ABC News' George Stephanopoulos: "I think the fact that John McCain was able to make Joe Wurzelbacher a character in this campaign, I'll bet you we're going to see him in campaign ads starting tomorrow, shows that, why this was his best debate so far. He was able to set the agenda on a lot of issues like taxes, especially with Joe Wurzelbacher." (ABC News' "Vote 08: The Final Debate," 10/15/08)
The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: "HUGE moment for McCain. Slams Obama for comparing him to Bush. VERY savvy. AND, he looked directly at Obama." (Chris Cillizza, "The Fix Twitters The Final Debate!"www.washingtonpost.com, 10/15/08)
Cillizza: "McCain with a break from Bush Administration -- 'disappointed' with Paulson's approach on financial crisis." (Chris Cillizza, "The Fix Twitters The Final Debate!" www.washingtonpost.com, 10/15/08)
Cillizza: "McCain has done well for himself so far -- kept Obama on defense." (Chris Cillizza, "The Fix Twitters The Final Debate!" www.washingtonpost.com, 10/15/08)
The Politico's Jonathan Martin: "John McCain creates an instant headline with some of his firmest language yet to distance himself from President Bush. 'Sen. Obama, I am not President Bush,' McCain said, in a line clearly in his pocket. 'If you wanted to run against President Bush you should have run four years ago. I will take this country in a new direction.'" (Jonathan Martin, "Your Morning Lede (So Far)" www.politico.com, 10/15/08)
National Review's Jim Geraghty: "McCain's best line so far: 'Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago.'" (Jim Geraghty, "If You Wanted To Run Against President Bush, You Should Have Run Four Years Ago," www.nationalreview.com, 10/15/08)
MSNBC's Pat Buchanan: "I do believe that this was John McCain's best campaign. I think he clearly won it on points. It was his best performance. He was intense and ideological and he's appealing to the base, clearly."(MSNBC's "Post Debate Analysis," 10/15/08)
Buchanan: "Joe the plumber gives round one to McCain on points!" (Pat Buchanan, "Buchanan And Maddow: Live Debate Commentary," firstread.msnbc.com, 10/15/08)
Buchanan: "McCain much more aggressive and specific, and more compassionate on John Lewis, issues of ACORN and Ayer." (Pat Buchanan, "Buchanan And Maddow: Live Debate Commentary," firstread.msnbc.com, 10/15/08)
Los Angeles Times: "McCain again shows that he came into this debate more focused and more disciplined than in the past ones." (Don Frederick and Kate Linthicum, "Live Blogging The Final Barack Obama And John McCain Debate,"latimesblogs.latimes.com, 10/15/08)
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "McCain's doing well on the issues..." (Marc Ambinder, "Live Blogging The Final Debate," The Atlantic's "Marc Ambinder" Blog, marcambinder.theatlantic.com, 10/15/08)
Commentary's John Podhoretz: "Good zinger from McCain; Obama mentions he wants Warren Buffett to pay more taxes and McCain says we're talking about Joe the Plumber, not Warren Buffett." (John Podhoretz, "Warren Buffett Vs. Joe The Plumber," Commentary's "Contentions" Blog, www.commentarymagazine.com, 10/15/08)
Commentary's Jennifer Rubin: "McCain says sure he's qualified but then points out his record of bad ideas. Digs at his 'cockamamie' idea about dividing Iraq. Maybe his best answer." (Jennifer Rubin, "Joe Biden," Commentary's "Contentions" Blog, www.commentarymagazine.com, 10/15/08)
National Review's Mark R. Levin: "I am impressed with McCain tonight. Obama is off his game, as they say." (Mark R. Levin, "A Different Debate," National Review's "The Corner" Blog, corner.nationalreview.com, 10/15/08)
Levin: "McCain came ready tonight, he has Obama resorting to his stump speech answers and a bit unnerved, IMHO. And for the most part, he is not letting Obama get away with his endless dissembling." (Mark R. Levin, "Ready. Set...," National Review's "The Corner" Blog, corner.nationalreview.com, 10/15/08)
"McCain Has Best Debate Yet In Final Face-Off," With "Aggressive, Assertive" Performance
Time's Mark Halperin: "McCain has best debate yet in final face-off. ... McCain: A- ..." (Mark Halperin, "Enough (!)(?)" TIME's "The Page" Blog, thepage.time.com, 10/15/08)
Halperin: "During the first half of the debate, showed off the best of himself -- dedicated, sincere, patriotic, cheery, earnest, commanding--all without seeming old or anxious. Even scored some points in the 'change' category, against the candidate who has owned the theme. Clear, upbeat, and totally on message." (Mark Halperin, "Mark Halperin's Grades For The Final Presidential Debate," TIME's "The Page" Blog, thepage.time.com, 10/15/08)
