Mark my words: "Temperament" is the gauntlet thrown down.

[TahitiNut]

Barack Obama knows his neighborhood basketball. He knows how to do exactly enough to light the fuse on an opponent's temper. McCain is walking into it. We WILL see him lose it. No doubt in my mind, now. Obama gets it.

That speech was a political campaign masterpiece. It ranks up there with or above the best I've seen since 1952.

[texpatriot2004]

1. To debate McCain about who has the "tempermant and

judgment" to be President...that's a debate I am ready for. SMACK!

[Lugnut]

36. I can't wait.

I don't believe for a minute that McCain can get through a debate without imploding.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

2. It would be SOOO great to witness McBush's temper explode in a debate.

It would be OVER for him with a bunch of people - some would like it (mainly the redneck segment).

[Sugarcoated]

8. Like Santorum in his debates with Casey

Yeah

[CitizenPatriot]

3. oh, yeah. BRILLIANT. He is a chess player, a strategist...

and that shows who the better leader is.

checkmate, Old Man.

[AuntPatsy]

4. They will more than likely make sure he is pretty drugged up so he doesn't respond in anger...

[fadedrose]

5. And when an opponent is standing there making a fool of himself,

Obama doesn't interrupt. He just lets 'em.

In fact, he doesn't interrupt anybody, just waits for an opening.

[TahitiNut]

12. Obama is like a martial artist. He doesn't waste any energy.

He's centered and in full possession of his faculties. McCain is imbalanced and losing his marbles. First rule of politics: Never interrupt when your opponent is destroying himself. Obama gets it.

No wonder he's not afraid to confront other nations diplomatically! My God! He GETS IT!

[nc4bo]

6. Was that the first time Obama ever mentioned mccain's temperament?

It sounds new to me for some reason.

Like others said, ole mcmaverick's gonna be walking straight into a minefield.

[TahitiNut]

14. I believe it was. After all, until tonight he hasn't OFFICIALLY been playing against McCain.

Obama is, if nothing else, a sportsman. He knows when the flag drops and the GAME IS ON.

[nc4bo]

19. At last! I also noticed Obama looked straight into the camera tonight.

McCain, Obama's coming for you!

[Robeson]

7. The MSM is now having to face that issue they were hiding for that senile old man...

...hopefully, the issue will lead to other issues regarding the stability, i.e. temperament, of McCain.

[TahitiNut]

21. McCain has been a loose cannon all his life. It's not an age thing. It

It's a temperament thing. McCain is without the needed ballast to sail on an even keel. Always has been.

[Robeson]

28. No doubt. But he is clearly senile now, as is shown....

...by an elementary search on Youtube. Saying he has a bad "temperament" really trivializes the true danger this man would be as president. He is a senile old man, who is possibly suffering from age related dementia.

[cally]

9. Did you see Sen. Leahy's response?

He was jumping up and down in his seat,smiling, and animatedly talking to those around him.

[Thrill]

10. Yup. Its a clear signal how they are going to tear McCain down. He's not fit to be CIC

[rufus dog]

11. McCain and his crew know it all too well.

It is coming and it will be fast and furious.

I used to play street ball with a guy who was a good defender. Before games when people would introduce themselves he would say, "my name is Bob, but you can call me hemorrhoid because I am going to be on your ass all night."

[C_U_L8R]

13. I bet McCain was grinding his dentures tonight

[blondeatlast]

15. I was a little shocked, but DELIGHTED! nt

[TexasObserver]

16. You know Admiral Combover had steam shooting out his ears tonight.

Like Popeye, when he's blowing his stack.

yuk
yuk
yuk
yuk
yuk

[TahitiNut]

22. I don't particularly like Cindy at all ,,, but I hope she steered clear of him tonight.

You know damned well he's just as likely to take it out on her as anyone.

[TexasObserver]

27. those two deserve each other

Both are consumed with having exactly what they want in life.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

17. That was a 95-mph brushback pitch

The net one will let Grampy knew Barack MEANT the first one.

[TahitiNut]

23. It's not nearly all Obama's got, either. The guy is very skilled.

Besides, he's got a brother-in-law who's a basketball coach ... and KNOWS street ball.

[Tatiana]

18. HA HA HA... when McCain really cracks up (and you know he will)

there will be millions of Americans pointing their finger and thinking "yep, that Obama is right again!"

[cliffordu]

20. That's right, man. I have been saying for MONTHS that Obama, having

played in the savage garden that is Chicago politics had a lot more savvy and punch than he's been using.

He has obviously been waiting for this evening, and now that he has the primaries behind him, he can turn that amazing clarity, brilliance and killer left-right combination on the entire RW machine.

I believe he means to dismantle that whole train of thought.

[KittyWampus]

24. hmmm, yes. You are correct.

[bullwinkle428]

25. Mr. McCain? I WILL start pushing your buttons!!

:nuke:

[toddGA]

26. BBC convention blogger was confused

..about why Obama framed the commander in chief issue in terms of termperament. she seemed genuinely confused about what he meant by that. do the brits not know about hot-head mcsame.

also, really bizarre number of right-wing-nut comments on the blog post over there. seems the trolls are spreading garbage on the international press sites as well...

[OmahaBlueDog]

29. It's also bait for the media

In essence, it says "Push him until he blows his top. It will make a great story"

[TahitiNut]

30. (Heheheehe..) Yes... there IS that, isn't there?

The LUST for a scoop would have them salivating like Pavlov's dogs.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

31. That was a very hard punch to Grampy's solar plexus

and you can bet Joe has told Barack how to push every one of McCainus' buttons. Wait for a meltdown in the debates. Big time. Chernobyl like.

[TahitiNut]

33. I gotta wonder if Joe has given such advice. That's a hard thing to do.

I've had friends with whom I disagreed politically - strongly disagreed. Still do. It gets tough at times but I'd have a hard time betraying the trust of friendship for political advantage, no matter how strongly I felt.

That'd be about MY values, not theirs.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

37. Joe doesn't have to give him personal insults

Just ways to needle Grampy on his policy positions and where he has been so wrong so often. That McShits has a very nasty temper is common knowledge among Repukes and Dems. McCain is a bomb waiting to go off. He can't stand being challenged and it's a question of challenging him to his face about failed policy, not calling him a philandering, crooked asshole, which FWIW is perfectly true too.

[BeyondGeography]

32. The whole Senate knows McCain is an anger bomb waiting to explode

Great tactic by Barack.

[Hutzpa]

34. Right there at the three point

eyes and nose.....ZING!! a cleanly landed punch.

[Overseas]

35. Yes Yes Yes !! That ability to slam it down so intensely yet respectfully

is one of the things I like best about Barack.

And his challenge to keep the campaign to the issues. That, too, was a gauntlet of sorts.

[goletian]

38. true, that was definitely a sign of things to come. its ON