August 2006 Weddings
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So... What's the consensus?

As if there's a consensus!?

I can't bear to go to E08, so what'd you all think?

I actually thought Obama should have been much, much stronger. While I agreed with every word he said, I'm afraid McCain's, "Obama just doesn't understand," BULLSH!T, will ring clear with middle America. That was clearly his strategy (or was it a tactic?) and I'm afraid it worked.?

BabyFruit Ticker

Re: So... What's the consensus?

  • I think Obama won b/c McCain didn't clearly knock it out of the park and this was his topic to home run with. Obama sounded strong and sure and very presidential next to a man who is extremely presidential.
  • In my drunken, biased opinion, Obama seemed much more coherent. There were at least 3 times where I honestly had no clue what McCain was trying to say. I'm pretty sure alcohol is not to blame for 2 of those times. DH and I had to pause the TV to discuss and figure it out.
  • The consensus is don't go on E08!  The crazies are out in full force tonight (plus some great posters, of course, stuck in the mix.)

     On the debate, I would call it a tie.  McCain clearly trumps Obama's experience but I think referring to events 20 years ago perhaps dated him a little bit and to me (biased as I am), the "he doesn't understand" talking point  came off as condescending. CNN's viewer reaction tracker said those sorts of jabs by McCain resonated negatively with independents.  I think Obama held his own, and that's sufficient for this debate. 

    image
  • I thought economics was a wash, and McCain blew him away on foreign policy.
  • I feel like it was a draw...maybe Obama slightly ahead.  I felt like Obama held his own and I agree, MsV, the "Obama clearly doesn't get it..." line was BS.
  • I think Obama did well in the beginning, but then McCain cleaned up in the end.  The smiling and talking over that Obama did at the end did not help him in.the.least, imo.  So, I would say a slight win for McCain.  I also think he will do better than expected on the economy debate, It will be interesting.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • First 41 minutes go to Obama, who I've said over and over is damn lucky the economy blew up this week to get him that 41 minutes. ?Because the rest of the debate, the foreign policy part, McCain showed a level of finesse that Obama just can't match, no matter how much he studies (not that Obama did badly, per se, McCain just knows his shit backward and forward).

    I'd like to see McCain stronger on economic issues before the economy debate though. ?He needs to get away from earmarks. ?I was just waiting for Obama to make a great point about what a tiny tiny percentage of the federal budget those are. ?He said it, but I felt like the way he said it was't very effective. ?If I were an Obama handler, we'd be coming up with good language on that.?

    7/21/2007 :)

    imageimageimage



    Deductive reasoning isn't a conservative or liberal attribute. ~epphd
  • imagecarolina00:

    CNN's viewer reaction tracker said those sorts of jabs by McCain resonated negatively with independents.? I think Obama held his own, and that's sufficient for this debate. ?

    Gosh I'm glad to hear that. I cringed every time he said it.?

    BabyFruit Ticker
  • imageMrs.vtjaime:
    imagecarolina00:

    CNN's viewer reaction tracker said those sorts of jabs by McCain resonated negatively with independents.  I think Obama held his own, and that's sufficient for this debate.  

    Gosh I'm glad to hear that. I cringed every time he said it. 

    Me too. I specifically enjoyed the reaction to the obvious pandering re: Sen. Kennedy at the very beginning.

     

  • Carolina - did you see anything about the methodology they were using on that dial tracker? ?How many respondents and what was the question they were dialing based on? ?DH wouldn't let me watch on CNN because it would be too distracting with all those tickers, so I missed it!
    7/21/2007 :)

    imageimageimage



    Deductive reasoning isn't a conservative or liberal attribute. ~epphd
  • I also noticed that the independents pretty much stayed in line with the Dems all night long on CNN's little tracker. A verrrrrry good sign for Dems.
  • imageyeah4me:
    Carolina - did you see anything about the methodology they were using on that dial tracker?  How many respondents and what was the question they were dialing based on?  DH wouldn't let me watch on CNN because it would be too distracting with all those tickers, so I missed it!

    I didn't, unfortunately. I only turned on the debate right at 9 PM, and I assume they explained it earlier.  I was wondering about the methodology myself.  I hoped CNN's website might explain, but I haven't found any info.

    image
  • Ok, I'll come out and say it. Putting my bias aside, I honestly think Obama won. They both had their moments (both good and bad) but overall, Obama made more sense than McCain did. Judging by the reactions by both the independents and the Republicans on the CNN thing, I think my own reaction was fairly correct.
  • As a McCain supporter I actually thought Obama did better especially on the economy. McCain did get better on the foreign policy.

    DH who is independent and still undecided feels it was a draw.

  • My thoughts on dial testing (and I've run several of these sessions):

    It looks sexy to have second-by-second (usually every 1/8 or 1/16th of a second) data, but your have to ask yourself how tuned in someone could possibly be to stay at that level of attention and dial second by second for 100 minutes. ?In the beginning, you get hyper-movement in the line. ?Then people tune out and you have to remind them to keep dialing. ?The times when you do this can have a huge (and biasing) impact on the data you get.

    Dial testing is great data for a political commercial, but few people have the attention span to provide reliable data for the period of time required for a debate.

    Also it looks like CNN's sample was 11 people in each group, for those who were wondering.

