When is a gaffe not a gaffe? When you refer to your debating partner as "Senator Government." The third time proved to be a charm for John McCain, who put in his best debate performance. He put Obama on the defensive by his folksy reference to Joe the Plummer and Obama's socialist quip that he intended to "spread the wealth." He put Obama on the defensive when he invoked the tasteless comments of supporter John Lewis comparing McCain and Palin to segregationists and racist church bombers. He put Obama on the defensive by noting his horrible judgment in befriending terrorist Bill Ayers who advocated parricide in the '60s. Obama referred to Ayers as "a college professor," which is like referring to Lee Harvey Oswald--another communist terrorist from the 1960s--as "a Marine." He put Obama on the defensive by noting his support for partial-birth abortion and opposition to a law that would require medical treatment for botched abortions, otherwise known as babies. Obama, again, refused to cite a single program he would cut when a debate moderator queried him on the subject. This speaks volumes. To his credit, Obama did a better job looking into the camera and speaking directly to the American people. Obama's eloquence is impressive, particularly when juxtaposed with McCain's choppy syntax. Best of all for Obama, he played out the clock. Even if McCain had him on the ropes, Obama lasted until the final bell--which is all you have to do when you're ahead on the judges' scorecards.

its hard to give a knockout punch when you cant lift your arms above your waist dan.

I thought McCain came across as an angry old man who occasionally made some good points but is so inconsistent on his principles that he undermined himself even more than Obama did. Do we really want this guy's finger anywhere need the nuclear trigger? Meanwhile Obama was calm, cool, and collected. His demeanor, I believe, would be reassuring to those not really ideologically committed, and probably even disarming to many who would otherwise lean against his policy positions.

Meanwhile, this electoral map must be woefully disheartening for McCain-backers and the "I-am-so-ridiculously-firghtenened-by-Obama-that-I'll-even-vote-for-McCain" set. I reckon it will become even bluer over the next few days.

Oh - and if the election were held today, best estimates give Obama a landslide victory: 364-174. It's really hard to come up with any scenario where McCain can pull it off.

In fact, I agree with Rod Dreher's prescription going forward: "The RNC ought to pull money from McCain and use it to save as many imperiled senators as they can."

As is true with most, People see what they want to see.
Obama effectively answered the Ayers and Lewis questions and countered with the valid point that the more time McCain spends on Ayers the less time he spends on the economy. The American people are concerned with the economy not as McCain termed it “a washed up terrorist”. McCain hurt himself with independent and moderate Americans when he dismissed the health of the mother in his abortion comment. McCain’s facial distortions and obvious just beneath the surface anger did him no favors either. This was indeed McCain best showing which speaks volumes about his previous debate performances.

McCain seemed to me as a more serious person, an adult, next to Obama, who really succeeded in being cool calm and collected but at the cost of not seeming sincere. But that is "to me".

Obama really does have the "A-" student BSing ability and the lawyerly style that makes him sound like he is very thoughtful and knowledgeable when he really is not saying anything. Liberals love that stuff. They groom people for it. It makes them feel smarter than the rest of us. I think it will win him the election.

Grumpy old man vs. breath of fresh air? Why is it always awful when Republicans go negative -- even when they are accurate -- but okay for Democrats to do so, even in that gross way Obama did last night: Obama's claim that people regularly yell "kill him" at McCain rallies at the mention of Obama's name is simply false. Outrageous, really. And why isn't it being reported as outrageous by the press? How can he get away with that? But mentioning Obama's work with Ayers and ACORN is somehow off limits? These people are full of it.

How's about this one from the smartest man (i.e. - highest IQ) in the Senate. This is too good. Not as good as when he said that FDR went on TV in 1929, but good. VP wanna be Biden on the campaign trail -

“John’s last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S,” Biden said, miscounting.

You might not agree RC but there is a direct correlation between Obama’s questionable associations and his relatively secretive and un-documented life history and the economy. His policies will be a reflection of who he is.

I would be confident to say that a President who would have both houses in his favor would be a force and will change the direction of economics in this country. So you lefties can discount the character issue if you choose but it’s there and it’s important that it will effect all Presidential decisions.

"...a President who would have both houses in his favor would be a force and will change the direction of economics in this country."

