http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/91909
Who Won the Debate? by Mike Krumboltz
October 16, 2008 06:24:52 AM
The experts said this was John McCain's last best chance to turn the tide.
The election has been going Barack Obama's way, and his republican rival needed
a big win in the third and final debate. Did Sen. McCain get it? The polls say
one thing, but do the pundits agree?
The Polls
According to a national poll that CNN conducted after the debate, 58% of people
felt Barack Obama won the debate, while 31% felt that John McCain performed
better. The poll also indicates that the majority of people polled felt Obama
would do a better job on the economy, health care, and taxes. Additionally,
those polled felt Obama was more likable and the stronger leader.
While CNN's poll suggests an Obama landslide, the folks at Politico have
different results. According to an "exclusive survey" of undecided voters, 49%
of folks felt Sen. Obama won, while 46% believed Sen. McCain could claim
victory. Politico notes that the 3-point difference is within the poll's margin
of error.
CBS News conducted its own poll of uncommitted voters and found that Barack
Obama won the third debate by a wide margin: 53% believed that Sen. Obama was
stronger while 22% sided with Sen. McCain. A full 25% thought it was too close
to call. It wasn't all bad news for McCain, though. According to the poll, more
uncommitted voters trust the Arizona senator to handle a crisis.
The Pundits
ABC analyst (and former Bill Clinton aide) George Stephanopoulos wrote that
this was McCain's best effort, but that Obama was still the victor.
Stephanopoulous credited Obama's ability to stay cool and not grow exasperated
during his opponent's attacks.
Fox News asked a collection of in-house experts who won the debate, and the
opinions were...well...fair and balanced. Some felt that McCain was feisty (in
a good way) and proved that he is ready for a fight. Others believed that
McCain didn't score the huge hit he needed to stop Obama's momentum.
Time's Mark Halperin graded both candidates on style, substance, offense, and
defense. The columnist felt Obama did well (he earned a "B"), but that McCain
bested him in all areas. The Maverick scored an A-.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1850933,00.html
Grading the Final Presidential Debate By Mark Halperin / Hempstead,
N.Y. Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2008
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama speaks during the third
presidential debate with Republican candidate John McCain at Hofstra University
October 15, 2008
Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Obama
Substance:
Intelligent, knowledgeable, and an earnest explainer, as always, but to no
real effect. Though he conveyed a general sense of his agenda, he did so
without bothering to fight ardently for his case.
Grade: B
Style:
Appeared tired and irritable, and bore the ills of a poor make-up job. While
initially seeming distracted and even resentful of the evening's activity, he
eventually realized he needed to step up his game, and became more
conversational and involved. Recovered after the rocky start to avoid anything
transformative for his opponent. Grade: B-
Offense:
Rarely went after McCain, and when he did, was indirect and often too vague.
Grade: C+
Defense:
Unrattled by frequent McCain attacks, but a little peevish in addressing the
allegations tossed his way. He strained to defend his positions on health care
and taxes and failed to express a fully-formed alternative explanation. Relying
on polling data to excuse himself for the campaign's negative tone and
implicitly for going back on his word on campaign financing, he seemed
indifferent towards the recent mutual harsh words, placing the blame firmly
with his opposition.
Grade: B+
During the first half of the debate, the Democratic nominee too often
displayed his worst traitspetty, aloof, imperiousand behaved as if he had
some place better to be, although he became warmer and more engaged as the
evening progressed. He did not seem to have an explicit strategy, answering the
questions piecemeal as they came his way, without driving a message or even a
theme. He retained his consistently unflappable air, and had a few fine
moments. If he was sitting on his lead, it workedbut perhaps at the expense of
relinquishing part of it.
Overall grade: B
McCain
Substance:
Avoided the policy weeds, as usual, but sounded more engaged on his economic
program, presenting a clear, thematic argument. He was also good on climate
change, trade, taxes, and spending. It was an impressive performance from a
politician who is generally more comfortable offering broad statements and
displaying his compelling personality, than focusing on detail and nitty-gritty.
Grade: A-
Style
For forty minutes, he was cogent, friendly, and yet sharp when he needed to
be. Well aware of the stakes and his underdog circumstance, he worked hard to
hit all his marks. Showed genuine empathy about the ramifications of the
battered economy, small business struggles, and even childhood obesity. But he
lost points during the second half of the session by falling back on the
awkward, cranky tics that have marred his earlier performances.
Grade: B+
Offense:
Hit Obama again and again, almost always with authority and command rather
than desperation. Repeatedly steered the evening's discussion to a plumber
named Joe who talked about taxes with Obama during a recent campaign eventand
scored points. He deftly used opposition research on Obama's record, and did so
far more effectively than in the first two debates. Skillfully attacked his
opponent for not keeping his word on campaign financing and for refusing to
hold joint town meetings. At times, though, he became too agitated and lost
focus, particularly when he raised the Ayers matterstill a negative bridge too
far for many.