    7/21/2007 :)

    imageimageimage



    Deductive reasoning isn't a conservative or liberal attribute. ~epphd
  • imageyeah4me:

    My thoughts on dial testing (and I've run several of these sessions):

    It looks sexy to have second-by-second (usually every 1/8 or 1/16th of a second) data, but your have to ask yourself how tuned in someone could possibly be to stay at that level of attention and dial second by second for 100 minutes.  In the beginning, you get hyper-movement in the line.  Then people tune out and you have to remind them to keep dialing.  The times when you do this can have a huge (and biasing) impact on the data you get.

    Dial testing is great data for a political commercial, but few people have the attention span to provide reliable data for the period of time required for a debate.

    Also it looks like CNN's sample was 11 people in each group, for those who were wondering.

    Wow -- what an informed and useful post.  Thanks!

    You must now, however, post at least three inflammatory posts to compensate because the tone is way too high and civil on this board now.  Potential topics are "Abortion is a sin," "McCain is a doddering old fool," or "Obama is a terrorist-loving idiot."  I will fulfill my E08 duty by posting something inflammatory in return.  :)

    image
  • Potential topics are "Abortion is a sin," "McCain is a doddering old fool," or "Obama is a terrorist-loving idiot." 

    How DARE you Carolina!!!  McCain was a POW.  I should throw the pointy end of my flag pin at you.Wink

  • imageKateAggie:

    Potential topics are "Abortion is a sin," "McCain is a doddering old fool," or "Obama is a terrorist-loving idiot."?

    How DARE you Carolina!!!? McCain was a POW.? I should throw the pointy end of my flag pin at you.Wink

    Tsk, tsk, tsk Kate. McCain was notably MISSING his flag pin tonight. Great patriot? I THINK NOT.?

    BabyFruit Ticker
  • I'd say tie, because there were far too many vagueries and generalizations from  both sides. But my opinion could be alcohol-induced as well.Embarrassed
  • imageMrs.vtjaime:
    imageKateAggie:

    Potential topics are "Abortion is a sin," "McCain is a doddering old fool," or "Obama is a terrorist-loving idiot." 

    How DARE you Carolina!!!  McCain was a POW.  I should throw the pointy end of my flag pin at you.Wink

    Tsk, tsk, tsk Kate. McCain was notably MISSING his flag pin tonight. Great patriot? I THINK NOT. 

    He has one permanently imbedded in his chest.  Did you want him to do the debate shirtess?

  • imageswimbikepuke:
    And is anyone else bothered by the fact that McCain can't pronounce Ahmadinejad?  And I'm not talking about the part where he stumbled over it.  Anyone could do that.  It's a mouthful.  I'm talking about the part where he evidently thinks there's a "k" in there somewhere.  I've heard Palin say this, too.

    Yes... very much so.

    Side note: the fact that I can pronounce it correctly is the only reason DH puts up with my celebrity gossip obsession.

  • I'm late to this post but I think Obama won the economic part and McCain won the foreign policy part. So I guess that makes it a tie?

    I fully agree with McCain's plans on the economy and I think Obama's are assbackwards, so for me Obama did not win b/c his ideas were better. He just won this section of the debate b/c McCain did not defend his own ideas well enough or point out the failings of Obama's. They were throwing numbers at each other and basically didn't go anywhere. I thought McCain should have explained his role in this week's events. I'm not sure why he didn't - maybe b/c it's not done yet, I don't know. He needs to discuss it in the next one.?

    On foreign policy, there is no question McCain won that section. Obama looked like a lightweight next to McCain and it's not just b/c he's thinner ; ) His answers only concerned the last handful of years. McCain brought out examples that went back to WW2. He was more informed and showed he had a greater depth and breadth of knowledge and experience. I think he answered all of Obama's charges (I was trying to mentally keep track of that) and got Obama to agree with him multiple times. So that's why I say he won that.?

  • imageswimbikepuke:
    And is anyone else bothered by the fact that McCain can't pronounce Ahmadinejad?  And I'm not talking about the part where he stumbled over it.  Anyone could do that.  It's a mouthful.  I'm talking about the part where he evidently thinks there's a "k" in there somewhere.  I've heard Palin say this, too.

    For some reason I found the part where he stumbled over it really endearing.

  • So interesting to read these thoughts.

    My husband and I were the opposite of everyone here.  We thought McCain did better in the economic portion because he seemed to drive and dominate the discussion towards spending and earmarks.

    We thought Obama sounded better on FP because he just came across more calm and thoughtful, and probably surprised a lot of people with his knowledge, examples of his committee work, etc.

    Overall, I think McCain did control the discussion, so that might have hurt Obama, but McCain's demeanor was so off-putting that it could be a wash for him.

  • Overall, I think McCain did control the discussion, so that might have hurt Obama, but McCain's demeanor was so off-putting that it could be a wash for him.

    How so, ESF?  I don't think his were worse than Obama's--who continually tried to talk over McCain.  I see this on this board, but did not see the same debate.  I chalk it up to biases, personally, so I am trying to see the other point of view.  I did not like McCain's smirks, but the talking over was just as ridiculous, imo.

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • imageTefLepOM:

    Overall, I think McCain did control the discussion, so that might have hurt Obama, but McCain's demeanor was so off-putting that it could be a wash for him.

    How so, ESF?  I don't think his were worse than Obama's--who continually tried to talk over McCain.  I see this on this board, but did not see the same debate.  I chalk it up to biases, personally, so I am trying to see the other point of view.  I did not like McCain's smirks, but the talking over was just as ridiculous, imo.

    That's so funny because I totally thought McCain talked over Obama way more than Obama talking over him.  But, as this thread makes very clear, our biases definitely influence our perception.

  • Funny?  I was not being snarky, but if you took it that way, that is fine-not my intention, though.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
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