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.
Discussion:
Booman Tribune, TPM Election Central, FiveThirtyEight.com, Democratic Strategist, NewsBusters.org, NDN Blog, Group News Blog, Balloon Juice, Jules Crittenden, All Spin Zone, The Peking Duck, Donklephant, Taylor Marsh, The RBC, Washington Post, Informed Comment, Oliver Willis, No More Mister Nice Blog, TalkLeft and Gallup
RELATED:
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:
Discussion:
Agence France Presse, Pajamas Media, Gateway Pundit, Connecting.the.Dots, Corrente, Althouse, Shakesville, ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES, Wonkette, NewsBusters.org, TalkLeft, Townhall.com, ProgressiveAccountability.org, Liberal Values, Eschaton, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Media Blog, Michelle Malkin, PrestoPundit and Sister Toldjah
CNN:
Round 1 in debates goes to Obama, poll says — OXFORD, Mississippi (CNN) — A national poll of people who watched the first presidential debate suggests that Barack Obama came out on top, but there was overwhelming agreement that both Obama and John McCain would be able to handle the job of president if elected.
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 …
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Why Voters Thought Obama Won — TPM has the internals of the CNN poll of debate-watchers, which had Obama winning overall by a margin of 51-38. The poll suggests that Obama is opening up a gap on connectedness, while closing a gap on readiness. — Specifically, by a 62-32 margin …
Discussion:
Time, Ross Douthat, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, MyDD and New York Times
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
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, The Mahablog, Buck Naked Politics, Pam's House Blend, Firedoglake, Outside The Beltway and TPM Election Central
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 …
TPM Election Central:Initial Polls Show Obama Winning The Debate
Discussion:
MyDD, Washington Monthly, The Daily Dish, Washington Wire, Democratic Strategist, Spin Cycle and Donklephant
Felix Salmon / Portfolio:McCain's Economics — Don't ask me who won the debate in terms …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly
Marc Ambinder:CBS News / Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Washington Monthly, The Huffington Post, PR Newswire, TheZoo, AMERICAblog News, Daily Kos, MyDD, Off the Kuff and The Democratic Daily
Roger Simon / The Politico:
The Mac is back — John McCain was very lucky that he decided to show up for the first presidential debate in Oxford, Miss., Friday night. Because he gave one of his strongest debate performances ever. — While Barack Obama repeatedly tried to link McCain to the very unpopular George W. Bush …
Discussion:
Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, Guardian, The Campaign Spot, Salon, Washington Post and Pajamas Media
RELATED:
Michelle Malkin:Debate video: Obama can't remember the soldier's name on his bracelet
Discussion:
Confederate Yankee, Guardian, NewsBusters.org, The Strata-Sphere, Wizbang, Ed Driscoll.com, Tales from the Trail and Don Surber
PR Newswire:
Newman's Own Foundation Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Paul Newman — Remembering the life and legacy of Paul Newman, Newman's Own Foundation has issued a statement. The statement, from Vice-Chairman Robert Forrester, follows: — “Paul Newman's craft was acting. His passion was racing.
Discussion:
Associated Press, Maggie's Farm, culturekitchen, JammieWearingFool and Outside The Beltway
RELATED:
CNN:
Paul Newman dies at 83 — (CNN) — Paul Newman, the legendary actor whose steely blue eyes, good-humored charm and advocacy of worthy causes made him one of the most renowned figures in American arts, has died of cancer at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83.
Jonah Goldberg / The Corner:
The SNL Skit & Focus Groups — It's hard to guess what, exactly, the SNL skit will look like. I think the press is congealing around the (erroneous) idea that Obama won precisely because that's what the focus groups seem to be saying, or at least what the focus groups are saying allows …
The New Republic:
They both lost tonight. We can go back and forth about whether McCain's anecdotes were more intimate or whether Obama's jabs were snappier. But beyond stylistic differences in the personalities they project from behind the podium (McCain's the weary parent, Obama's the sharp young know-it-all) …
RELATED:
Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
“Horses**t” — Yep: McCain clearly swore twice when challenged by Obama on his disdain for the Spanish prime minister. You can hear him cuss Obama out at around the 4:30 mark in this video. A little taste of what most of his fellow senators have had to listen to for the last two decades.
John Podhoretz / Commentary:
More Post-Debate Thoughts — The other spin line being dropped tonight is that Obama, by not losing, won because foreign policy is not his issue; he had to look like a credible commander-in-chief and he succeeded. Obama did not hurt himself during this debate, it's true …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
SO ANGRY — McCain's unwillingness to make eye contact with Obama through the debate seems to be getting picked up by a lot of observers. Here's an interesting exchange on the subject between Chris Matthews and the Post's Eugene Robinson ... Here's one comment we got from TPM Reader EO ...
Alessandra Stanley / New York Times:
Beyond Ideology, a Generational Clash — One candidate cited Churchill and Eisenhower, and described George Shultz, who served in Ronald Reagan's cabinet, as a “great secretary of state.” — The other promised anxious voters a federal budget that could be examined on a “Google for government” …
Discussion:
The Huffington Post
Tom Shales / Washington Post:
McCain's High Horse Meets Obama's High-Mindedness — John McCain wore the more presidential tie — that much can be said for him — but Barack Obama displayed the more presidential temperament, or the kind of demeanor people presumably would want in a president, when the two candidates met …
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
BIDEN — Pretty measured debate, but on hammering McCain Biden was on fire ...
Time Edit / Swampland:
What Sayeth the Undecideds? — From TIME's Amy Sullivan: — Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg ran a dial-group with 45 undecided voters in St. Louis during the debate, polling them before and after to judge how the event changed their reactions to Obama and McCain.
Senior Data Journalist, NY — 
Manager - Publishing Editorial, Manila — 
Oil Reporter, Singapore — 
Newsperson - State Govt. & Politics, CA — 
Business Reporter, SC — 
State Government Reporter, WA — 
Climate Crisis Columnist — 
Multimedia Journalist, CA — 
Community Engagement Mgr., DC — 
Senior California Politics Reporter, CA — 
Staff Writer - Business, NY — 
Team Editor - Opinion, ON — 
Assistant Correspondent, DC — 
Climate & Weather Reporter, MN — 
Senior Tech Editor, Remote US — 
Lead Business Reporter, TN — 
Managing Editor, WA — 
Private Credit Reporter, NY — 
Trending News Reporter, TX — 
City Correspondent, London — 
Legislative Reporter, CA — 
Reporter, PA — 
Visual Editor, Remote — 
Staff Writer, MI — 
Senior Political Reporter, DC — 
California Playbook Writer, CA — 
National Investigative Reporter, NY — 
Business & Gaming Reporter, NV — 
Coastal Climate Reporter, SC — 
Environment & Energy Reporter, CT — 
Coordinating Editor, OR — 
Editor, Remote US — 
Business Reporter, WA — 
Editor-in-Chief, AZ — 