I agree with ASDF. Of course, it's too late: we are now socialist b/c of the GOP leadership (or lack thereof). And real socialists agree:

From Reuters:

[Venezuela's socialist president, Hugo] Chavez, who calls capitalism an evil and ex-Cuban leader Fidel Castro his mentor, ridiculed Bush for his plan for the federal government to take equity in American banks despite the U.S. right-wing's criticism of Venezuelan nationalizations.

"Bush is to the left of me now," Chavez told an audience of international intellectuals debating the benefits of socialism. "Comrade Bush announced he will buy shares in private banks."

It is a complete waste of time to argue with leftist or socialists like Eric. He and his kind only have to hear the magic words of "social justice" to turn their brains to jelly, rendering them in a perpetual state of ecstasy. They could care less that those same words were used by Obama's heros, Trotsky,Lenin,Chairman Moa,Pol Pot,Ho Chi Men, Che Guevra,Castro, as justification for the slaughter of over 100 million people.
Actions and results mean far less than good intentions as well as meaningless words (i.e.lies) to leftist like Eric.
Afterall, "social justice" is the magic elixir that will provide them salvation, that gives them the tingle in their little tummies,provides them with self esteem, and even more importantly, as the musical artist Jewel sang, "Who will save your soul?" To Eric and his kind, it will be Obama along with his good intentions and meaningless words,especially the magical elixir, "social justice".

You can't debate 3 year olds and the left has been true believers in a socialist inspired,utopia on earth for longer than most of us have been alive. Afterall, Obama did state at a church,during the democtratic primaries, "we can build a heaven on earth".
This is akin to the hopeless attempts to convince a 3 year old mind that, Santa Claus,the Easter Bunny,and tooth fairy are nothing but inmature fanatasies.

P.S. Why does Obama model his campaign poster,complete with the background of a rising sun, in the same manner as chairman Mao?

P.S.S. Could it be that Obama's earliest mentor,Frank Marshall Davis was a comitted Stalinist,meber of communist party USA,and filled a young Hussien Obama's impreesionable young mind,with child like fantasies of Lenin,Trotsky,Marx,Engles, etc creating a utopia on earth?
Also, Obama is a bitter,angry Marxist clinging to his single bullet theory of poverty causing every problem on the face of this planet.

Eric either grow up or start posting on the Disney web site.

TEM,

You know so much you have no idea what you don't know.

Perhaps you should take a stroll over to

TEM,

You know so much you have no idea what you don't know.

Perhaps you should take a stroll over to my blog and then proceed to pull you leg out of your mouth.

Eric- I have spent 25 years ,post college, living in the real world. I worked for a branch of the military in 3rd world hell holes like Beruit,Columbia,Bogota,Belfast,Honduras,etc. Places where we dealt effectively with those barbarians you and your ilk cower in fear of and use the excuse of international opinion to do nothing. I spent 10 years being placed inthe most dangerous places in the world, places most people wouldn't last 1 day, before they ran away,had a nervous breakdown, or were eliminated due to bad decisions driven by pure fear. You and your blogs mean nothing to me.
I do know this,if Ayers,Dorhn,Hayden,etc. attempted to visit violence on any of my family members or those I associate with, them it would be a "war" they would want no part of and realize that very quickly. As they say in special ops, you can run,however you will only die tired.

I am not making a threat against any of those individuals, just pointing out they were soft,weak, individuals, unwilling to handle the pain or pressure they would have knowing they were now the hunted,not the hunters.

I would put down 1,000 or 10,000 US dollars today to relocate Ayers,Wright,Dorhn, or any of the other whining grievance mongers, who continually cry about their hatered of an unjust USA. I have been in some real nice locations, where I could picture them being relocated. Put it this way, they wouldn't find their pot of gold or heavenly utopia, all of which is nothing more than a fantasy or childish myth, similar to finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

If these miserable losers from the 60's think the USA is evil and an unbearable place to reside, I would like to see how long they would last, finding their utopia in Jerusalem,Palenstinian refugee camps, Cuba,North Korea,Iran,Syria,or Venezula. Those would be swell places for those misfits to find their pot of gold or heaven on earth.

To those morons who believe man can create a utopia on earth, is a very sick individual,who needs professional medical help.

TEM,

WTF are you talking about?

Your rant has no bearing on anything I have said. In fact, you have no clue who you are talking to or what I actually believe. Stop tickling your own ears for a moment and find out.