Top Items:
Marc Ambinder:
The Score Card — Keeping the score card, there's no way Obama could fared worse. Nearly 45 minutes of relentless political scrutiny from the ABC anchors and from Hillary Clinton, followed by an issues-and-answers session in which his anger carried over and sort of neutered him.
Discussion:
MSNBC, Hot Air, PunditGuy, A NEWT ONE, GINA COBB, Weekly Standard Blog, Spin Cycle and JustOneMinute
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Greg Mitchell / The Huffington Post:
The Debate: A Shameful Night for the U.S. Media — In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia.
ABCNEWS:
Clinton, Obama Find ‘Brotherly Love’ at Philly Debate — For Clinton, Obama Last Chance to Settle Scores Before Pennsylvania Primary — Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama opened Wednesday's presidential debate on a point of accord: neither would answer head-on whether they'd be willing to name the other as vice president.
Discussion:
Commentary, Buck Naked Politics, Political Machine, MyDD, Pandagon, The RBC and The Daily Dish
Sam Boyd / American Prospect:
THESE QUESTIONS ARE A DISGRACE. — A woman asks if Obama “believes in the American flag” because he doesn't wear a flag pin. — Charlie Gibson says that questions about the flag are “all over the internet” — along with Pamela Anderson's sex tape, cats with bad grammar, and Rick Astley.
Greg Mitchell / Editor and Publisher:
Clinton-Obama Debate: ABC Decides Top Issues Facing Americans Are Gaffes, Flag Pins and '60s Radicals — NEW YORK In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly …
Senator Hillary Clinton / New York Times:
Democratic Debate in Philadelphia — The following is a transcript of the Democratic debate in Philadelphia, as provided by the Federal News Service. — PARTICIPANTS: — SENATOR BARACK OBAMA — MODERATORS: — LOCATION: THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER, PHILADELPHIA
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Fall-Out — I agree largely with Ambers: … It was a lifeless, exhausted, drained and dreary Obama we saw tonight. I've seen it before when he is tired, but this was his worst performance yet on national television. He seemed crushed and unable to react.
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Live-Blogging Pennsylvania — 9.51 pm. The big winner is John McCain. Then Clinton who seemed at least awake. Then Obama whose calm was nonetheless trumped by obvious exhaustion. Yes, the Clintons have shredded him. But that's what they know how to do. It's also what the GOP knows how to do.
Discussion:
Firedoglake, AMERICAblog, protein wisdom, Perfunction, Marc Ambinder, Viking Pundit and Commentary
New York Times:
Clinton Uses Sharp Attacks in Tense Debate — PHILADELPHIA — Senator Barack Obama found himself consistently on the defensive as he and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton met Wednesday night in a tense debate that left him parrying questions and criticism on issues including values …
Jonathan Cohn / The New Republic:
Sorry, Charlie: You're Wrong on the Cap Gains Tax — Charlie Gibson really hammered the candidates—both candidates—over their proposals to raise the capital gains tax. Why woudl they do that, he asked, when lowering the cap gains tax during the 1990s raised revenue?
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The ABC News “Freak Show” — If you are any guide, this was a debacle for the network. One reader: … Another: … Another: … How many debate moderators actually get booed on live television? That's how bad it was. Another: … Stephanopoulos was schooled in Morris-Rove politics.
The Huffington Post:
Hillary Clinton On Southern Working Class Whites In 1995: “Screw 'Em” — During the past week, Sen. Hillary Clinton has presented herself as a working class populist, the politician in touch with small town sentiments, compared to the elitism of her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama.
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Hindrocket / Power Line:
HAMAS ENDORSES OBAMA — On Sunday, Aaron Klein and John Batchelor interviewed Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to the Prime Minister of Hamas, on WABC radio. The interview produced a scoop which, for some reason, has not been widely publicized: Hamas has endorsed Barack Obama for President.
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Mosheh Oinounou / Cameron's Corner:
A Hamas problem for Obama? — While Sen. Barack Obama sought to improve his relationship with the Jewish community today by meeting with leaders Philadelphia, comments by a Hamas political adviser this weekend could potentially hurt the Democratic presidential candidate.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Hot Air, A NEWT ONE, Commentary, Jihad Watch, Jules Crittenden and Redstate
Mark Hemingway / The Corner:
And the winner is... ...McCain by a landslide! A reader writes in: … That jibes with my impression of the debate. My prediction? The debate will be received so badly there will be increased pressure to kick Hillary out of the race. But since Obama was clearly the worse of the two in the debate …
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Digby / Firedoglake:
Who Will Tell The People? — (Please send a letter to the editor of your local paper, telling them to get the word out about Bush approving torture — jh) — This ad, which will play in Pennsylvania after the presidential debate tonight, courtesy Condi Must Go
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