WASHINGTON - Republican White House hopeful John McCain, fresh from his first debate with Democratic rival Barack Obama in Mississippi, expressed regret on Saturday that his performance didn’t win over all the pundits in the press.
“I was a little disappointed the media called it a tie but I think that means, when they call it a tie, that means we win,” McCain said during a telephone call that was caught by cameras filming him at his campaign headquarters.
Both camps claimed victory after the 90-minute debate on Friday.
Meanwhile, Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe, sought to lower expectations for the next debate in Tennessee on Oct. 7. It will be conducted in a town-hall style with questions from an audience.
“We will be a decided underdog in that encounter, and John McCain is the undisputed town hall champion,” Plouffe told reporters on a conference call, noting that McCain — who is fond of the format — had challenged Obama to do joint town hall meetings throughout the summer.
“He clearly feels, even more than the foreign policy debate, this is his home turf. So if we can just escape relatively unscathed against the undisputed town hall champion in Tennessee, we’ll be thrilled.”
Obama has held regular town halls of his own throughout the 2008 campaign and does not appear to struggle with the format.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
Photo credit: Reuters/Brian Snyder (McCain talks on the phone at his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on Sept. 27)
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Sarah Palin’s star has been falling ever since her “pitbull with lipstick” speech, when she so lustfully tore into Obama and mobilized full-throated screams of approval from her political base in the Republican Party.
For example, during Palin’s reign as mayor of Wasilla, female rape-victims reporting the crime were forced to pay out of their own pocket for the forensic-kit and exam needed in the work-up, an uncommon state of affairs even in Alaska (documented in detail in NYT 9/26/08),
What makes this fact so compelling, is Palin’s publicly stated belief that even women who suffer rape-pregnancy should be required to carry that pregnancy to full term and birth.
Since becoming V.P. candidate of the Republican Party, Palin has refused to clarify her position on these issues.
On less emotional questions, Palin’s glamour has also been wearing thin as voters learned of
–her unbridled pork-politics (to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars as Alaskan Gov., and even millions garnered from the Federal budget by hiring a major D.C. lobbying firm while mayor of the town of Wasilla, population 9,000),
–her flip-flopping (for the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it, then pocketing the money in the end anyway), and
–her ongoing stonewalling of a legislative investigation (Troopergate) into abuse of office charges against her, which this past Friday was again in the news, as more of her aides refused to testify.
With McCain’s actuarial table showing a 1-in-3 chance of Palin actually taking over as President during his first term, her interview performances with statements like
–“I can actually see Russia from an Alaskan island”;
– “the Bush Doctrine – in what respect?”; and
–“McCain’s record on finance regulation – I’ll get back to you on that later”
began turning her into a serious liability for the Ticket.
Yet at the debate Friday night, and today in Ohio, McCain keeps praising her! He is so cranky and stubborn, that just can’t admit mistakes!
In the end the American voters will decide the issue in November.
Sure I’m uneasy at the thought of what she might do, were a Pres. McCain to become incapacitated. As the most powerful politician on earth, her potential for wreaking destruction and devastation across America, and on the entire world, is truly mind-boggling.
- Posted by fbla1805John must have gotten hold of some of Cindy’s stolen pain medications.
He obviously saw the CNN, USA Today and CBS polls that all found Obama won the debate. But McCain trying to “spin” the story, calls it a “tie.”
I imagine come election day, when Obama wins, McCain will call that a tie, too.
McCain is an out-of-touch, delusional senior.
- Posted by Michael JohnAnd, I sure as heck do not want Palin as possible VP or President. No way.
So, the media calls it a “tie” (which, judging from many of the blogger’s comments today, and based on my own opinion, is complete BS and Obama emerged as the clear choice), and the first thing McCain says is “I think that means we won.” This very accurately demonstrates how delusional McCain really is….I can’t wait to see him go down in flames, the lying prick!
- Posted by erinMr. McCain is one of the most disappointing public figures in recent years. I have lost all respect for this pseudo-maverick, he is simply a political one-liner following the Rove row. His ideas are stale, and ideology situational. His ads are only about his opponent, fraught with partisan attacks and falsehoods.This saddens me from one I supported as the best statesman that our GRAND Old Party has. Instead he is a desperate tired old man, with a shallow gal as his surrogate. God, please bless America and help us move forward together.
- Posted by Chase Wilder[...] Sen. John McCain, quoted by Reuters, “during a telephone call that was caught by cameras filming him at his campaign [...]
