Top Items:
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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Marc Ambinder:
CBS News / Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama — According to CBS News / Knowledge Networks' poll of undecided voters:
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
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 New Republic, The Moderate Voice, Eunomia, Taylor Marsh, The Mahablog, Jac and Daily Kos
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:
‘McCain is right’ — The McCain campaign is up with a very fast YouTube on Obama's repeated assents to things McCain said.
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 …
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 …
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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:
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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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.
Discussion:
All Spin Zone, Washington Post, TPM Election Central, Needlenose, The New Republic, Taylor Marsh, MyDD and The Democratic Daily
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:
Group News Blog
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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John Aravosis / AMERICAblog News:
House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO): McCain “stopped a deal” yesterday at the White House — House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) was just interviewed by Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC, and he told Mitchell that McCain killed the deal yesterday at the White House:
Discussion:
Think Progress, The Reaction, The New Republic, BAGnewsNotes, Minnesota Independent and USA Today
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Michelle Malkin:
Debate video: Obama can't remember the soldier's name on his bracelet — I mentioned this in my liveblog and wrap-up posts: Barack Obama's cringe-inducing “Me, too” moment with his troop bracelet -given to him by the mother of a soldier whose name he can't remember without having to look down and read it.
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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.
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.
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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. …
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.
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.
Discussion:
Matthew Yglesias
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.
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).
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