USA Today/Gallup: Obama Won Debate By 12%
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, Debates, McCain
While the pundits said it was a draw, Americans felt differently.
A new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll shows 46% of people who watched Friday night’s presidential debate say Democrat Barack Obama did a better job than Republican John McCain; 34% said McCain did better.Obama scored even better — 52%-35% — when debate-watchers were asked which candidate offered the best proposals for change to solve the country’s problems.
The poll suggested the debate was to some extent a wash for McCain: 21% of those who watched say it gave them a more favorable view of him, 21% say less favorable and 56% say it didn’t change their opinion much.
Three in 10 said their opinion of Obama became more favorable after seeing the debate, compared to 14% who said less favorable and 54% who said it didn’t make much difference.
As I said at the time, tie goes to the runner on substance, but on style it looks like people favored Obama A LOT more.
Maybe McCain will look at Obama next time. :-)
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September 28th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I expected the result to be more of a win for McCain as he seemed a lot more emphatic and was hitting the “yay America – we’re number 1″ buzzwords far more frequently.
September 28th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Agreed. This statement pretty much sums up the entire 2008 Presidential election campaign.
September 28th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
People prefer calm and gracious to cranky and smug. Go figure.
September 28th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Now, the MediaOcracy’s Avitar, Obama, of course “won.” Ah huh…by whose filter of clarity is making that distinction.
Every last media outlet PROMOTED the winner as if Media was the determining fact, stayed with that presumptive and gave it to us 24/7.
All I can say is that if a “martian” came into town with no alliances, allegiances, or bias…etc…it would of been hands down McCain. Give me a break…please, this from an ex-con.
http://www.beyondpuke.com
September 28th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Anthony Venuti,
I have conclusive evidence that Martians speak from their rectum, so of course they would empathise with McCain.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Rachel hit it right on the mark. Obama was gracious, thoughtful, and quietly forceful. He was cool. The general public’s verdict seems to be that Obama won this debate on demeanor.
Pundit scored it as more of a draw is because they score only on content, dismissing rhetorical style and tactical approach. or is that strategic approach? :-)
I agree the content portion was pretty much a draw. Both made good points. But outside the wonkosphere, people have less tolerance for petty hectoring.
Consider the main phrase each guy had a tendency to repeat. On the one hand, Obama, on more than one occcasion, used the form “John is absolutely right about this part, and here’s where I disagree.” Partisans and wonks saw this as weakness,but I think regular folks liked it. It showed up as grace, and was complimentary of folks in the audience who agreed with points that McCain made.
Meanwhile, McCain kept repeating how Obama “doesn’t get it.” He did this even when Obama had just said something intelligent and sensible. I don’t think McCain realized that every time he said that he was insulting anyone who had just agreed with Obama. I know that at least once when McCain tossed this line out I thought “Hmm, he sounded like he gets it pretty well, John.”
September 29th, 2008 at 10:13 am
God, I hate to believe we are going to elect a President based on “style” over “substance”, but it sure looks like it. It’ll probably take a year for Americans to realize that we have elected a conventional Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale/Mike Dukakis type of partisan liberal Democrat, and put him in place without an opposition party of any practical consequence in Congress. Barack Obama will have more concentrated unbalanced power in his office with less Congressional opposition than any President in the lifetime of anyone reading this blog. More than GWB – much more. It is a pure “trust me” for someone who has zero record of being what he claims to be and s strong record of being the opposite of what he claims to be. But blind faith knows no reason.
Maybe it can be partially rectified by congressional elections in 2010. But by then, the damage will be done, and we will likely be paying the unintended consequences for decades. Much like we are still paying today for the unintended consequences of LBJ’s Great Society.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Conditioned by the maiinstream media for 50 years to disrespect authority, a tactic picked up via “Rules for Radicals.”
This is no surprise here to me, I know the darkside of the media. This MediaOcracy that will be in place should the misfortune of a Obaba presidency occur will be the beginning to the end of America, Period.
Don’t understand this?….Sensibilities of the obvious to difficult?
I’m simply embarrassed.
I value words, without a higher education…just a higher mindset.
Not born from privlege, but PRIVILEGED to live in America.
We lost it…The last great generation, “graced” us with One DeGeneration after another, and soon on to a third. No turning back.
It’s the culture stupid!.
Thank you!
Tony Venuti experiential, social philosopher
Ex-Con, Newspaper Publisher, Talk show host
InPolitically Correct and BEYOND PUKE
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