What They're Saying About John McCain's Performance
"I thought it was a really good night for John McCain In the first 35 for a couple of reasons. The first 35 minutes I counted seven or eight attacks. He just went after Obama. Everything from accusing him of supporting earmarks to accusing him of supporting a — what did he say? An energy bill that was festooned with goodies. And it seemed to knock Obama off balance. It did two things it knocked Obama off balance he really had trouble getting his sea legs again and secondly, it moved this whole conversation about the financial crisis back to a conversation that John McCain is comfortable with, which is spending. They didn't really talk about the financial crisis that much. And so I thought and the other thing is, just in terms of style, John McCain comes off as very clear, direct, you know, I looked at Putin and I saw KGB in his eyes. He talks directly. There's still something bland and policy-speak about Barack Obama that I don't think does really well in these settings. He comes off as — and I know people use the term 'cool,' but I find it policy-speak in rounded edges and not direct."
— Fortune's Nina Easton, "On The Record With Greta Van Susteren", Fox News, 26/9/08
"McCain scores a good point, that under Obama's original plan on Iraq, US troops would have been out last spring, before the implementation of the surge."
— Bill Schneider, "Schneider: McCain Hits Stride On Iraq", "Political Ticker" blog, CNN, 26/9/08
"McCain, in talking about Afghanistan and Pakistan, is drawing on his vast experience for the first time in this debate, and it really sounds very convincing."
— Bill Schneider, "McCain Scores Points On Experience", "Political Ticker" blog, CNN, 26/9/08
"McCain's scoring points on Obama's opposition to the so-called surge in Iraq, a buildup of forces that McCain vigorously supported."
— Bill Schneider, "McCain Scoring Points", "Political Ticker" blog, CNN, 26/9/08
"Obama has said 'John is right' five times in the debate so far."
— Mosheh Oinounou, Fox News' "Embeds" blog, 26/9/08
"Barack Obama repeatedly saying: 'I agree with Sen. McCain' or 'I agree with John.'"
— Jonathan Martin, "A YouTube You Will See Before The Clock Strikes Midnight", "Jonathan Martin" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"McCain's sharp and focused; he hasn't landed a really hard punch, but he's scoring on a lot of jabs."
— Ben Smith, "McCain's Turf", "Ben Smith" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"McCain points out — accurately — that Henry Kissinger has suggested diplomacy at the Secretary of State level, not presidential summitry with Iran."
— Ben Smith, "Kissinger Fact Check", "Ben Smith" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"9:53 - 'You don't do that, you don't say that out loud,' McCain says about Obama's threat to sent US troops into Pakistan to strike at high-level al Qaeda operatives if given high level intelligence, with or without Pakistani government permission. McCain quotes George Schulz saying don't point a gun unless you're prepared to pull the trigger. Credible riff here, I think."
— Jake Tapper, "Live-Bloggin' The Debate", ABC News, 26/9/08
"9:08 pm CT: You knew this was coming — a blistering attack on the preconditions line Obama has long wished he never delivered. This is a McCain layup."
— Rick Klein, "Live Debate Blog", ABC News, 26/9/08
"McCain has a strong moment early, drawing an implicit contrast with President Bush. Noting the criticism he took from his own party for calling on SEC head Chris Cox, the GOP nominee promises in firm language: 'As president of the United States people are going to be held accountable in my administration.'"
— Jonathan Martin, "McCain Forceful On Accountability", "Jonathan Martin" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"Instead, in what surely made weary McCain aides smile, their guy just was able to set off a protracted discussion of earmarks and spending, getting in repeated references to Obama's requests for Illinois. Never bad turf for Republicans, but especially for this Republican."
— Jonathan Martin, "The 'Foreign Policy' Debate…" The Politico's "Jonathan Martin" blog, 26/9/08
"An extended debate on meeting with foreign rogue leaders without preconditions = good for McCain."
— Chris Cillizza, "The Fix Twitters The Debate", "The Fix" blog, The Washington Post, 26/9/08
"McCain demonstrates a solid understanding of the region [Afghanistan and Pakistan] here…"
— Marc Ambinder, "The Debate: Liveblogging III", "Marc Ambinder" blog, The Atlantic, 26/9/08
"McCain's is the message that tests more strongly with voters. The latest NBC/WSJ poll showed that respondents prefer 'a president who will go in and clean up Washington and take on the waste and fraud in the system' to 'a president who will end the Bush administration policies, and have active government oversight.' by a margin of 67 to 29%"
— Carrie Dann, "The Two Money Messages: How They Test", "First Read" blog, MSNBC, 26/9/08
"Judging from CNN's scrolling chart, independents also seemed to like McCain citing Tom Coburn calling earmarks a 'gateway drug.'"
— Jim Geraghty, "'Gateway Drug' And 'It Corrupts People!' Seem To Move The Dials", "The Campaign Spot" blog, National Review Online, 26/9/08
"These guys came to play on each other's turf. It was really surprising to me is that John McCain came in here with a disadvantage on the economy. Barack Obama had a big advantage, yet I think he spent the 30 minutes very effectively pounding home the points that have to control spending and earmarks. … I thought other interesting stylistic differences, John McCain, good on emotion, good on establishing emotional connections with his stories."
