Obama, McCain Battle in Tense Debate (2 Quick Polls - CNN, CBS - Judge Obama Winner)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

Obama, McCain battle in tense debate

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
44 minutes ago
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama battled over taxes and the best way to help struggling American workers on Tuesday during a sometimes tense presidential debate that highlighted a wide gap in their economic approaches.

With Americans reeling under what Obama called the worst crisis since the Great Depression, the rivals in the November 4 presidential election differed frequently and showed occasional flashes of the rancor that marked their recent rhetoric on the campaign trail.

- snip -

The Arizona senator, criticized for not being responsive on economic issues, was under pressure to turn in a strong performance that would stop his slide in the polls and halt Obama's momentum that has blossomed during the economic crisis.

Two quick polls taken immediately after the debate, by CBS News and CNN, both judged Obama the winner.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081008/pl_nm/us_usa_politics

[snot]

1. k&r'd

[maddezmom]

2. CNN Poll: Obama won the night, 54 to 43

CNN Poll: Obama won the night
Posted: 05:07 AM ET

From CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser


Polls suggests Obama has won tonight’s debate.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) — A national poll of debate watchers suggests that Barack Obama won the second presidential debate.
Fifty-four percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey conducted after the debate ended said that Obama did the best job in the debate, with 30 percent saying John McCain performed better.
Watch: Debate analysis
A majority, 54 percent, said Obama seemed to be the stronger leader during the debate, to 43 percent for McCain. By a greater than two to one margin — 65 percent to 28 percent — viewers thought Obama was more likeable during the debate.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

[maddezmom]

3. CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Obama Won 40 to 26

CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Obama Won
Forty Percent Give Edge To Obama, 26 To McCain And 34 Percent Say It Was A Tie

(CBS) Uncommitted voters named Barack Obama as the winner of the second presidential debate as well, according to a CBS News/Knowledge Networks poll.

Immediately after the debate, CBS News interviewed a nationally representative sample of 516 debate watchers assembled by Knowledge Networks who were "uncommitted voters" - voters who are either undecided about who to vote for or who say they could still change their minds. Forty percent of these uncommitted debate watchers said Obama won the debate, 26 percent said John McCain won, and another 34 percent thought it was a tie.

In a similar poll conducted after the first debate, uncommitted voters also thought Obama was the winner.

The economy is now the most pressing national issue, and the first hour of the debate focused on economic questions. Uncommitted debate watchers see Obama the clear winner on handling the economy -- not only were his ratings on this issue higher than McCain's after the debate, but Obama also gained more from the debate on this issue.

more:http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/08/politics/2008debates/main4508430.shtml

[DeepModem Mom]

4. CNN Poll: Obama won the night

Source: CNN

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) — A national poll of debate watchers suggests that Barack Obama won the second presidential debate. Fifty-four percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey conducted after the debate ended said that Obama did the best job in the debate, with 30 percent saying John McCain performed better.

A majority, 54 percent, said Obama seemed to be the stronger leader during the debate, to 43 percent for McCain. By a greater than two to one margin — 65 percent to 28 percent — viewers thought Obama was more likeable during the debate.

A majority of debate watchers polled thought Obama was more intelligent, by a 57 percent to 25 percent margin over McCain. Twice as many debate watchers also thought Obama more clearly expressed than McCain, with 60 percent giving the nod to the Democratic nominee and 30 percent to his GOP opponent.

Hands down, debate watchers questioned thought McCain rather than Obama spent more time attacking his opponent: 63 percent said McCain went more negative, as opposed to 17 percent who pointed to Obama.

Half of those polled say Obama answered questions more directly, 13 points ahead of McCain, and by a 14 point advantage debate watchers thought Obama seemed to care more about the probelms of audience members who asked questions.

McCain did come out on top in one category that neither candidate wants to win: By a 16 point margin, debate watchers thought McCain seemed more like a typical politician during the debate....

***

The poll suggests that independent voters thought Obama won the debate. Fifty-four percent of those identifying themselves as independent say Obama performed best, with 28 percent saying that McCain did the better job....

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/08/cnn-poll-obama-won-the-night-2/

[UpInArms]

5. Obama was more intelligent, by a 57 percent to 25 percent margin

glad to see that others think McLumpy is dumber than a stump too

[Nambe]

6. I want Barack to ignore McCant and give us wisdom, comfort, and calm.

I sense he is stooping to find their level and it is putting him off his true genius for getting things done. Let the rest of his campaign do the stooping.

[daggahead]

7. You can only get away with saying,

"My friends, we're Americans. We can do it," so many times before people realize there's no substance to McPlain's agenda.

[Milspec]

8. At times last I felt sorry for McCain

He looked like a tired old confussed man.

[barnabas63]

9. I'd feel sorry for us..

...if that confused old man ended up as our president.

[AlabamaBrightBlueDot]

10. THAT is why it is important to have.....

Fillibuster proof senate...
The 'just in case' scenerio weighing in.

[noonwitch]

11. Me, too, he was wandering around the stage like a nursing home patient

No offense meant to nursing home patients. I think that no matter how FOX tries to stretch the truth on this, it is becoming obvious to the voters that McCain is not the guy he was 8 years ago.

Except my 95 year old grandfather, that is, who is far less senile than the younger man he is planning to vote for. But he likes McCain and is a racist, so that's that.

[yellowcanine]

12. Well I think Obama won but the CNN numbers track today's Gallup numbers closely.

So I suspect that this is really just another national poll on where the race is. And that is a good thing, of course.

[DemWynner]

13. I like to listen to my kids watch the debates

They are very truthful. My 20 year old said that Obama actually answered the questions, while McCain did not really say anything. My daughter(13) thought McCain was childish with the silly grin he had and some of the things he said. At my house, Obama won hands down!