Top Items:
BuzzFeed:
How Mitt Romney Won The First Debate — By standing on the stage with the president as an equal. — Image by Rick Wilking / Reuters — Mitt Romney, trailing in the polls, needed to prove tonight that he could stand on stage with President Barack Obama as an equal and a plausible president of the United States.
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
Live-Blogging The First Presidential Debate 2012 — 10.31 pm. Look: you know how much I love the guy, and you know how much of a high information viewer I am, and I can see the logic of some of Obama's meandering, weak, professorial arguments. But this was a disaster for the president …
Discussion:
Democracy in America, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, The Daily Beast, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Belmont Club and Joe. My. God.
BuzzFeed:
Chris Matthews Unloads On Obama: “Where Was Obama Tonight...What Was He Doing?” — Chris Matthews Unloads On Obama's Debate Performance — “Where was Obama tonight? What was he doing?” — Andrew Kaczynski — a half hour ago — 10 responses
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Scared Monkeys and The PJ Tatler
John Hinderaker / Power Line:
It's Over — I've been watching presidential debates for quite a few years, but I have never seen one like this. It wasn't a TKO, it was a knockout. Mitt Romney was in control from the beginning. He was the alpha male, while Barack Obama was weak, hesitant, stuttering, often apologetic.
Discussion:
National Review
Mike Flynn / BREITBART.COM:
POLITICO: ROMNEY UP 4 IN ‘TOSS UP’ STATES — This week, Politico released its latest Battleground poll of the presidential race. Despite coming from the left-wing news site, the poll is one of my favorites. Its put together by respected pollsters from both parties, makes available …
Discussion:
The Gateway Pundit, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The PJ Tatler and NationalJournal.com
Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Romney wins; Update: CBS insta-poll shows decisive Romney victory; Update: Romney crushes Obama in CNN insta-poll — I said in the open thread that the media would strain to spin this as an Obama victory, but I assumed that he'd give them something, however small, to work with. He gave them nothing.
Discussion:
The Spectacle Blog, Bookworm Room, Say Anything and Ballot Box
Ellen Carmichael / Twitchy:
Undecided voters in focus group swing sharply toward Romney; Frank Luntz: 'I've never seen anything like this'; CBS post-debate poll shows big win for Romney … Tonight, pollster Frank Luntz assembled a focus group consisting of undecided Colorado voters. By the end of tonight's debate …
Discussion:
Michelle Malkin
CNN:
CNN Poll: Most watchers say Romney debate winner — Denver, Colorado (CNN) - Two-thirds of people who watched the first presidential debate think that Republican nominee Mitt Romney won the showdown, according to a nationwide poll conducted Wednesday night.
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, National Review, Hit & Run, Conservatives4Palin and Taylor Marsh
Bobby Cervantes / Politico:
A Mitt Romney rebound? — Maybe there are second chances in presidential campaigns. — And Mitt Romney's could just be on the horizon, but any potential comeback will be triggered largely by whether he can turn the first debate tonight in his favor. — According to Mike Allen's Playbook …
Discussion:
CNN, Riehl World News, Daily Kos and Mother Jones
Robert Kuttner / American Prospect:
First Round to Romney — Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, and President Barack Obama, right, debate at the University of Denver, Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012, in Denver. — How could Barack Obama have been so feeble a debater?
Discussion:
New York Magazine and Lawyers, Guns & Money
Mark Finkelstein / NewsBusters.org blogs:
Dem Debate Meltdown: Stumbling Obama Surrogate Speaks Of ‘President Romney’ — How resounding was Mitt Romney's rout of Barack Obama tonight? In the post-debate spin room, a hopelessly muddled Martin O'Malley, Dem guv from Maryland and supposedly an Obama surrogate, wound up referring to “President Romney”!
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Obama fails to mention Bain, ‘47 percent’
Obama fails to mention Bain, ‘47 percent’
Discussion:
Politico and Weekly Standard
Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
Romney addresses Obama, Obama addresses Lehrer at first debate
Romney addresses Obama, Obama addresses Lehrer at first debate
Discussion:
Reuters
Russell Goldman / ABCNEWS:
Obama and Romney Clash in First Debate
Obama and Romney Clash in First Debate
Discussion:
Politico and Riehl World News
Richard Adams / Guardian:
US presidential debate: Obama and Romney meet in first contest - live
US presidential debate: Obama and Romney meet in first contest - live
Discussion:
Balloon Juice and The Mahablog
CNN:
Conservative media coordinates on release of old Obama video — (CNN) - On the eve of the first presidential debate, conservative media outlets seized on footage of a five-year-old, widely covered speech by then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, who argued at the time that the federal …
Discussion:
Politico, The Moderate Voice, Doug Ross, Balloon Juice, The Reaction and The Spectacle Blog
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Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:
The Decline And Fall Of Tucker Carlson
The Decline And Fall Of Tucker Carlson
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Daily Beast, Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters.org blogs and The Atlantic Online
David Weigel / Slate:
About That New, Secret Obama Tape...
About That New, Secret Obama Tape...
