I felt sorry for Obama.

[RememberWellstone]

It's almost like he was set up, I got that uneasy feeling with all the questions. This was probably the weakest I have seen him since primaries started. He seemed lost and disconnected. I felt like he was thrown into a pit...it did'nt seem like he was "on message".

I'm 100% Hill supporter but it seems something was not right tonight. I will have to watch it again to see exactly what I am feeling now.

I wanted him to clear things up but it seems like the mods wanted to thrown him a bunch shit can questions.

I don't like the way this debate went at all.

[Yael]

1. ABC was completely tone deaf on this one. I give them a

[Evergreen Emerald]

2. That is what Tim Russert and MSBNC did to Clinton

And Obama's supporters cheered. I remember that well. I remember their responses: "if she can't handle a debate, how can she handle the presidency?" The responses from DU were pretty harsh, in support of the media. They said we were whiners and that we were sore losers when we complained it was a set up.

[ErinBerin84]

9. I wasn't here

And I was pissed off about the Gotcha! tactics of Tim Russert to Hillary, but he pulls that shit on everyone I think.

[Johnny__Motown]

10. That seems unfair.. I thought Russert hit both of them equally... this was all one sided

[democrattotheend]

36. He was a little harder on Clinton. But not as one-sided as this.

I did think he was a little harder on Clinton in that debate though.

[Johnny__Motown]

40. OK, I am an Obama supporter so maybe my bias was showing.. I will agree with you on principle

[RememberWellstone]

22. I dunno, I don't remember this kind of

avalanche of questions dealing with nothing on policy, just gotchas..I don't need to hear that shit in a debate. I'll talk about it as news, but not a debate. It sucked.

[Mooney]

68. I didn't watch it, thank god.

The overwhelming sense that I get is that a lot of people were not happy. You get the sense a lot of them will need to de-louse.

[Abacus]

38. I stood up for Clinton

particularly the lame question about the name of Putin's successor.

[Frank Booth]

61. Russert was a disgrace too. He beat up on Hillary more, but he asked

Obama that bullshit Farrakhan question.

This debate was completely beyond the pale.

It was completely disrepectful to a person who has a very good chance of being the next president.

Do you think either of these tools would treat McCain like this?

I'm not big on conspiracy theories, but this really seemed like a set-up.

[babylonsister]

3. You're right, and thanks. He was ganged up on. Even Fineman

is saying that now on Olbermann.

[XemaSab]

4. Call the Vatican!

We agree on something: it's a MIRACLE!

[meow mix]

7. i know lol

shocking

[RememberWellstone]

14. Don't get carried away.

Hill still has work to do..and I will support her till the end. I think tonight sucked totally..I would'nt call anyone a winner or loser, it just sucked.

[XemaSab]

26. I don't think anybody "won" the debate

There were too many gotcha questions for both sides, and too many points where it sounded like the moderators thought THEY were supposed to debate the candidates.

Hillary really put her foot in her mouth on Bosnia, but I thought all her other answers were fairly poised. I thought Obama was asked too many bullshit questions where instead of being asked to explain policy, he was being asked "When did you stop beating your wife?" It's hard for anyone to come off well in that sort of situation.

[RememberWellstone]

29. Debates are supposed to debate

This was nothing like a debate, nothing.

[meow mix]

69. you seem to be the only hillary supporter who can see it

[TahitiNut]

32. It could be the first step in the canonization of St. Hillary.

[XemaSab]

59. .

[GoldieAZ49]

5. It is just starting here

I heard some PA voters say they didn't think he answered well or honestly, and they are still waiting for an answer about Wright

It is back on

seeya

[trumad]

6. ahhh how sweet

Your concern is so uhhhhhhh full of shit.

[Ronnie]

57. Didn't you used to be a nice person?

[NJSecularist]

8. He was a little off-rhythm

This was his Tim Russert debate.

Shouldn't hurt him that much.

[TahitiNut]

39. He was repeatedly interrupted by Gibson, Steph, AND Hillary.

I think it might be easy, on a replay, to count the number of interruptions (and their source) and see how HUGELY more frequently they "grilled" Obama.

[Nitrogenica]

11. I think he handled it rather well. The shit questions only play to Bush's base.

[Stuart G]

12. I am an Obama supporter and I feel exactly the same.

He didn't get a fair deal from ABC. He was indeed set up. The questions were carefully slanted to Make Hill (your term ) look better. It was the worst kind of journalism. Assholes.....

[cali]

13. Don't. Halperin already gave him a higher mark than Hill

he can handle what's thrown at him.