— George Stephanopoulos, "Vote 08: The Candidates Debate", ABC News, 26/9/08
"John McCain clearly won this battle on points. He was aggressive all evening long. He was very tough. He constantly portrayed Barack directly and indirectly as sort of weak and indecisive and inconstant making these statements. He also had a most powerful, emotional moments. I think that Wolfsborough story and that 640 guys re-upping in Iraq, and that woman giving him that bracelet — I think those things reached the heart and the gut. I will say this about Barack Obama. He did what he had to do in the sense that he came off as a tough fellow, a counterpuncher who would stand up to John McCain, and I think he helped himself in that regard, but overall I really think John McCain came off as the winner of this debate, but I go directly to Chris' point."
— Pat Buchanan, MSNBC's "Presidential Debate", 26/9/08
"Obama To McCain: You're 'Absolutely Right'"
— Susan Davis, "Obama To McCain: You're 'Absolutely Right,'" The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" blog, 26/9/08
"I also think that McCain in the section on foreign policy also gave a strong performance when he said we can't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."
— Jeff Greenfield, "Campaign '08 Presidential Debate", CBS News, 26/9/08
"That was the most distinctive difference obviously once we got into the area of national security. John McCain bored in on Barack Obama. He's been reading the same polls we all have. There are grave reservations in most of the polls about whether Barack Obama has enough experience and whether he's qualified to be commander in chief. And tonight Senator McCain went right after that vulnerability in Barack Obama."
— Tom Brokaw, NBC's "Presidential Debate Coverage", 26/9/08
"I think McCain was sharp and experienced."
— The New York Times' David Brooks, "Post-Debate Analysis", PBS, 26/9/08
"When we moved into foreign affairs, clearly john McCain hit his stride. It is his strength, and he showed, demonstrated that he is quite knowledgeable."
— The Politico's Jeanne Cummings, "Post-Debate Analysis", PBS, 26/9/08
"9:12 pm CT: … This is another area where McCain is in his comfort zone. He's having a long discussion on the preconditions line. … 9:20 pm CT: Meaty discussion on Russia — with lots and lots of Russian names for McCain to pronounce. If people care about this, McCain looks strong."
— Rick Klein, "Live Debate Blog", ABC News, 26/9/08
"He [McCain] had a good night on the very issue of taxes and spending. He did seem to dominate the first 30 minutes."
— Norah O'Donnell, MSNBC's "Presidential Debate", 26/9/08
"10:19: McCain's strong on non-Iraq foreign policy issues."
— Marc Ambinder, "The Debate: Liveblogging IV", "Marc Ambinder" blog, The Atlantic, 26/9/08
"From where I sit, McCain had a surprisingly strong night. … But the overall message of the night was clear - McCain is smart, familiar with the issues on a striking level of detail, knows what he wants to do: 'I don't think I need any on the job training. I'm ready to go right now… I know how to deal with our adversaries, and I know how to deal with our friends.'"
— Jim Geraghty, "A Surprisingly Strong Night For McCain, While Obama Energizes His Base", "The Campaign Spot" blog, National Review Online, 26/9/08
"John McCain was very lucky that he decided to show up for the first presidential debate in Oxford, Miss., Friday night. Because he gave one of his strongest debate performances ever. While Barack Obama repeatedly tried to link McCain to the very unpopular George W. Bush, Bush's name will not be on the ballot in November and McCain's will. And McCain not only found a central theme but hit on it repeatedly. Obama is inexperienced, naive, and just doesn't understand things, McCain said. Sure, McCain is a pretty old guy for a presidential candidate, but he showed the old guy did not mind mixing it up. He stood behind a lectern for 90 minutes without a break — you try that when you are 72 — and he not only gave as good as he got, he seemed to relish it more. At least twice after sharp attacks by McCain, Obama seemed to look to moderator Jim Lehrer for help, saying to Lehrer, 'Let's move on.' … But McCain seemed to get it Friday night. He certainly knew enough to try to turn his age into a plus and not a minus. 'There are some advantages to experience, knowledge and judgment,' McCain said. … McCain seemed to be enjoying himself. He smiled a lot, mostly when Obama was talking, though his smile was really more like a smirk. … Both avoided their negative stereotypes: Obama did not seem aloof or condescending. McCain did not seem erratic or wild. You could imagine either one of them in the Oval Office, but only one is going to get there. 'I don't need any on-the-job training,' McCain said. 'I am ready to go at it right now.' He certainly seemed like it Friday night."
— Roger Simon, "The Mac Is Back", Poltico, 27/9/08
"It was one of the most substantive debates in recent presidential campaign history and John McCain won it. The Arizona senator was cool, informed and forceful in Friday's first presidential debate of the general election campaign. He repeatedly put Barack Obama on the defensive throughout the 90 minutes session. Obama did little to ease voter concerns that he's experienced enough to handle foreign and defense policy. That was his number one task Friday night and he failed."