Discussion:
Fox News, Mediaite, p m carpenter's commentary, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Outside the Beltway and Politico
Brian Beutler / Talking Points Memo:
Romney Backs Away From Own Tax Plan — At the first presidential debate in Colorado Wednesday night, former Gov. Mitt Romney disputed a central criticism of his tax reform plan — and appeared to disavow one of its central features. — Responding to President Obama's description of Romney's proposal …
Discussion:
The New Republic
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Rebecca Berg / BuzzFeed:
Akin's Campaign Stands By Claim Of Abortions On Women Who “Are Not Actually Pregnant” — Cites “ample evidence” of doctors deceiving women into thinking they're pregnant. Another detour in to women's health in the still-competitive Missouri race. — Image by Jeff Roberson / AP
Discussion:
Slate, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Daily Kos, Gawker, Little Green Footballs, The Raw Story, Outside the Beltway and The Maddow Blog
RELATED:
Annie-Rose Strasser / ThinkProgress:
In 2008, Akin Claimed Women ‘Who Are Not Actually Pregnant’ Get Abortions
In 2008, Akin Claimed Women ‘Who Are Not Actually Pregnant’ Get Abortions
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, The Daily Beast and Gawker
Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:
Drudge — For years, I was a big reader of Drudge. Was never a fan of Drudge, though I recognized his entrepreneurial acumen. In fact, I despised most everything that he stood for, from rancid politics to integrity free journalism, the endless lying. But I visited the site ALL THE TIME.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars and The Moderate Voice
M.L. Nestel / The Daily:
Restaurant worker goes wide-eyed for Mitt at Denver Chipotle — The eyes have it for Marty Arps, right, as he meets Mitt Romney at a Chipotle restaurant in Denver. — Call the Secret Service, Mitt Romney just got photo-bombed. — A restaurant manager at a Chipotle in Denver …
Discussion:
The Impolitic, Mediaite, Election 2012, Gawker, Towleroad News #gay and Business Insider
Kristen Graham / Philly.com:
Philly teacher: Student's Romney T-shirt like wearing a KKK sheet — Last Friday was dress-down day at Charles Carroll High School in Port Richmond — a day for students to leave their uniforms at home and wear whatever they liked. — One young woman chose to wear a shirt showing her support …
Discussion:
Fox News, Weasel Zippers, Politico and nation.foxnews.com
Michael Birnbaum / Washington Post:
Sensitive documents left behind at American mission in Libya — BENGHAZI, Libya — More than three weeks after attacks in this city killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, sensitive documents remained only loosely secured in the remains of the U.S. mission here on Wednesday …
ABCNEWS:
Fact Checking the Presidential Debate in Denver — Here's a look at some of the facts thrown around during the debate. We found some facts, some fictions, some not quite facts and some mostly fictions. — red not quite fact fact fiction ribbon blog 640x100 Fact Checking the Presidential Debate in Denver
Discussion:
Weekly Standard and The Daily Beast
Telegraph:
Al-Qaeda blamed for Europe-wide forest fires — Al-Qaeda has been blamed for a recent series of forest fires across Europe, as the head of Russia's Federal Security Service claimed they were set by arsonists as part of the group's low-cost attack strategy. — “One should note that setting fires …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers and Atlas Shrugs
Vanity Fair:
Exclusive: President Obama Considered Putting Osama bin Laden on Trial if Taken Alive … In an adaptation from his new book, The Finish—first reported for Vanity Fair—magazine contributing editor Mark Bowden reveals that President Obama intended to put Osama bin Laden on trial …
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, Mediaite, The Raw Story, AEIdeas, Washington Examiner and The PJ Tatler
Marisa Guthrie / Hollywood Reporter:
MSNBC President Phil Griffin on Whom He'd Poach From Fox News and Why Obama Avoids the Network (Q&A) — “We are not going to do an easy interview, and President Obama knows it,” he says. — Like many political junkies, Phil Griffin starts his day with Morning Joe, which he watches while running three miles on the treadmill.
Discussion:
Mediaite and Politico, more at Mediagazer »
BuzzFeed:
Restless Romney Braces For High-Stakes Debate — A sleepless night in Denver. — Image by Brian Snyder / Reuters — DENVER, Colo. — The Romney campaign is spending the hours ahead of Wednesday night's high-stakes presidential debate going through all the traditional motions …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, New York Magazine, Gawker, Little Green Footballs and Daily Kos
Benjy Sarlin / Talking Points Memo:
Polls Show Romney's 47 Percent Moment Breaking Through, 'You Didn't Build That' Fizzling — Mitt Romney's remarks decrying about half of Americans as “victims” are hurting him with at least as many voters, according to a mounting body of evidence. — The latest WSJ/NBC poll read respondents …
Discussion:
Washington Post, The Maddow Blog, Election 2012, The Daily Dish and The Atlantic Online
nbcconnecticut.com:
State Supreme Court Tosses Sex Assault Conviction — The state Supreme Court has thrown out the conviction of a Bridgeport man who was found guilty of sexually assaulting a severely handicapped woman. — Justices ruled, 4-3, that despite evidence that the 26-year-old woman cannot speak …
Discussion:
Wonkette, The Raw Story and Jammie Wearing Fools