A very good night for John McCain overall. Obama had a chance to end the campaign tonight, but just the opposite happened. Obama was in the prevent defense mode, and McCain moved the ball a long way down the field.
Don’t expect any of the Establishment Media to admit McCain won this debate handily, but it was so good even they can’t ignore it. From Time Magazine:
Obviously the most interesting debate so far, and John McCain’s best. For long stretches McCain seemed relaxed and comfortable. He shaped the conversation, putting Barack Obama on the defensive. Most importantly, McCain got under Obama’s skin at several points. Those broad Obama smiles are charming, but they break his super-level-headed mystique. If Obama’s job was to be unflappable, he found himself flapped at several points during the night.”
At the end they still couldn’t help themselves and declared this debate “not a game-changer.” Inferring, as all the MSM is, that Obama has already won and that November 4th must be some weird going-through-the-motions thing.
Confederate Yankee summarizes the debate in two sentences.
Whew…here early enough…hope to get in this time!
Do we have a link to the chat room?
I guess I missed the link. I like how Obama just managed to move his top middle class tax bracket from $250,000 to $200,000 per year.
Skeptic, remember how Clinto promised a tax-break that dissapeared just before inaguration?
BTW, I found the perfect chair for Obama to use in the oval office should some unfortunate accident occour and he be elected.
http://tinyurl.com/3jp2f
Look through his gallery to find the carved wooden “suit-chair” and notice it’s empty. (Sorry, I don’t have an image hosting account.)
I liked that he brought up “Joe the Plumber” and reinforced the “spread the wealth around”. I hope it makes many Undecideds and Independents think twice about voting for Obama.
When Obama did the 95% thing, I really really wish McCain had corrected him – most of those people don’t pay because they don’t make enough. Tax break doesn’t count unless you are paying! But he didn’t. Ah well.
I like that he brought up Ayres even if he isn’t as vociferous about it as the rest of us.
I like that he called Obama out on the negative campaigning his doing, including the Lewis statement that Obama did not repudiate and the fact that McCain, whether we agree with him or not, repudiates things he thinks are wrong. Even if you don’t agree, it appears he has some kind of moral compass and thinks there are boundaries. Obama apparently doesn’t.
I thought it was generally a good exchange, especially because they were talking to one another and following up. It was a better format than the last one.
Whether this changes anything in the polls, I don’t know. But I’m reminded that I was biting my nails in 2004 because Bush was down and historically I know other future Presidents were done. So I’m encouraged to believe that McCain/Palin will win. Now that’s HOPE!
Last thought – I love that McCain pointed out that he was NOT George Bush! That was a great part of the exchange.
Night all!
I enjoyed the chat tonight. Joe the plumber is a good example of why we don’t want a Obama presidency.
SKEPTIC…I noticed the new figure too. McCain did well; loved that he pointed out that he is not George Bush. Go Joe the plumber…we are him.
Will we be having additional chats after tonight? It is nice to exchange thoughts with others who enjoy politics. Unfortunately we are in the minority , most who vote do for their selfish reasons instead of what is best for us as a nation. Country First! If all put country first McCain wins hands down. Thanks again Tammy for this chat.
Joe the Plumber won the debate. And “Senator Government” is the sound-bite of the night.
I thought McCain did well but his effort seemed to be under-appreciated by the media. That shouldn’t surprise, or disappoint me but I’d enjoy a rave review for our team … just once in this election cycle. I do have *one* question. WHERE does Frank Luntz get those people for his study groups?
Dave, I logged in specifically to ask Tammy if we could officially change The One’s nickname to “Senator Government.” Never was there a more appropriate slip of the tongue.
Senator Government is a deceiving, manipulating deflector on a level I’ve never seen in real life. Not even Bill Clinton. At least with Clinton you could see some honesty eeking through. Not so with this one.
Post-debate weirdness is rampant. I watched the Katie Courice focus group and they were all positive about McCain, even the ones not leaning towards him. Then I see the Luntz dunces.
Marlee, I have your answer. ACORN.
4 more years?
A continuation of the same old?
Give me 200 more years of that same old Founding Fathers stuff
and
none of that “I’m not like those other guys on the dollar bills” stuff.
Out with the corruption not the Constitution.
“Senator Government” — too funny. I hope Joe the plumber gets a lot of air-play. Love you Tammy. Keep us all focussed on what really matters!
Joe the plumber on Huckabee on Saturday. FYI
McCain’s best debate performance but I don’t think it was enough to make the sale to the undecideds. Obama gave a polished performance as usual.
The RNCC is pulling money away from new recruit races to shore up incumbents. The DNCC is outspending 10:1.
Could be trouble ahead if McCain doesn’t rev it up.