— David Yepsen, "McCain Wins Round 1", "On Politics" blog, The Des Moines Register, 26/9/08
"McCain also had a clarity of message that Obama lacked. His core message is easy to sum up: Let's cut waste and spending. I'm a tough leader. Obama is naive and unprepared. Obama, by contrast, had no single message that he repeatedly drove home. … And stylistically, McCain was more in control. He was the one setting the tone and introducing nettlesome topics, forcing Obama to respond and defend himself."
— Michael Crowley, "McCain Was Good. But Good Enough?" The New Republic's "Stump" blog, 26/9/08
"McCain, too, not only had a strong performance tonight, but seemed to have a strategy throughout. As George said, you heard him mention over and over again, Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand. He also kept mentioning his travel schedule. I've been to Waziristan, I've been to South Ossetia, and at the very end he paid it off with his humdinger of a line at the end, saying that basically, he doesn't need on the job experience. I think the McCain campaign is very pleased with it."
— David Wright, ABC's "Vote '08: Presidential Debate Analysis", 26/9/08
"I think McCain won the debate. I think there will be a deal this weekend and he will be vindicated in his efforts to some degree to have actually dealt with reality as opposed to going around giving stump speeches and the McCain campaign will have momentum going into next week and that will set up the Palin-Biden debate."
— The New York Times' Bill Kristol, "The O'Reilly Factor", Fox News, 26/9/08
"[M]cCain performed well, putting Obama on the defensive on several occasions and getting in some good one-liners."
— Blake Dvorak, "Who Won…?" Real Clear Politics' "The Real Clear Politics" blog, 26/9/08
"A Win For McCain."
— Ross Douthat, "A Win For McCain", "Ross Douthat" blog, The Atlantic, 26/9/08
"Only the most devoted partisan could deny it was a very, very strong outing for John McCain. On foreign policy he was devastating — making clear how much more resolute and experienced he is."
— Jennifer Rubin, "The Winner", "Contentions" blog, Commentary, 26/9/08
"[J]ohn McCain was repeatedly on the offensive and to some extent, Obama was on the defensive. I was surprised by that. in terms of strategy, we'll see what works. But often times in debates, if a candidate does go on the offensive, it does tend to work. That's what Kennedy did in 1960. It's what Ronald Reagan did in 1980 and it is what Bill Clinton did in 1992."
— Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss, PBS's "Presidential Debate", 26/9/08
"McCain's strongest moment of the debate also happened to be Obama's weakest. McCain absolutely hammered Obama over his pledge to meet with rogue foreign leaders without preconditions and Obama had no ready answer — odd since he had to know this attack was coming. McCain was able to turn a single question about meeting with rogue leaders into an extended colloquy that ended with him hitting Obama for misunderstanding Henry Kissinger. A very good moment for McCain. … He poked fun at his age several times, jabbed Obama playfully yet effectively (I don't even have a presidential seal') and seemed in command of the subject matter and the stage. When moderator Jim Lehrer said at one point that the two candidates had spoken for almost the same amount of time, we were surprised; McCain seemed from our perspective to command more time."
— Chris Cillizza, "The Mississippi Debate: First Thoughts and Who Won?", The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog, 26/9/08
"But McCain closed strongly, becoming more assertive in the debate's final 30 minutes and zinging Obama time and again as out of his league on foreign policy."
— Don Frederick and Kate Linthicum, "Live-Blogging The Presidential Debate: McCain, Obama Start Out Sparring Over The Economy", Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticker" blog, 26/9/08
"The old fighter pilot I thought hit the target. He demonstrated great command, names, places, name dropping is not a bad thing in a foreign policy debate like this sometime and he even got under Barack Obama's skin. … I thought McCain was successful, even though Barack Obama scored a lot. I think on a few more points, McCain kind of dragged him down into the foreign policy debate and worked him over, I thought pretty good. … It looked almost a little bit like at times Obama was looking for the flash cards and he'd crammed for the exam and McCain obviously didn't have to do that…"
— Alex Castellanos, CNN's "Debate Coverage", 26/9/08
Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown and John F. Harris: "But the 90-minute session put on vivid display the side of McCain that his strategists believe is his best hope: an emphatic, impassioned, even indignant leader with a more seasoned and more visceral understanding of a cynical capital and a violent planet."
— Carrie Budoff Brown and John F. Harris, "McCain Goes On Offense; Obama Plays It Cool", Politico, 27/9/08
"And The Winner Is… McCain."
— Todd Domke, Op-Ed, "And The Winner Is… McCain", The Boston Globe, 27/9/08
"Obama was smooth, unflappable, and just a little off balance for much of the evening. Worse for him, he seemed inexplicably eager to concede that McCain was right on issue after issue. A candidate determined to appear congenial might do that once, or even twice, but Obama did it eight times … Add it all up, and Obama was undeniably, and surprisingly, deferential to a man who in the past Obama has said 'doesn't get it.' … The bottom line was that Obama did well enough, but McCain did better. A number of post-debate observers suggested that Obama might emerge the winner on these topics because he was able to stand alongside McCain and argue as an equal despite McCain's greater experience. Maybe viewers will handicap the contest that way, but if they judge it straight, McCain will come out on top."
