[cherry]

it made Bamey look silly and disrespectful and McCain presidential....all well and good for Bamey if he was going for the silly and disrespectful look.

[Harry Wurzbach]

It either came across as condescending and rude, or as a young junior Senator from Illinois trying to act as though one of the lions of the Senate should pay him heed.

[Truthsearcher]

It’s standard tactic for the left. Kerry always called GWB “George Bush” and never “President Bush”, and it’s always “Ms. Palin” and not “Gov. Palin”, Obmama is just adopting the same tactics.

[Snurple]

Lancey, I had my doubts but I think it will work out fine.

[Lancey Howard]

By the way, as I recall it was Clinton's friend Harry Thomasson who scripted Clinton's TV response at the beginning of the Lewinsky scandal and he later said that he was surprised that Clinton had ad libbed the "that woman" part. So that phrase was Clinton all the way. He was the one who knew he was a dirty old man and he was sure everybody else would draw the same conclusion unless he got out in front of it.

[eyedigress]

Obama was trying to pretend he was in the same grade as Senator McCain with that approach. It didn’t work.

[LaineyDee]

My take on this is that B.O. lost it early...becoming shrill and defensive....then tried to regroup too late in the "game" of "let's get under your skin by calling you John". He also lost his train of thought several times and overcorrected by using agreement tactics....that didn't come off well.

Just goes to show......you really can't get by with on-the-job training....and bluff your way to the top. He's a house of cards.

[Lancey Howard]

This stuff will only get a guy so far...

[eggman]

At one point I heard Obama call him Tom. Oops. No, it didn't help Obama one bit.

Right before the debate started Brit Hume said Barack had been working to shorten up his answers. I jokingly said to my wife "if Obama removes all of the ums his answers will be very short". That part he managed to do pretty well.

[Boucheau]

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

[LucyJo]

"I also find it telling that the Obama campaign figured that the "John" tactic was needed in the first place. Obviously, the campaign believes there is a "stature gap" that must be overcome."

Bingo. But, Senator McCain addressed him as Senator Obama, showing that he has more class and humility in his little finger than Obama has in his whole body.

I think it will backfire on Obama, because even most, who don't particularly like or agree with McCain politically, respect his genuine love and service to our country - excepting those like Obama, Ayers, et al, of course.

Such posturing only emphasizes the contrast in knowledge and experience between two men who would become the most powerful person in a volatile and dangerous world.

It is difficult to imagine that type of attitude going over well with world leaders who are also older and more experienced than Obama. There is quite a difference between self-confidence and arrogance. McCain displays the former (he has earned it), and Obama the latter.

[berdie]

Sadly, it wont’t matter what was said or not said.

Media is the mistress.

[neb52]

I’m a stickler for propriety. So “Senator McCain” is what he should of use since this was a formal public setting.

[meyer]

Quick freeper poll: Does anybody think this tactic worked?

I hadn't noticed, so no, I don't think it worked. Was it supposed to get McCain 'rattled'? Well, he wasn't. The "talking over" trick didn't work out so well for Obambi either.

[TN4Liberty]

I wonder if this gimick will continue into the VP debates. Biden can call Gov Palin “Sarah” and she can call Senator Biden “Plugs”.

[Shqipo]

He did call him “Tom” once, so he flubbed even in this.

[SlapHappyPappy]

I think this:

Supporters of McCain will say it didn’t work.
Supporters of Obama will say it did.
The undecided didn’t really notice unless someone pointed it out.