- Posted by POLITICAL WIRE’S HEADLINES - 9/29 « Accomack County DemocratsI watched the debate and came away feelig that Obama was the more presidential and on target than McCain. I am astonished at the way McCain behaved; he was angry, rude and showed no class. His not wanting to make any eye contact or lack of congeniality was no surprise as the man is full of arrogance. How can he tell Obama that he dosent’t know the diffrence between strategy and tactic?! Give Obama credit for his education. I don’t see McCain with a college degree. McCain went to the military academy and learnt to be a fighter pilot but how does that comapre to a Harvard Law degree in terms of scholastics? Obama will be our next president - and the good people of this country can sense that and will vote him into office. Our wisdom will prevail; not that of a so called maverick! McCain - please quit now and save us your shameful attempt to be a leader and get a grip on your anger.
- Posted by Jewan SukhdeoI think McCain just couldn’t keep up w/ Baracks whoppers. Mr. Kissinger has already corrected Barack on that little lie and the mother of the dead soldier who Barack mentioned (the bracelet) has asked him repeatedly to quit mentioning her son. http://newsbusters.org/blogs/war…let-whe re- media
And lets see who voted against 190 to tighten legislation on Freddie/Fannie…why the man who has received the most money in 3 yrs from them. Barack again. Quit being lemmings being led to the cliff and check out another information source then Moveon and Kos…
- Posted by Chris^Typo: that should have been considerable LACK of intelligence and judgement.
- Posted by elisaMatt,
He graduated I believe 2nd or 3rd from the bottom, which for some reason he seems to be proud of (he has asserted it more than once in interviews). Also, correct me if I am wrong, but wasn’t his father and grandfather in the upper echelons on the military? Obama on the other hand got into Harvard and he obviously WASN’T a legacy candidate. Also, he graduated top of his class at Columbia Law School and was head of the law review. I feel confident that he is smarter than McCain. In addition, I can tell just by listening to that debate and past statements made by McCain that he is a bit of dim bulb on more than a few issues. He talks about Pakistan as a failed state prior to Musharaf’s coup, which is not true. He referred to Zidari as Kidari, he doesn’t know Spain is a NATO ally…..at one point he didn’t know there were two branches of Islam (i.e. Shiite and Suni) and he thinks the president can fire the head of the SEC…and most of all I would point to his selection of Palin as demonstrating CONSIDERABLE intelligence and judgement! For someone who keeps praising his 26 years of experience…..I think he comes up short on more than one front.
So, while you might say the Naval Academy is harder to get into……it is more exclusive a school (ie smaller), so the standards will be different….but someone who was LUCKY to graduate at all cannot be compared to someone who graduated at the top of his class from two ivy league schools. I’m afraid your argument doesn’t convince me.
- Posted by elisaLem -
I am a Obama supporter, but I find your post not entirely correct.
1.Mccain referred to the Iranian “Republican Guard”–in fact, the unit is called the “Revolutionary Guard”
- Obama made the same mistake also…
3. confused the concepts of military tactics and strategy
- Obama actually confused the point.
7. showed an undignified lack of respect to the next President of the USA– the clearly much smarter, more nuanced, more level-headed man on the stage, Sen. Barack Obama.
- This is a opinion backed statement. Please try to keep to statements of fact.
Why not say something like:
1. McCain was quoted as saying that we need a “League of Democracies” formed to put pressure on Iran.
- Ummm, I may be mistaken, but we already have this “League” it is called NATO.
- Posted by Chris[...] Reuters overheard John McCain on his cell phone noting his disappointment in the null outcome of the debate (?). “I was a little disappointed the media called it a tie but I think that means, when they [...]
- Posted by Imaginary Victory « Yes, Let’s Talk About This[...] but I think that means, when they call it a tie, that means we win.” — Sen. John McCain, quoted by Reuters, “during a telephone call that was caught by cameras filming him at his campaign [...]
- Posted by Bonus Quote of the Day | GroupHelp.NET - Easy everything!Hey Elisa, maybe you’re unaware of this, which surprises me considering how much you claim to know about being intellectual, but the US Naval Academy is a far more difficult institution than Harvard to a) be accepted to and b) graduate from. It takes deep intelligence to get through the courses and rigorous training that lead to you becoming a fighter pilot. It does not to write a thesis about how corporate greed is keeping the man down and socialism will save the world.
- Posted by Matt
Really difficult to get into the Naval Academy when your father is an admiral.
- Posted by RealAmericanMcCain looked as if someone gave him a wedgee with his Depends.
His actions never looking at the person talking to not only looks like a fool is one .
