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Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Poll Results Suggest More Uncommitted Voters Saw Obama As Debate Winner — UPDATED WITH NEAR-FINAL NUMBERS CBS News and Knowledge Networks conducted a nationally representative poll of approximately 500 uncommitted voters reacting to the debate in the minutes after it happened.
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Stephen F. Hayes / Weekly Standard:
TWS Exclusive: Kissinger Unhappy About Obama — Henry Kissinger believes Barack Obama misstated his views on diplomacy with US adversaries and is not happy about being mischaracterized. He says: “Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage …
Discussion:
www.redstate.com, The Moderate Voice, CNN, Hot Air, Lonewacko, Wizbang, Gateway Pundit, TIME.com and NewsBusters.org
CNN:
Transcript of presidential debate — WASHINGTON (CNN ) — Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama debated on the campus of the University of Mississippi Friday night. The moderator for the debate was Jim Lehrer of the NewsHour on PBS. What follows is the full transcript of the debate:
Marc Ambinder:
CBS News / Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama — According to CBS News / Knowledge Networks' poll of undecided voters:
Mark Halperin / TIME.com:
Excerpts of Mark Halperin's Report Cards for the First Presidential Debate — Obama — Substance: His arguments were hard to follow at the beginning, but he found his voice as the debate progressed, although he never seemed fully in control of his message... If he truly knows more about the world …
The New Republic:
Focus Groups, Undecideds For Obama — For what it's worth: The Frank Luntz and Stanley Greenberg focus groups went overwhelmingly for Obama. And a CBS poll of undecideds went for Obama 40%-22%. Update : The CNN polls goes to Barack, 51%-38%. — Isaac Chotiner
Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
INITIAL REACTION: OBAMA WINS ON POINTS.... I'll have a more thought out reaction to the debate in the morning, but my insta-reaction was that Obama had the edge, on points. — I think a lot of observers go into a debate like this waiting for a knock-out blow, along the lines of a “You're no Jack Kennedy” moment.
Think Progress:
Presidential Debate Live-Blogging — 11:47: CNN's Roland Martin's reaction to the debate: “John McCain, how dare you come and give a debate and you don't even say the word ‘middle class.’” — 11:35: Fox pollster Frank Luntz's focus group showed that a majority was “moved” by Obama's performance.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Eunomia, The Huffington Post, The New Republic, Taylor Marsh, The Mahablog and Jac
Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
The reporters and the polls — The mild consensus in the press file was that McCain won, if not in particularly dramatic fashion. The two insta-polls out — from CBS and CNN — found the opposite: That Obama won by a wide margin. CBS had it 39% to 25% for Obama, CNN 51% to 38%.
The Politico:
GOP concerned about Palin — A growing number of Republicans are expressing concern about Sarah Palin's uneven — and sometimes downright awkward — performances in her limited media appearances. — Conservative columnists Kathleen Parker, a former Palin supporter, says the vice presidential nominee should step aside.
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Kathryn Jean Lopez / National Review:
Free Sarah Palin! — I absolutely refuse to watch another Sarah Palin interview. — It's not because I don't like the lady and don't want to hear what she has to say. In fact, it's exactly the opposite. It's because I want to hear what she's about and what she believes in and that's why I won't listen anymore.
Alexander Mooney / CNN:Palin should step down, conservative commentator says
Discussion:
National Review, Riehl World View, Group News Blog, The World Newser and Colorado Independent
Chris Cillizza / Washington Post:
McCain Wins Debate — Although the fate of tonight's presidential debate in Mississippi remains very much up in the air, John McCain has apparently already won it — if you believe an Internet ad an astute reader spotted next to this piece in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal this morning.
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Open Left, MoJoBlog, Weekly Standard, The Politico, WJHL-TV, The New Republic, TheZoo, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, News Hounds, Jules Crittenden, techPresident, Minnesota Independent, Colorado Independent, The Gun Toting Liberal, Salon, New York Times, Tom Watson, The Roanoke Times and Guardian
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The Huffington Post:
Ex-Adviser: McCain “Blinked,” Campaign “Governed By Tactics, Not Ideology” — Scroll down to see McCain ad... After days of saying that John McCain would not attend Friday's presidential debate unless an agreement on a bailout package for the markets was “locked-down,” the McCain campaign has gone back on its word.
