Something very different this time around.

[Jackpine Radical]

The talking heads tried to call it for McCain but didn't get away with it. Public opinion carried the day. Every poll showed Obama the clear winner, as did the little moment-by-moment tracking thingie onscreen.

In previous elections, they could have had 24 hours to shape public opinion before the first poll results came in, and could have pushed things around like they did with Gore's sighs and whatever it was they dissed Kerry for, but these new instant polls are blowing their impression-management game out of the water. The people are "speaking" before anybody has a chance to screw up their perceptions.

[Drunken Irishman]

1. If anything, the narrative now is McCain's total lack of respect.

Hunching over, grinning like a fool, not looking Obama in the eyes at all.

[The Magistrate]

2. Very True, My Friend

[Barack_America]

3. McCain not looking at Obama was the "Gore sighs" of this debate.

If anything, public opinion will continue to shift away from McCain.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Agreed....

[Bicoastal]

4. In many ways, that's thanks to the Internetz.

People can respond to new information with lightning speed.

[Leftist Agitator]

21. Yep.

The series of tubes has eroded the monolithic media power-structre that has been so carefully crafted by corporate oligarchs over the past few decades.

[senseandsensibility]

6. I appreciate the spirit of your post

but I seem to remember instant polls in 2004 as well. They were just ignored, and/or seen as a challenge to overcome. I don't think the corporate media is quite as in the tank for McSame as they were for chimp.

[stillcool]

9. ah but the internet has grown a lot..

stronger in the last 4 years. By necessity. I love how the McCain folks blamed the media for what was said on 'left-wing' blogs about Sarah Palin.

[Captiosus]

7. I got a laugh at Buchanan

When on the late Hardball edition he tried telling people that these initial poll numbers might be meaningless and cited the whole Reagan/McGovern debates and how McGovern got a huge poll boost days later because of the media coverage.

Sounded like to me he was trying to say that Obama only won "tonight" and McCain will win "later"...
Keep dreaming Pat. Dreams are good to hold on to. Just, some advice: Don't hold your breath.

[regnaD kciN]

15. Wait a minute...WHAT "Reagan/McGovern debates"...?????

McGovern ran against Nixon in 1972 (no debates -- Nixon ducked them).

Reagan ran against Carter in 1980 and Mondale in 1984.

As far as I know, McGovern never debated Reagan at any time.

Is Pat off his meds, as usual?

:wtf:

[ContinentalOp]

18. He said Reagan/Mondale -nt-

[Raschel]

8. It's the internet

they can't B.S. like they used to, public opinion will expose them too quickly.

[spag68]

10. Internet

While I agree with the comments that it is harder for the talking heads to control opinion, the real game changer is that you must tell the truth and watch every e-mail and utterance you make because if it is out there, some one will find it and publish it on the net. The sites like this one will not ever let them get away with the lies of the old days. That is, I think the real downfall of the republicans, they still do not realize the power of the net.

[Norrin Radd]

16. Spot on.

[RichGirl]

11. I think they live in a bubble.

When they see McCain they see his long history. The public lives in the moment. The public has been watching clips of Palin all week with her ridiculous views on foreign policy. So watching McCain criticize Obama, who was clearly brilliant, was just too absurd.

[AtomicKitten]

12. Obama is proving every day he will be the next president.

[Undercurrent]

13. Good analysis.

The buffoon gallery of the punditry class most definitely changed their tune as the evening wore on. It was funny to watch!

[anonymous171]

14. Yep. Obama connected to the people, not the pundits.

And that turned out to be all that mattered.

[Norrin Radd]

17. Yep. I was groaning more at the pundits immediately afterward than I was at McStiltskin.

[unblock]

19. mclame was the one sighing this time.

did they call that a major gaffe on his part?

no, republicans can sigh all they want. it's only a disturbing sign when democrats do it.

[blm]

20. Actually, in 2004 Kerry won so decisively and so obviously they all decided debates DIDN'T MATTER

as much as they said they would before the debates when they said they'd be very important.

The corpmedia always has to come up with an antiDem angle even when there is absolutely no reason to it.

[terrya]

22. A lot of talk about McCain not looking at Obama even once.

That's not going over very well.

[Kablooie]

23. There is still one big wrench in the works...

McCain may still pull a very small electoral win out of his ass because the damned hackable voting computers are still sitting out there just begging for someone with an (R) after his name, to tamper with them.

If someone in power doesn't start being damned pro-active about this soon we may hear Limbaugh gloating soon.

If that happens though, I don't think we will go softly into the good night this time.
A volcano may erupt and Civil War II may begin.