— Byron York, "'Senator McCain Is Absolutely Right …'" National Review Online, 27/9/08
"In their requisite, presidential-looking dark suits, John McCain and Barack Obama went at it pretty good in their first debate Friday night. Obama landed the first shot, but a relaxed and confident McCain kept him on the defensive for much of the rest of the encounter. Particularly on matters of war and international tensions, Obama did not appear as assured and authoritative as McCain, who kept reminding the national TV audience of all the places he has been and people he has met during his 26 years in Congress. Obama has been in the Senate for four."
— Editorial, "No Knockout, But McCain Shows Strength In Experience", Detroit Free Press, 27/9/08
"As the debate shifted to national security issues, McCain demonstrated why many voters see this as a strong area for him. He's been involved for decades in deciding whether the U.S. engages militarily in hot spots such as Somalia, Lebanon and Bosnia — and it shows. His cautious words about the careful use of power indirectly addressed the fear of some Americans that he'd be a trigger-happy president. … The bulk of Friday night's debate took place on the turf McCain knows best: foreign affairs and military endeavors. That showed. Obama spoke capably on one topic after another; McCain, who has traveled to numerous crisis locales and joined in more foreign policy debates, spoke with more fluency and experience."
— Editorial, "Advantage: Experience", Chicago Tribune, 26/9/08
"Republican McCain stressed his toughness, experience and decades-long knowledge of international affairs. He dispelled any notion that he was a hothead or lacked the temperament to be an effective president."
— Editorial, "A Debate Of Substance", Rocky Mountain News, 26/9/08
"Going forward with Friday's presidential debate might have helped Sen. John McCain pick up support from undecided voters, based on real-time reactions of some Colorado fence-sitters."
— M.E. Sprengelmeyer, "For These Two, McCain Picks Up Points", Rocky Mountain News, 27/9/08
"John McCain proved he was resolute and tough. … It [debate] showed that John McCain is clear-eyed about the threats to America."
— Editorial, "A Too-Close-To-Call Debate", Los Angeles Times, 27/9/08
"McCain is more convincing as Commander in Chief. … [M]ost of the night was devoted to foreign policy and there we give the clear edge to Mr. McCain. This is the ground where the 72-year-old is most comfortable, and you could see it in his self-confidence, as well as his command of history and facts. … He [McCain] showed it too in the specificity of his answers, notably on Russia: Watch Ukraine, he said, and 'the Crimea,' because Vladimir Putin's Georgian expedition is a prelude to Russian adventurism there."
— Editorial, "Round One", The Wall Street Journal, 27/9/08
"As for John McCain he had a solid night. I have seen John McCain debate quite a bit and I must say he was probably as sharp tonight as I've ever seen him. He was constantly on the attack against Obama but it didn't seem angry or over the top. He also was spitting out foreign policy knowledge like never before and was able to passionately talk about his signature issue: wasteful spending. It was a performance he can be proud of. That said, he didn't have a game changing moment tonight. Some may think he needs one and he may before these debates are over."
— David Brody, "Obama And McCain: Fit To Be Tied", CBN News, 27/9/08
"Throughout the debate, which focused on both the economy and foreign policy, McCain had facts, figures and names at his fingertips, speaking from decades of experience in the trenches — literally and figuratively — and repeated the phrase, 'Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand …' He called Obama naive, dangerous and inexperienced, and his attacks, which seemed to frustrate Obama, put him on the defensive for the majority of the night. … McCain may not be, as he put it, Miss Congeniality in the Senate or with the current administration. But in this game at least, he made the case for captain of the football team."
— S.E. Cupp, Op-Ed, "Score One For McCain", [New York] Daily News, 26/9/08
"The First Debate: Advantage McCain. … And John McCain never looked more presidential."
— Editorial, "The First Debate: Advantage McCain", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 27/9/08
"Obama seemed unwilling to sacrifice his presidential poise by pressing or attacking McCain too much, and often conceded that he agreed with his opponent's observations and analysis."
— Jason Horowitz, "The 'What Senator Obama Does Not Understand' Debate", New York Observer, 26/9/08
"Aided by a MSM willing to say whatever it has to say to help Obama make it to 1600, the Democratic nominee has not yet been hurt by his very poor performance on Friday night's debate. Weekend talking heads chanting "ties go to the winner" nonsense and the output of loyalists like E.J. Dionne are trying to make Obama's halting answers on Iraq, Pakistan and especially North Korea seem like C-minuses on a pass-fail test. The cringe-inducing bracelet moment has surfaced in just a few places, and McCain's dominance on the facts concerning Russia and his memorable "You don't do that" dismissal of Obama's threats towards our ally in Pakistan will get their full play this morning on all the talk shows …. Obama doesn't know what he's talking about on the perils we face abroad, and he was led around by the hand on the bailout package. He is a figurehead for Democratic party elites from the hard left edge of the party."