Halperin: "[I]f a majority of persuadable voters watched the debate, they saw why McCain's advisers have faith in him and still believe he can win this race." (Mark Halperin, "Mark Halperin's Grades For The Final Presidential Debate," TIME's "The Page" Blog, thepage.time.com, 10/15/08)
CNN's John King: "It was by far McCain's best performance of the three debates. ... It was by far McCain's most aggressive, assertive." (CNN, 10/15/08)
The Associated Press' Liz Sidoti: "John McCain Kept Barack Obama On The Defensive ... By That Measure, McCain Won The Last Debate Of The 2008 Campaign." "This time, John McCain kept Barack Obama on the defensive. The feisty Republican tried hard to find a lifeline Wednesday night, challenging his Democratic rival at every turn over his truthfulness, associations and record. By that measure, McCain won the last debate of the 2008 campaign." (Liz Sidoti, "McCain Puts Obama On The Defensive," The Associated Press, 10/15/08)
MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell: "I thought John McCain had a very strong night. I thought it was his best debate, clearly." (MSNBC's "Post Debate Analysis," 10/15/08)
Former Clinton White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers: "I thought it was a stronger night for McCain, though, than the last debate, and he got in some licks, like the one that Dan was talking about where he said you know, if you wanted to run against George Bush you should have run four years ago. I think he brought up Joe The Plumber and used that quite effectively for most of the times he brought it up, which was a lot of times. So a stronger performance from McCain." (CBS's "Presidential Debate," 10/15/08)
CNN's Candy Crowley: "I would agree this was not Obama's best debate." (CNN, 10/15/08)
CNN's Gloria Borger: "John McCain finally got to say tonight I am not George W. Bush. ... That was his best line. That's the line he has been waiting to say." (CNN, 10/15/08)
CNN's David Gergen: "I thought that McCain had the best start than he's had in any debate. The first 30 minutes I thought he excelled, I thought he played very well to his base. Obama started to look, I thought, flat." (CNN, 10/15/08)
"McCain Has Done Much Of What He Needed To Do Tonight" "he Was Aggressive. He Was Strong. He Was On Offense."
ABC News' Rick Klein: "My sense is that McCain has done much of what he needed to do tonight..." (Rick Klein, "Live Debate Blog," ABC News' "Live Debate" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 10/15/08)
Klein: "The 'long line of McCains' remark a slightly emotional, and probably effective, close." (Rick Klein, "Live Debate Blog," ABC News' "Live Debate" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 10/15/08)
Fox News' Charles Krauthammer: "I thought McCain was feisty and tough." (Fox News' "On The Record," 10/15/08)
ABC News' Charlie Gibson: "It was interesting -- my only thought, when he said that, first of all, very good line." (ABC News' "Vote 08: The Final Debate," 10/15/08)
The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: "McCain's best line of attack in this debate: Obama talks about bipartisanship but doesn't get it done." (Chris Cillizza, "The Fix Twitters The Final Debate!" The Washington Post's "The Fix" Blog, www.washingtonpost.com, 10/15/08)
CNN's Bill Bennett: "Well remember last time I said I didn't think that McCain broke through. I think he did this time. He had a very strong debate." (CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," 10/15/08)
Great post on responses to debate! I’ll ping people to it in a moment.
One FReeper wrote:
“Yeah, but is anybody talking about this today other than in places such as this site?”
I think he, like many others, got caught up in the spin grinder. Even FoxNews might have spun against McCain. But that is probably a deliberate calculation by FN to keep this campaign exciting. I think FoxNews realizes that BO is in for a world of hurt, so they’re giving him one last ‘hurrah’:
‘Obama Surprise to Break Next Week’ [FoxNews]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2106412/posts
You may think this campaign is over, but mark my words — it is not yet peaked. Obama is in trouble right now.
Way to go 1035rep!
Great debate analysis quotes:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2106449/posts?page=6712#6712
And any good lefty reporter would add, "But, all that said, it is obvious obama won this debate."
I’m sorry I missed your post, FRiend.