I couldn’t watch tonight, watching rehash now. Sounds like J Mc. did well.
Pat S, don’t forget that turnout is very important as well. The McCain/NoBama/Vote for Palin coalition has to be energized to turn out in record numbers. If they stay at home, the flaky undecided carry much more weight. Fraud, mainstream media, and circumstance are against us.
I found this on Politico tonight, a rather long read, but worth it to see just where Obama got some of his ideas: http://tinyurl.com/42mckp
Of course the McCain bashing comes first, but farther down the article, I found:
“On Monday, Obama told a crowd in hard-hit Toledo, Ohio, that he wanted to impose a 90-day freeze on foreclosures by banks that partake in the $700 billion rescue plan.
When Clinton proposed a package that contained a similar measure in January, Obama nixed it. At the time, his staff posted news stories denouncing the freeze on his campaign Web site, including a Fortune magazine story that tagged it “perhaps the dumbest solution to the current mortgage mess.â€
So he was against it before he adopted……..
Thanks, Tammy for hosting the chat!
Very proud of the McCainster tonight. What I don’t understand is reports that some feel Obama “won.” I still feel like I know nothing about Obama’s plans. “Change, just change” blah blah blah. McCain actually pointed out his theories and plans. Did Obama…well, say anything? And my favorite was when Obama was answering about Roe V. Wade and then for some reason went into a personal rant about the woman who was suing over being paid less than a man. Uhh…what’s thath have to do with abortion?
I missed the debate as I was working night shift at BP in Oregon, Ohio (no I did not get to see Senator Govt. while he stayed here). It is 4:30 AM and with 1 hr to go on my shift I checked my e-mail and Yahoo’s take, which was that Obama was unshaken and there for Mc lost. Go figure.
I just watched Stephaine Cutter, Michelle Obamas Chief of Staff on Fox & Friends and she was shaking and almost in tears attempting to defend B. Hussein in response to the debate. Now that’s desperation. I think she may have to be medicated after the interview.
John showed us what we have been asking of him in this debate and as Tammy states he must expose the Pelosi/Reid/Obama trio of corruption, big spending and lies incessantly.
The enemy is desperate. They are the ones who should pack up and get the hell out of town.
John did much better but still stopped short of closing the deal. He still let O off the hook way too much.
“I like how Obama just managed to move his top middle class tax bracket from $250,000 to $200,000 per year.”
I believe it’s $250,000 for COUPLES and $200,00 for single. At ANY rate, it’s just plain wrong. O may not mind paying more taxes but I’ll wager most of America WILL mind.
O played prevent defense, nothing new, same irritatingly old talking points.
“We NEED to….” I assume “we”= government. WE the People is now changed to WE the Government, big brother IS all that…….sickening.
Does ANYONE know more about O after these debates?
We DO know John …”said it to his face”.
I loved McCain tonight! He did an excellent job. And for Obama – well…lies, lies and more lies. That was “operation cover-it-all-up”!
I’m so happy for McCain. I loved what he said about Biden and his whacko-idea to turn Iraq into 3 countries. It was great.
I loved what McCain said about Obama’s obsession with saying “Bush”. Obama just says Bush’s name all the time as a deterrant, to throw people off, and keep them from being able to see he’s made of bull****. But we know he is and what he’s all about 🙂
Thanks again, Tammy, for the chatroom last night.
I was rather surprised to see so many on Fox (Krauthammer, Kristol, Barnes, Hume) all thinking this was a great night for Obama. I was stunned also when they said the debate was a draw. WTF? Then, I remembered this is roughly the very same panel that was acting like Bush was losing the night of election 2004.
McCain did what we wanted him to do. He did a great job and though some things could have been hit harder or more revealed (in terms of those responsible for the economic mess), he did what we asked. This was the first time Obama was publicly taken to task and challenged. He simply rambled on – talking an awful lot without saying a damn thing – whereas McCain was very articulate and passionate.
Last week, I pointed out how much I can’t stand The Undecideds. It’s sad the election hinges on an element that does not know the differences between McCain and Obama at this point. Absolutely pathetic display. These people should be ashamed of showing their faces on national tv – instead, they are rewarded with Luntz taking them seriously and giving them their 15 minutes.
Well, here in Obama Union Hell Toledo, Joe the plumber is the Republican hero. Hope he gets more business……I know I’ll look him up.
Obama acted like a babeball manager who was sitting on his lead, knowing his hitters can’t hit the other teams pitchers, should they gain the lead.
Of course I meant BASEBALL manager but I suppose the photo that opened on the home page got me flustered.
Obama’s scowl and supercilious scolding has worn thin along with his “uh” and his inability to actually open his eyes and connect with the TV or his debate opponent.