— Hugh Hewitt, "Hugh Hewitt" blog, 29/9/08
— Fortune's Nina Easton, "On The Record With Greta Van Susteren", Fox News, 26/9/08
"McCain scores a good point, that under Obama's original plan on Iraq, US troops would have been out last spring, before the implementation of the surge."
— Bill Schneider, "Schneider: McCain Hits Stride On Iraq", "Political Ticker" blog, CNN, 26/9/08
"McCain, in talking about Afghanistan and Pakistan, is drawing on his vast experience for the first time in this debate, and it really sounds very convincing."
— Bill Schneider, "McCain Scores Points On Experience", "Political Ticker" blog, CNN, 26/9/08
"McCain's scoring points on Obama's opposition to the so-called surge in Iraq, a buildup of forces that McCain vigorously supported."
— Bill Schneider, "McCain Scoring Points", "Political Ticker" blog, CNN, 26/9/08
"Obama has said 'John is right' five times in the debate so far."
— Mosheh Oinounou, Fox News' "Embeds" blog, 26/9/08
"Barack Obama repeatedly saying: 'I agree with Sen. McCain' or 'I agree with John.'"
— Jonathan Martin, "A YouTube You Will See Before The Clock Strikes Midnight", "Jonathan Martin" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"McCain's sharp and focused; he hasn't landed a really hard punch, but he's scoring on a lot of jabs."
— Ben Smith, "McCain's Turf", "Ben Smith" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"McCain points out — accurately — that Henry Kissinger has suggested diplomacy at the Secretary of State level, not presidential summitry with Iran."
— Ben Smith, "Kissinger Fact Check", "Ben Smith" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"9:53 - 'You don't do that, you don't say that out loud,' McCain says about Obama's threat to sent US troops into Pakistan to strike at high-level al Qaeda operatives if given high level intelligence, with or without Pakistani government permission. McCain quotes George Schulz saying don't point a gun unless you're prepared to pull the trigger. Credible riff here, I think."
— Jake Tapper, "Live-Bloggin' The Debate", ABC News, 26/9/08
"9:08 pm CT: You knew this was coming — a blistering attack on the preconditions line Obama has long wished he never delivered. This is a McCain layup."
— Rick Klein, "Live Debate Blog", ABC News, 26/9/08
"McCain has a strong moment early, drawing an implicit contrast with President Bush. Noting the criticism he took from his own party for calling on SEC head Chris Cox, the GOP nominee promises in firm language: 'As president of the United States people are going to be held accountable in my administration.'"
— Jonathan Martin, "McCain Forceful On Accountability", "Jonathan Martin" blog, The Politico, 26/9/08
"Instead, in what surely made weary McCain aides smile, their guy just was able to set off a protracted discussion of earmarks and spending, getting in repeated references to Obama's requests for Illinois. Never bad turf for Republicans, but especially for this Republican."
— Jonathan Martin, "The 'Foreign Policy' Debate…" The Politico's "Jonathan Martin" blog, 26/9/08
"An extended debate on meeting with foreign rogue leaders without preconditions = good for McCain."
— Chris Cillizza, "The Fix Twitters The Debate", "The Fix" blog, The Washington Post, 26/9/08
"McCain demonstrates a solid understanding of the region [Afghanistan and Pakistan] here…"
— Marc Ambinder, "The Debate: Liveblogging III", "Marc Ambinder" blog, The Atlantic, 26/9/08
"McCain's is the message that tests more strongly with voters. The latest NBC/WSJ poll showed that respondents prefer 'a president who will go in and clean up Washington and take on the waste and fraud in the system' to 'a president who will end the Bush administration policies, and have active government oversight.' by a margin of 67 to 29%"
— Carrie Dann, "The Two Money Messages: How They Test", "First Read" blog, MSNBC, 26/9/08
"Judging from CNN's scrolling chart, independents also seemed to like McCain citing Tom Coburn calling earmarks a 'gateway drug.'"
— Jim Geraghty, "'Gateway Drug' And 'It Corrupts People!' Seem To Move The Dials", "The Campaign Spot" blog, National Review Online, 26/9/08
"These guys came to play on each other's turf. It was really surprising to me is that John McCain came in here with a disadvantage on the economy. Barack Obama had a big advantage, yet I think he spent the 30 minutes very effectively pounding home the points that have to control spending and earmarks. … I thought other interesting stylistic differences, John McCain, good on emotion, good on establishing emotional connections with his stories."
