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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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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:
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:
Hot Air, CNN, www.redstate.com, Lonewacko, Wizbang, The Moderate Voice, Gateway Pundit, TIME.com and NewsBusters.org
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
Marc Ambinder:
CBS News / Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama — According to CBS News / Knowledge Networks' poll of undecided voters:
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, The Huffington Post, The New Republic, Taylor Marsh, The Mahablog, Jac and Matthew Yglesias
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.
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%.
Marisa Katz / Washington Post:
The Debate: The All-Important Grumpiness Factor — Here's the politically incorrect way of phrasing one of the central questions about tonight's presidential debate: Did John McCain come across as too much of a grumpy old man? — That might not be a nice question, but it's an important one.
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).
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.
Michelle Malkin:Debate video: Obama can't remember the soldier's name on his bracelet
Discussion:
Guardian, Weekly Standard, Tales from the Trail, NewsBusters.org, The Strata-Sphere and Ed Driscoll.com
Daniel Larison / Eunomia:Liveblogging Absurdity — Friday, September 26th in politics by Daniel Larison
Discussion:
Weekly Standard, The Huffington Post, Newshoggers.com, Buck Naked Politics, Crunchy Con and Balloon Juice
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.
Discussion:
CNN, Eunomia, National Review, Patterico's Pontifications, Taylor Marsh and The Anonymous Liberal
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Kathryn Jean Lopez / National Review:Free Sarah Palin!
Discussion:
Buck Naked Politics, James Fallows, The Caucus, Crooks and Liars, The Corner and Grasping Reality …
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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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.
Discussion:
Tales from the Trail, Open Left, MoJoBlog, WJHL-TV, TheZoo, News Hounds, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, Minnesota Independent, Weekly Standard, techPresident, Jules Crittenden, The New Republic, Colorado Independent, The Gun Toting Liberal, Tom Watson, Guardian, Salon, The Roanoke Times, Harry's Place, The Reaction, The Field on the Narcosphere, Comments from Left Field, New York Times, Political Machine and BobGeiger.com
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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.
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
McCain Seems To Have Upper Hand, But No Real Game Changers — John McCain seemed to be the candidate on the offensive tonight in some key exchanges, and the economic meltdown didn't prevent the debate from being mostly about national security — turf favorable to McCain, at least tonight.
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
As predicted, the “Sen. McCain is right” video — I said it would come before the stroke of midnight — it actually arrives before the debate is even over.
Discussion:
The New Republic
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. …
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 …
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