Debate 2: This One Was A Mauling
Totally agree with Sullivan here:
This was, I think, a mauling: a devastating and possibly electorally fatal debate for McCain. Even on Russia, he sounded a little out of it. I’ve watched a lot of debates and participated in many. I love debate and was trained as a boy in the British system to be a debater. I debated dozens of times at Oxofrd. All I can say is that, simply on terms of substance, clarity, empathy, style and authority, this has not just been an Obama victory. It has been a wipe-out.It has been about as big a wipe-out as I can remember in a presidential debate. It reminds me of the 1992 Clinton-Perot-Bush debate. I don’t really see how the McCain campaign survives this.
Wasn’t even close. I was seriously ordering my celebration bourbon before it ended. I don’t even have that “yeah, but we’re Democrats” nervousness or anything. With the way independents are tracking toward Obama and the rest of the electoral map hardening I honestly don’t see how this thing reverses course. It could, I guess.
My suggestion is we continue to press for early voting where we can and solidify the way voters are leaning with actual votes. There’s work to do, but the path to victory is clear and bright.