— George Stephanopoulos, "Vote 08: The Candidates Debate", ABC News, 26/9/08
"John McCain clearly won this battle on points. He was aggressive all evening long. He was very tough. He constantly portrayed Barack directly and indirectly as sort of weak and indecisive and inconstant making these statements. He also had a most powerful, emotional moments. I think that Wolfsborough story and that 640 guys re-upping in Iraq, and that woman giving him that bracelet — I think those things reached the heart and the gut. I will say this about Barack Obama. He did what he had to do in the sense that he came off as a tough fellow, a counterpuncher who would stand up to John McCain, and I think he helped himself in that regard, but overall I really think John McCain came off as the winner of this debate, but I go directly to Chris' point."
— Pat Buchanan, MSNBC's "Presidential Debate", 26/9/08
"Obama To McCain: You're 'Absolutely Right'"
— Susan Davis, "Obama To McCain: You're 'Absolutely Right,'" The Wall Street Journal's "Washington Wire" blog, 26/9/08
"I also think that McCain in the section on foreign policy also gave a strong performance when he said we can't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory."
— Jeff Greenfield, "Campaign '08 Presidential Debate", CBS News, 26/9/08
"That was the most distinctive difference obviously once we got into the area of national security. John McCain bored in on Barack Obama. He's been reading the same polls we all have. There are grave reservations in most of the polls about whether Barack Obama has enough experience and whether he's qualified to be commander in chief. And tonight Senator McCain went right after that vulnerability in Barack Obama."
— Tom Brokaw, NBC's "Presidential Debate Coverage", 26/9/08
"I think McCain was sharp and experienced."
— The New York Times' David Brooks, "Post-Debate Analysis", PBS, 26/9/08
"When we moved into foreign affairs, clearly john McCain hit his stride. It is his strength, and he showed, demonstrated that he is quite knowledgeable."
— The Politico's Jeanne Cummings, "Post-Debate Analysis", PBS, 26/9/08
"9:12 pm CT: … This is another area where McCain is in his comfort zone. He's having a long discussion on the preconditions line. … 9:20 pm CT: Meaty discussion on Russia — with lots and lots of Russian names for McCain to pronounce. If people care about this, McCain looks strong."
— Rick Klein, "Live Debate Blog", ABC News, 26/9/08
"He [McCain] had a good night on the very issue of taxes and spending. He did seem to dominate the first 30 minutes."
— Norah O'Donnell, MSNBC's "Presidential Debate", 26/9/08
"10:19: McCain's strong on non-Iraq foreign policy issues."
— Marc Ambinder, "The Debate: Liveblogging IV", "Marc Ambinder" blog, The Atlantic, 26/9/08
"From where I sit, McCain had a surprisingly strong night. … But the overall message of the night was clear - McCain is smart, familiar with the issues on a striking level of detail, knows what he wants to do: 'I don't think I need any on the job training. I'm ready to go right now… I know how to deal with our adversaries, and I know how to deal with our friends.'"
— Jim Geraghty, "A Surprisingly Strong Night For McCain, While Obama Energizes His Base", "The Campaign Spot" blog, National Review Online, 26/9/08
"John McCain was very lucky that he decided to show up for the first presidential debate in Oxford, Miss., Friday night. Because he gave one of his strongest debate performances ever. While Barack Obama repeatedly tried to link McCain to the very unpopular George W. Bush, Bush's name will not be on the ballot in November and McCain's will. And McCain not only found a central theme but hit on it repeatedly. Obama is inexperienced, naive, and just doesn't understand things, McCain said. Sure, McCain is a pretty old guy for a presidential candidate, but he showed the old guy did not mind mixing it up. He stood behind a lectern for 90 minutes without a break — you try that when you are 72 — and he not only gave as good as he got, he seemed to relish it more. At least twice after sharp attacks by McCain, Obama seemed to look to moderator Jim Lehrer for help, saying to Lehrer, 'Let's move on.' … But McCain seemed to get it Friday night. He certainly knew enough to try to turn his age into a plus and not a minus. 'There are some advantages to experience, knowledge and judgment,' McCain said. … McCain seemed to be enjoying himself. He smiled a lot, mostly when Obama was talking, though his smile was really more like a smirk. … Both avoided their negative stereotypes: Obama did not seem aloof or condescending. McCain did not seem erratic or wild. You could imagine either one of them in the Oval Office, but only one is going to get there. 'I don't need any on-the-job training,' McCain said. 'I am ready to go at it right now.' He certainly seemed like it Friday night."
— Roger Simon, "The Mac Is Back", Poltico, 27/9/08
"It was one of the most substantive debates in recent presidential campaign history and John McCain won it. The Arizona senator was cool, informed and forceful in Friday's first presidential debate of the general election campaign. He repeatedly put Barack Obama on the defensive throughout the 90 minutes session. Obama did little to ease voter concerns that he's experienced enough to handle foreign and defense policy. That was his number one task Friday night and he failed."
— David Yepsen, "McCain Wins Round 1", "On Politics" blog, The Des Moines Register, 26/9/08
"McCain also had a clarity of message that Obama lacked. His core message is easy to sum up: Let's cut waste and spending. I'm a tough leader. Obama is naive and unprepared. Obama, by contrast, had no single message that he repeatedly drove home. … And stylistically, McCain was more in control. He was the one setting the tone and introducing nettlesome topics, forcing Obama to respond and defend himself."