- Posted by HoneybeeI believe that adviser which is another low road idiot is behind this wanting to act like Obama isn’t even on the stage .
they must believe it makes them look special well they are es-specially dumb . They come up with some ignorant tactics, lie continually that Phalling really adds to their mix what a looser look where it has taken them. I love it
Actually, I think the media would have been all over McCain if he tried to get on Obama’s case for calling him John, not for a lack of respect, but for implying that Obama should be deferential to him. Generally, when people work together, unless one is in a superior position of authority, insisting on having someone else call one by their last name is taken as a belittling demand.
As for the impartiality of the debate polls: FOX news, by the numbers, also found that Obama won, and several professional, non-news polling agencies found that he won by double digits.
- Posted by KylarIf you watched carefully, Obama called McCain Senator McCain when addressing him in general, however when McCain started to say B/S, which was frequent, Obama call him “John”. It is a bit disrespectful to call your debate opponent by first name, but the clue is Obama was telling John and everyone one else they should not respect the lies. Also, I thought it was hilarious that McCain just repeated his stump speech. Obviously Obama was ready, I laughed my tuckus off when McCain thought he would play the old RNC trick and tug heartstrings on the bracelet (like a reason to keep fighting a war is our past casualties, I don’t get it) and Obama yanks out “I have a bracelet too”. Check.
- Posted by Marty, COI was disappointed the neither of the canidates dared to take Jim Lehrer up on his initial direction to debate how their Presidency would function post bailout. Neither would go there.
McCain would have had to admit that the bellicosity of the Bush Administration and their savage advocacy of democracy for the world would not be engaged in by a nation rendered physically comatose by aggregated debt of the current crowd’s deficit spending and the owning by the Federal Government of the financial irresponsibility of the deregulated financial sector.
In a way our nation and McCain are in very similar straits. We are now like the Paul Newman character in THE HOWLER, a short story in Hemingway’s ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG MAN. Newman plays the part of a long quit boxer still in training along the destitution trail that followed his beaten to a pulp career. The old trainer cannot leave the old pugilist, now helpless and mentally befuddled.
John McCain is the howler. As a fellow Vietnam Veteran, I could sympathise with his plight, but I would cringe to think of this man negotiating the rapids that the current President has engaged this nation to travel in the future with his endless wars and fiscally irresponsible policies.
- Posted by charles bowmanWe can be thankful such enormous pressure was exerted on John McCain from so many quarters that he was finally forced to show up for this debate - which he clearly had hoped to avoid.
The outrageous events leading up to this debate, and Friday night’s debate itself, will, I believe, prove to be a tipping point in this election.
In his reluctant appearance, McCain displayed himself to be:
-too slow on his feet, too petty, too pedantic, and too cranky,
-too hung up on military issues of all kinds,
-way too hung up on the war in Iraq,
-completely clueless about the lives and plights of his own countrymen and -women,
-and completely oblivious to the fact that even his beloved military power is not sustainable if we as a society continue to rapidly fall behind our competitors around the world.
In short, McCain proved himself to be unfit material for the Presidency of the United States of America.
Barack Obama made the most important point of the night when he stated that our government, our policies, and yes, our budget, must reflect our values as a people, and must serve us as a people. Everything else in Friday night’s debate flows from this insight.
- Posted by fbla1805I urge every reader of these lines to take his or her responsibility as a citizen in a democratic country seriously, and register this coming Monday to vote if not yet registered.
I urge you to convince your friends and family to do the same.
And I urge you to take your electronic calendar or appointment book, and allocate right now, well in advance, a sufficiently large time block to be able to tolerate waiting lines, and cast your vote on election day, or alternatively, to set wheels in motion Monday morning to vote in early elections or by mail ballot.
After the mind-boggling dishonesty we have seen thus far from McCain and his Rove-team, it should be clear to all of us that we must secure a landslide victory for Barack Obama to secure a victory at all.
We need a massive voter turnout in this election for President, and we need an overwhelming majority of votes cast for Barack Obama.
No one can do this for us - we must each make the effort needed!
- Posted by fbla1805- not sure what websites you’ve been looking at - the DNC’s site? CBS News? MSNBC? Yes, those are bastions of impartiality aren’t they?
- Posted by Michael Reed-
Did you want to add any more news outlets to that list? Maybe CNN, Fox? Both declared the same results. You will run out of space soon. McSame is so desperate and bitter and attacking an ever wider group of journalists and media that his ‘base’ has turned against him.
- Posted by Gord MetcalfeWhat a great strategy. Not.