Grade: A-
Defense:
Dramatically proclaimed "I am not President Bush" with toughness and clarity,
in one of the few true "moments" in any of the debatesthe tangible ripple of
reaction from the (albeit silent) crowd signaled that the video clip will be
replayed many times.
Grade: A-
During the first half of the debate, the Republican nominee showed off the
best of himselfdedicated, sincere, patriotic, cheery, earnest, commandingall
without seeming old or anxious. He even scored some points in the "change"
category, against the candidate who has owned the theme. He was also clear,
upbeat, and totally on message. To his detriment, however, he became more
aggressive and distracted during the second half, and perhaps lost a chance for
the truly dramatic event he needs to change the game. Still, if a silent
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.
Overall Grade: A-
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/debate.poll/index.html
Poll: Debate watchers say Obama wins
By Paul Steinhauser
CNN Deputy Political Director
HEMPSTEAD, New York (CNN) -- A majority of debate watchers think Sen. Barack
Obama won the third and final presidential debate, according to a national poll
conducted right afterward.
Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain debate face to face Wednesday
night.
Fifty-eight percent of debate watchers questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research
Corp. poll said Democratic candidate Obama did the best job in the debate, with
31 percent saying Republican Sen. John McCain performed best.
The poll also suggests that debate watchers' favorable opinion of Obama rose
slightly during the debate, from 63 percent at the start to 66 percent at the
end. The poll indicates that McCain's favorables dropped slightly, from 51
percent to 49 percent.
The economy was the dominant issue of the debate, and 59 percent of debate
watchers polled said Obama would do a better job handling the economy, 24
points ahead of McCain.
During the debate, McCain attacked Obama's stance on taxes, accusing Obama of
seeking tax increases that would "spread the wealth around." But by 15 points,
56 percent to 41 percent, debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better
job on taxes. By a 2-1 margin, 62 percent to 31 percent, debate watchers said
Obama would do a better job on health care.
Sixty-six percent of debate watchers said Obama more clearly expressed his
views, with 25 percent saying McCain was more clear about his views.
By 23 points, those polled said Obama was the stronger leader during the
debate. By 48 points, they said Obama was more likeable. Watch entire debate:
Part 1 » | Part 2 » | Part 3 »
McCain won in two categories. Eighty percent of debate watchers polled said
McCain spent more time attacking his opponent, with seven percent saying Obama
was more on the attack. Fifty-four percent said McCain seemed more like a
typical politician during the debate, with 35 percent saying Obama acted more
like a typical politician.
"Independents tend to prefer debates that are dominated by substance and
light on discussion of personal characteristics," said Keating Holland, CNN
polling director. "The perception that McCain attacked Obama gave red meat to
GOP partisans, but it probably didn't help McCain with independents."
"There was a notable gender gap as well," Holland said. "Women thought Obama
won the debate by a 62 percent to 28 percent margin. Among men, Obama's lead
was narrower, 54 percent to 35 percent in Obama's favor."
During the debate, McCain demanded to know the full extent of Obama's
relationship with William Ayers, a 1960s radical. But the poll suggests that
line of attack may not resonate with Americans. Fifty-one percent of debate
watchers said Obama's connection to Ayers didn't matter at all to them, with 23
percent saying it mattered a great deal.
The audience for the debate poll appeared to be a bit more Democratic -- and
a bit more Republican -- than the U.S. population as a whole. Forty percent of
debate watchers in the survey were Democrats and 30 percent Republicans.
CNN's estimate of the number of Democrats in the voting age population as a
whole indicates the sample is about 3 to 4 points more Democratic than the
population as a whole, but also about 2 to 3 points more Republican than the
population as a whole.
Eighty-eight percent of Democrats questioned in the poll said Obama did the
best job, with 68 percent of Republicans saying McCain performed best. Among
independents, 57 percent said Obama did the best job, with 31 percent backing
McCain as the winner of the debate.
The candidates first debated in Oxford, Mississippi, on September 26.
Fifty-one percent of debate watchers polled by CNN and the Opinion Research
Corp. said Obama won that debate, with 38 percent saying McCain performed best.
The second presidential debate was held in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 7
and 54 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama won, compared with 30
percent who said McCain did the best job.
The running mates, Democratic Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware and Republican Gov.
Sarah Palin of Alaska faced off in Saint Louis, Missouri, in the single vice
presidential debate October 2. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers polled said
Biden won, and 36 percent said Palin won.
The post-debate polls do not reflect the views of all Americans. They only
represent the views of people who watched the debates.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone Wednesday
night, with 620 adult Americans who watched the debate questioned. The survey's
sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