— Michael Crowley, "McCain Was Good. But Good Enough?" The New Republic's "Stump" blog, 26/9/08
"McCain, too, not only had a strong performance tonight, but seemed to have a strategy throughout. As George said, you heard him mention over and over again, Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand. He also kept mentioning his travel schedule. I've been to Waziristan, I've been to South Ossetia, and at the very end he paid it off with his humdinger of a line at the end, saying that basically, he doesn't need on the job experience. I think the McCain campaign is very pleased with it."
— David Wright, ABC's "Vote '08: Presidential Debate Analysis", 26/9/08
"I think McCain won the debate. I think there will be a deal this weekend and he will be vindicated in his efforts to some degree to have actually dealt with reality as opposed to going around giving stump speeches and the McCain campaign will have momentum going into next week and that will set up the Palin-Biden debate."
— The New York Times' Bill Kristol, "The O'Reilly Factor", Fox News, 26/9/08
"[M]cCain performed well, putting Obama on the defensive on several occasions and getting in some good one-liners."
— Blake Dvorak, "Who Won…?" Real Clear Politics' "The Real Clear Politics" blog, 26/9/08
"A Win For McCain."
— Ross Douthat, "A Win For McCain", "Ross Douthat" blog, The Atlantic, 26/9/08
"Only the most devoted partisan could deny it was a very, very strong outing for John McCain. On foreign policy he was devastating — making clear how much more resolute and experienced he is."
— Jennifer Rubin, "The Winner", "Contentions" blog, Commentary, 26/9/08
"[J]ohn McCain was repeatedly on the offensive and to some extent, Obama was on the defensive. I was surprised by that. in terms of strategy, we'll see what works. But often times in debates, if a candidate does go on the offensive, it does tend to work. That's what Kennedy did in 1960. It's what Ronald Reagan did in 1980 and it is what Bill Clinton did in 1992."
— Presidential Historian Michael Beschloss, PBS's "Presidential Debate", 26/9/08
"McCain's strongest moment of the debate also happened to be Obama's weakest. McCain absolutely hammered Obama over his pledge to meet with rogue foreign leaders without preconditions and Obama had no ready answer — odd since he had to know this attack was coming. McCain was able to turn a single question about meeting with rogue leaders into an extended colloquy that ended with him hitting Obama for misunderstanding Henry Kissinger. A very good moment for McCain. … He poked fun at his age several times, jabbed Obama playfully yet effectively (I don't even have a presidential seal') and seemed in command of the subject matter and the stage. When moderator Jim Lehrer said at one point that the two candidates had spoken for almost the same amount of time, we were surprised; McCain seemed from our perspective to command more time."
— Chris Cillizza, "The Mississippi Debate: First Thoughts and Who Won?", The Washington Post's "The Fix" blog, 26/9/08
"But McCain closed strongly, becoming more assertive in the debate's final 30 minutes and zinging Obama time and again as out of his league on foreign policy."
— Don Frederick and Kate Linthicum, "Live-Blogging The Presidential Debate: McCain, Obama Start Out Sparring Over The Economy", Los Angeles Times' "Top Of The Ticker" blog, 26/9/08
"The old fighter pilot I thought hit the target. He demonstrated great command, names, places, name dropping is not a bad thing in a foreign policy debate like this sometime and he even got under Barack Obama's skin. … I thought McCain was successful, even though Barack Obama scored a lot. I think on a few more points, McCain kind of dragged him down into the foreign policy debate and worked him over, I thought pretty good. … It looked almost a little bit like at times Obama was looking for the flash cards and he'd crammed for the exam and McCain obviously didn't have to do that…"
— Alex Castellanos, CNN's "Debate Coverage", 26/9/08
Politico's Carrie Budoff Brown and John F. Harris: "But the 90-minute session put on vivid display the side of McCain that his strategists believe is his best hope: an emphatic, impassioned, even indignant leader with a more seasoned and more visceral understanding of a cynical capital and a violent planet."
— Carrie Budoff Brown and John F. Harris, "McCain Goes On Offense; Obama Plays It Cool", Politico, 27/9/08
"And The Winner Is… McCain."
— Todd Domke, Op-Ed, "And The Winner Is… McCain", The Boston Globe, 27/9/08
"Obama was smooth, unflappable, and just a little off balance for much of the evening. Worse for him, he seemed inexplicably eager to concede that McCain was right on issue after issue. A candidate determined to appear congenial might do that once, or even twice, but Obama did it eight times … Add it all up, and Obama was undeniably, and surprisingly, deferential to a man who in the past Obama has said 'doesn't get it.' … The bottom line was that Obama did well enough, but McCain did better. A number of post-debate observers suggested that Obama might emerge the winner on these topics because he was able to stand alongside McCain and argue as an equal despite McCain's greater experience. Maybe viewers will handicap the contest that way, but if they judge it straight, McCain will come out on top."
