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Poligazette’s Claudia examines McCain’s difficulty: “If he doesn’t attack Obama for his ‘associations’ his base will ask themselves why McCain lied about doing that… If he does attack Obama on that front, he will be accused of not wanting to discuss the issue that matters most to voters, the economy.”
Stephen Green remarks at 8:08 PM (Central): “If Brokaw had any shame, he’d apologize right now and turn the whole thing over to the remaining questioners in the audience.”
Bill Bradley writes, “It’s a town hall in Nashville. Except it’s not really a town hall. There is virtually no spontaneity. The questions are chosen by the Gallup organization. … The moderator is allowed no follow-ups to his questions. …The town hall questioners also get no follow-ups and the camera will not show their reactions to the candidates’ answers.”
On the Belmont Club blog Richard Fernandez poses open questions to his readers: “Will the debate make a difference? How does it set up the atmospherics for what follows?”
GayPatriotWest writes, “McCain anticipated Obama’s decision to come to Washington, depriving him of the time he wanted to prepare for tonight’s debate. The Democrat doesn’t do all that well without a TelePrompTer.”
Jennifer Rubin writes, “Whenever and wherever it occurs… McCain must appear calm and reasoned, Obama needs to show some fire and some spine. If he allows McCain to push him around, voters will quickly conclude that foreign enemies will be able to do the same. … It may be McCain’s last chance to change the dynamics of the race and Obama’s last point of vulnerability.”
C-SPAN solicited tips about interesting blog posts during the 2008 presidential debates in order to present the greatest number of unique, interesting perspectives possible.