Obama did what he needed to do!

[Peacetrain]

McCain was speaking to the congregation, literally. He was stuck in campaign mode. With one liners tried and true on the stump. It was things we have all heard a million times. There was no getting to know who McCain really is.

Obama was speaking to the American public. He did a great job, even with that stacked audience. The question is. did he connect to the public, to deter the republican talking machine, trying to paint him as "not really one of us, Americans" talking points.

I think he did. I was so impressed. The low information voter is not going to change their itty bitty minds. Obama is after the undecided. The person in the middle.

[lisa58]

1. I agree - Obama did great - and did what he needed to do

[LSparkle]

2. Even Rethug callers on C-Span said Obama did a better job

of answering the questions, and not just "playing
to the congregation."

I think he did well tonight and he didn't have
as much ground to make up as Bomb Bomb (whose
party expects the fundie vote yet hasn't been
winning it of late).

[Peacetrain]

5. I think it will look very different in a couple of days

That he actually answered questions, and went deeper.

[Drunken Irishman]

3. Yes, Obama didn't come out of this hurt.

He received warm applause and discussed his faith.

We'll see if it has any impact, though.

[liberalmuse]

4. I agree. Obama did extremely well.

I don't think many Dems would have survived this without getting defensive. Obama didn't attack McCain at all. I don't even think he attacked Bush, only his policies. McCain attacked Obama a couple of times. He also had a pandering, dishonest tone to his voice. It was a bit creepy to me. Creepier than Bush, because on some level, I think Bush might have believed the bullshit he was spewing. McCain just didn't strike me as being sincere in the least.

[mvd]

6. 100% agree

:hi:

[Carrieyazel]

7. People: Very few viewers watched this meaningless crap tonight.

Olympics, NFL preseason games, Saturday night in August, people not at home etc,

This forum made no difference whatsover.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

8. "The least among us"

Barack highlighted this reference which resonated with the crowd. McCain says we need to make adoption easier in this country in response to a question about orphans around the world. So, do we all get on planes and go to where - Africa - to adopt these thousands or millions of orphans? He didn't answer the question.

[Peacetrain]

10. Exactly...

As they two question and answer sessions are compared, it will be a win for Obama. The cheering section in the congregation throws people. Heck it even throws the supposedly experienced media. They are swayed by that. But the night went to Obama.

[chieftain]

9. I agree that Barack did well. I think he answered in the spirit

of the session. He was thoughtful and conversational while explaining positions with which the great majority of the audience disagreed.
That said McCain was on his game tonight. He used the questions as pegs for pieces of his stump speeches. This was the most persuasive I have seen him.
I love the way Obama actually considers the question asked as he formulates a response. What some people see as stumbling delivery is really a sign of the respect Barack is showing the questioner. This style does not necessarily compare well wit McCain's crisp,anecdotal laced quasi-responsive answers. I do believe that Obama needs to sharpen his style for him to be successful in the debates.

[Median Democrat]

11. Agree - Remember Obama Just Went Into The GOP's Crib

This was even better for McCain than a typical townhall, because most folks there were right to life types. Yet, Obama more than held his own. He came of likeable, and its less likely that people will view him as a Muslim.

Now, many folks are hailing McCain's clear and concise answers. However, I think a lot of people understand that things are not that clear. McCain ripped on taxes. However, Obama pointed out the need to address the deficit and pay for needed infrastructure.

McCain said he would defeat evil. This is an answer that Pat Buchanan thought was a money shot, and McCain followed up portraying evil as coming from without the US. Obama noted that evil exists both in the U.S. and outside. Yes, McCain's answer was simple and easy to give. However, I think many Americans are smarter than we give them credit for.

Abortion. - McCain said he's pro-life. Obama, of course, could not simply just give the bird to the church, he had to explain his position.

So, Obama did quite well. If you wanted nice little canned answers in response to a black and white world, then that's George Bush and now John McCain.

[Median Democrat]

12. Agree - Remember Obama Just Went Into The GOP's Crib

This was even better for McCain than a typical townhall, because most folks there were right to life types. Yet, Obama more than held his own. He came of likeable, and its less likely that people will view him as a Muslim.

Now, many folks are hailing McCain's clear and concise answers. However, I think a lot of people understand that things are not that clear. McCain ripped on taxes. However, Obama pointed out the need to address the deficit and pay for needed infrastructure.

McCain said he would defeat evil. This is an answer that Pat Buchanan thought was a money shot, and McCain followed up portraying evil as coming from without the US. Obama noted that evil exists both in the U.S. and outside. Yes, McCain's answer was simple and easy to give. However, I think many Americans are smarter than we give them credit for.

Abortion. - McCain said he's pro-life. Obama, of course, could not simply just give the bird to the church, he had to explain his position.

So, Obama did quite well. If you wanted nice little canned answers in response to a black and white world, then that's George Bush and now John McCain.

[Peacetrain]

15. Yes he did,.. and came out just fine.

He does not want to take any money for the rich, which means he wants to keep the bush tax cuts in place. He may have got a lot of cheering in the hall, but when you step back and think about what he said, it is not what goes with that undecided middle class

[Ichingcarpenter]

18. Any rational thinking American should be thankful for his answers

and see what is at risk with McCain''s canned jingoistic answers to complex questions

Yes, the questions were complex, but McCain didn't really answer them but gave
jingoistic responses. The nation doesn't want that crap.

[dbonds]

13. To me, Obama came across answering thoughtfully, McLame came across as an act.

Obama really had little to loose with this crowd and everything to gain - just the reverse for the Mc-ster. I think he may have won a few of them over while not alienating his base.

[mzmolly]

14. An excellent

review.

[me b zola]

16. I agree

While watching McCain get all charged up by the audience when they would applaud. He seemed to become a caricature of bush*, two things occurred to me: 1) McCain is another scary idiot in the same vein as bush*, and 2) the target audience had a much broader spectrum than just those sitting in those seats.

Obama did exactly what he needed to do.

[Peacetrain]

19. That is such a good point!

It was like watching him morph into bush..

[AtomicKitten]

17. He held his own in a traditionally hostile demographic.

[KaryninMiami]

20. Yes he did. And anyone in the middle who also happens to be pro-choice,

got a serious wake up call tonight about the differences between these two candidates. McShame solidified his base all right but he also left a lot of folks in the middle now needing to really thing hard about this.

[Peacetrain]

22. The majority of Americans are pro choice.

McCain did himself some damage with his no quarter answer

[Phx_Dem]

21. Agreed. I thought Obama was very impressive.

He got a very warm reception and was much more conversational that McCain, who treated it more like a Town Hall.

The Evangelicals are McCains group (67%) so it's not surprising that he got alot of good support from the audience.

I also thought Rick Warren did a great job.

[butterfly77]

23. All McCain had was ..

his stump speech with the same old talking points.

[Peacetrain]

24. Not only that, but it hit me later in the evening

that with Obama going to this forum is precisely like the 50 state strategy. Obama will not cede the Christian church to the republicans any more than he will cede 42 states. If he gets 30% of the evangelical vote, we win this election!!

For far too long we have been fighting in areas where we thought we were guaranteed a victory instead of going for the entire enchilada.

Obama leaves no stone unturned and he did wonderfully at the forum