— Byron York, "'Senator McCain Is Absolutely Right …'" National Review Online, 27/9/08
"In their requisite, presidential-looking dark suits, John McCain and Barack Obama went at it pretty good in their first debate Friday night. Obama landed the first shot, but a relaxed and confident McCain kept him on the defensive for much of the rest of the encounter. Particularly on matters of war and international tensions, Obama did not appear as assured and authoritative as McCain, who kept reminding the national TV audience of all the places he has been and people he has met during his 26 years in Congress. Obama has been in the Senate for four."
— Editorial, "No Knockout, But McCain Shows Strength In Experience", Detroit Free Press, 27/9/08
"As the debate shifted to national security issues, McCain demonstrated why many voters see this as a strong area for him. He's been involved for decades in deciding whether the U.S. engages militarily in hot spots such as Somalia, Lebanon and Bosnia — and it shows. His cautious words about the careful use of power indirectly addressed the fear of some Americans that he'd be a trigger-happy president. … The bulk of Friday night's debate took place on the turf McCain knows best: foreign affairs and military endeavors. That showed. Obama spoke capably on one topic after another; McCain, who has traveled to numerous crisis locales and joined in more foreign policy debates, spoke with more fluency and experience."
— Editorial, "Advantage: Experience", Chicago Tribune, 26/9/08
"Republican McCain stressed his toughness, experience and decades-long knowledge of international affairs. He dispelled any notion that he was a hothead or lacked the temperament to be an effective president."
— Editorial, "A Debate Of Substance", Rocky Mountain News, 26/9/08
"Going forward with Friday's presidential debate might have helped Sen. John McCain pick up support from undecided voters, based on real-time reactions of some Colorado fence-sitters."
— M.E. Sprengelmeyer, "For These Two, McCain Picks Up Points", Rocky Mountain News, 27/9/08
"John McCain proved he was resolute and tough. … It [debate] showed that John McCain is clear-eyed about the threats to America."
— Editorial, "A Too-Close-To-Call Debate", Los Angeles Times, 27/9/08
"McCain is more convincing as Commander in Chief. … [M]ost of the night was devoted to foreign policy and there we give the clear edge to Mr. McCain. This is the ground where the 72-year-old is most comfortable, and you could see it in his self-confidence, as well as his command of history and facts. … He [McCain] showed it too in the specificity of his answers, notably on Russia: Watch Ukraine, he said, and 'the Crimea,' because Vladimir Putin's Georgian expedition is a prelude to Russian adventurism there."
— Editorial, "Round One", The Wall Street Journal, 27/9/08
"As for John McCain he had a solid night. I have seen John McCain debate quite a bit and I must say he was probably as sharp tonight as I've ever seen him. He was constantly on the attack against Obama but it didn't seem angry or over the top. He also was spitting out foreign policy knowledge like never before and was able to passionately talk about his signature issue: wasteful spending. It was a performance he can be proud of. That said, he didn't have a game changing moment tonight. Some may think he needs one and he may before these debates are over."
— David Brody, "Obama And McCain: Fit To Be Tied", CBN News, 27/9/08
"Throughout the debate, which focused on both the economy and foreign policy, McCain had facts, figures and names at his fingertips, speaking from decades of experience in the trenches — literally and figuratively — and repeated the phrase, 'Senator Obama doesn't seem to understand …' He called Obama naive, dangerous and inexperienced, and his attacks, which seemed to frustrate Obama, put him on the defensive for the majority of the night. … McCain may not be, as he put it, Miss Congeniality in the Senate or with the current administration. But in this game at least, he made the case for captain of the football team."
— S.E. Cupp, Op-Ed, "Score One For McCain", [New York] Daily News, 26/9/08
"The First Debate: Advantage McCain. … And John McCain never looked more presidential."
— Editorial, "The First Debate: Advantage McCain", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 27/9/08
"Obama seemed unwilling to sacrifice his presidential poise by pressing or attacking McCain too much, and often conceded that he agreed with his opponent's observations and analysis."
— Jason Horowitz, "The 'What Senator Obama Does Not Understand' Debate", New York Observer, 26/9/08
"Aided by a MSM willing to say whatever it has to say to help Obama make it to 1600, the Democratic nominee has not yet been hurt by his very poor performance on Friday night's debate. Weekend talking heads chanting "ties go to the winner" nonsense and the output of loyalists like E.J. Dionne are trying to make Obama's halting answers on Iraq, Pakistan and especially North Korea seem like C-minuses on a pass-fail test. The cringe-inducing bracelet moment has surfaced in just a few places, and McCain's dominance on the facts concerning Russia and his memorable "You don't do that" dismissal of Obama's threats towards our ally in Pakistan will get their full play this morning on all the talk shows …. Obama doesn't know what he's talking about on the perils we face abroad, and he was led around by the hand on the bailout package. He is a figurehead for Democratic party elites from the hard left edge of the party."
— Hugh Hewitt, "Hugh Hewitt" blog, 29/9/08
Labels: John McCain
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