The Huffington Post:
Sarah Palin's Beauty Pageant Swimsuit Competition Footage (VIDEO) — Sarah Palin's 1984 beauty pageant swimsuit competition video has hit the web. An Alaskan has uploaded what he claims to be 100% real footage of Sarah Palin in a red tank suit in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest.
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
‘McCain is right’ — The McCain campaign is up with a very fast YouTube on Obama's repeated assents to things McCain said.
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
LIVE FIRST PREZ DEBATE BLOGGING — 9:06 PM ... Wait, didn't McCain just say that he got the House Republicans to take part in the negotiations when he seemed to lead them out of the negotiations? — 9:11 PM ... Interesting the degree to which, so far, neither Obama or McCain want to engage each other.
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Matthew Yglesias
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Judd Legum / The Huffington Post:
Ignore The Pundits: How To Figure Out Who Won The Debate — There were 23 debates during the Democratic primary and part of my job on the Hillary campaign was to monitor the post-debate reaction in the media. I watched hundreds of self-described political experts instantly declare who won and who lost.
Marc Ambinder:
The Rumble In Oxford: First Thoughts: — No memorable moments. — Fascinating body language. — No major gaffes by either candidates. — No major surprises. — Experience v. judgment — A good debate for both men. — The big policy news: McCain floated an across-the-board spending freeze (with a few exceptions).
Michelle Malkin:
Who won? — I'm giving it to McCain — and you know I'm a tough grader on him. — He was slow out of the gate — a broken record on earmarks and spending — but Obama failed to turn the bailout debacle against him. McCain hit his stride in the second half, schooling Obama on counterinsurgency …
Discussion:
Stop The ACLU
Ezra Klein / American Prospect:
DEBATE LIVEBLOGGING. — 10:37: Final statements. McCain says Obama is unready. Obama says his father came from Kenya and loved America and its values. That basically encapsulates the debate. — 10:34: More Bill Schneider: “McCain almost certainly misspoke when he said he wouldn't speak with Spain …
CNN:
Evangelist arrested in child porn case — (CNN) — Evangelist Tony Alamo was arrested Thursday in Flagstaff, Arizona, on charges related to a child porn investigation, an FBI spokesman said. — The 74-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries was arrested without incident at 2:45 p.m. …
Steven Mufson / Washington Post:
Gas Shortage In the South Creates Panic, Long Lines — If Drivers Can Fill Up, They Get Sticker Shock — Gasoline shortages hit towns across the southeastern United States this week, sparking panic buying, long lines and high prices at stations from the small towns of northeast Alabama …
Washington Wire:
Ku Klux Klan Members Plan to Appear at Presidential Debate Site — Corey Dade reports from Oxford, Miss., on the presidential race. — When the University of Mississippi hosts the first presidential debate tonight, the two sides of its troubled racial history could converge.
Discussion:
Think Progress
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Live-Blogging Ole Miss — 10.31 pm. It strikes me as a mistake for McCain to end the debate on his commitment to staying in Iraq indefinitely. Obama's emphasis on the broader global conflict and our broader responsibilities will reach more people. His vision seems broader, wiser, and more focused on ordinary people.
Discussion:
Vodkapundit
Paul Reiser / The Huffington Post:
Obama Underwhelms, McCain Patronizes — Well, for the first few minutes of the debate it was like watching a bad Dr. Phil show. “That was great — now I want you to turn around and say what you just said, but now say it to him. Let him hear you.” — It was well intentioned but goofy …
Megan McArdle:
Morally bankrupt — I cannot address all the patently untrue things that McCain and Obama are saying, but I must protest when Barack Obama claims that people are going bankrupt because of health expenses. There is no evidence to suggest that this is a widespread phenomenon.
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