the saddleback religious interviews of Obama and McCain

[kjoe]

This is a pretty good format. Plenty of opportunities to say damaging things---very little room to win anything. They flipped a coin---Obama has gone first---made it through 15 minutes with no apparent damage. He listed his wife as one of the three people he trusted most----very subtle dig at McCain, but she has a lot of negatives with these people.

Very slick move on the question of what did you believe ten years ago, that you have changed your mind on. I have been fond of saying Clinton did not much beyond adopting Gingrich's agenda in his second term.

Obama said he had not been very accepting of welfare reform, he did not think it would be successful. He thought the Clinton legislation has been far more successful than he had anticipated---a way of enhancing Bill's legacy which Clinton might have appreciated.

Abortion was covered---don't know if he stepped on a mine.

Which supreme court justice is the worst---Clarence Thomas.

I guess he is a racist.

[kjoe]

This is really good---lots of Obama's trademark stuttering, but pretty good answers.

Define rich. That was a good question. This guy is a really good moderator.

Obama has another 15 minutes to go----I cannot imagine McCain getting through this without saying something that the press will have to give him another pass or two on---

[kjoe]

McCain is answering effectively like Rudy g use tt with noun, verb, 911. For McCain it is noun, verb, I had a military experience that...

Much better audience response---in that building.

[Bleacher Creature]

I don't think it was "by chance" that Obama was "chosen" to go first.

[SKIDOG]

So let me see if I got this straight. A Republican (even if it is McCain) is getting a better response from a building full of evangelicals??? Shocking...

[kjoe]

Sharpest I have ever seen McCain......it is like batting practice......but his answers are all hot air. A sober reminder of just how well that crap goes over.

[AWSmith98]

Is this still on? If so, what channel?

I really like Rick Warren, I don't agree with him on everything theologically, but this sounds like a good format.

[SluSignGuy]

On CNN Now, replays at 2 for those with Tivo/DVR

[kah]

Looks like McGrumpy might have cheated.

[sketch]

It was a good format. It was a debate without talking about the other guy and trying to tit-for-tat the other person on the same question for 30 minutes. And the there were no 'gotch' questions, just let them answer and move on. I think they both did well. McCain is very good in those settings.

It was interesting how their styles differed. Obama treated it like an interview and really spoke to the interviewer, very intimate. McCain talked to the crowd and went for more tag lines.

McCain really needs to stop complaining about the vacation taking, do nothing congress. I know it is very rovian to boldly attack that which you can be attacked on (e.g., Kerry was a fake soldier), but really he has been in Congress for 30 years.

It seems to have been conventional wisdom that Obama will beat him in debates, but I don't buy it. He way well win the factual debate, but his style is subtle. Subtle doesn't play well on TV. If McCain gets the 'Bush treatment', of low expectations, I will be very annoyed.

[Schwahalala]

Looks like McGrumpy might have cheated.

I'd move that possibility up some.

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/08/did-mccains-campaign-just-confirm.html

[Box & Won]

"A cone of silence." Interesting.

Kinda reminds me of "I'm trapped in a glass case of emotion."

[kennyboyerfan]

I didn' see any of it. I'm assuming Obama won.

[Schwahalala]

I didn' see any of it. I'm assuming Obama won.

Wrong -

The Chinese judge gave the Chinese gymnast a 10 - even we he fell.

[kjoe]

I take mcCain at his word---he did not cheat on this. He won within the narow context of the audience, and the talking heads on radio and tv, but he painted himself as an extremist by his attack on the supreme court. That will be lasting. His rah rah belligerance on foreign affairs will have a deteriorating effect as people pay closer attention.

The part which was missed by almost everyone will be caught by schoolteachers. Mccain is weak, condescending and naive about education, and as school begins, women will pick up on this. The percentage of women's vote won by Obama will be recordbreaking.