[AllentownJake]

15. We argue a lot.

However If they did this to Senator Clinton...and they did a bunch. Not as much the did to him I would be outraged.

[RememberWellstone]

20. Me too.

I think it was total bull shit on ABC's part, it's almost they want to control the minds of those watching.

[Indiana_Dem]

41. Thanks for sharing your gut feeling...

It makes you wonder. I recently watched a youtube video of Obama saying he would take down the military industrial complex...I was afraid for him after I saw this. I've noticed in my lurking that you do support Hillary quite often on the board, so I want to thank you from an Obama supporter that you see something not right.

I'm having ill feelings about it all. Either this will refine him and sharpen him for the GE or they are trying to knock him out for some reason.

[RememberWellstone]

50. I'm pretty straight forward in my support

My hits on Obama and his policies or his inexperience..but when you see a gang rape, it would be foolish to see anything else but that. I would like Hillary to win on what I love about her and not what I don't like about him. ABC needs to be beat down over this "debate".

[earthlover]

55. gotta give you credit. wellstone would be proud!!

I thought obama did well under the circumstances.

The debate was a joke. They announced about a format of minutes for statemetns and rebuttals. Which they did not enforce. I knew, when the debate started when they did not ask either candidate about the running mate question, and they both stood there....it was going to be a long night. Sorta reminds me of a high school debate moderated by the janitors.

[RememberWellstone]

58. Thanks.

Paul is probably saying "Some of my followers need to be in mental health facilities!" LOL.

[Tatiana]

16. Well, I think your instincts are right. They were after him.

But, he'll weather the storm.

[ProSense]

17. Hillary brought up Farrakhan

I feel sorry for her.

[babylonsister]

21. Really? I missed that. Why? nt

[ProSense]

28. When she wasn't getting anywhere with Wright, she broadened her innuendo. n/t

[babylonsister]

34. What a surprise! Not. nt

[Generator]

44. Yeah I fucking feel sorry for her too

Apparently she so much a feminist she has to wait for the husband's political career FIRST. It's so sad she had to wait for him. She's a coward. And comments like that show it. She may be the deathknell of the Democratic party. She's like some biblical harbinger.

[blonndee]

18. Well, they fucking pounded him with gossip trash and argued with him,

while lobbing softballs (some authored by the RW piece of trash Hannity) at Hillary. This was a debacle, and completely unprofessional. When Ed Rendell comments about it negatively, you know it was bad, since he obviously supports Hillary.

[RazBerryBeret]

24. yeah....

combination of hannity and the National Enquirer. I think the only rumor they missed was the muslim thing...
geez.

[Johnny__Motown]

19. Time / Mark Halperin think Barack won...

http://thepage.time.com/

[OhioBlue]

23. I'm an Obama supporter and I felt bad for Clinton too

Only because of the part of the debate that I saw, it seemed all the questions were framed to get a "gotcha" moment from one of them. The tone sucked. It was as if ABC was hoping for something that would stick in the cable news loop instead of asking questions of the candidates that would help inform voters. Truly the worst debate moderators that I have observed.

[backscatter712]

25. Obama did just fine, considering the debate was rigged against him.

He kept his cool, looked Presidential, and continually redirected the conversation from Rev. Wright, Bittergate and flag pins to real issues like health care, Iraq and the economy.

[quiet.american]

27. I felt proud of Obama. He threw most of the shite right back at Clinton, et al.

Especially when she was harping on the Weather Underground issue and thought she had it nailed -- then Obama brought up that Bill Clinton himself pardoned two WU members, and that was the end of that -- I swear I saw a look of relief on her face when Gibson conveniently offered to go to commercial at just that moment.

That was one of many such moments.

Gobama!

[panAmerican]

30. George and Charlie were like mean, gossipy teenage biotches!

[MichiganVote]

31. They guy is the clear fav. He has to take some shit to prove himself.

[JoFerret]

33. He seemed off his game

But he will be OK. He will bounce back just fine. Don't worry.

[RememberWellstone]

46. He's got 6 days till PA

But, if if he makes it to the GE, I don't he'll face this type of firing squad like tonight. It was bad.

[JoFerret]

54. This was a mild version of what the fall will bring

The Obama fans who are whining should be cheering. This was great preparation for the firestorm to come should he get the nomination.


Hillary was fantastic on most questions.

[DB1]

35. You called it right, it was bias the only reason they were not as hard on.....

your candidate is because they want to see the repubs win and Obama is the dem front runner so he gets the hit put on him. What else can we expect from the All Bush Compliant network?

[crispini]

37. Of course they totally did. The debate was a sham.

Hillary or Obama, this kind of debate does not do us any favors. Let's talk about the ISSUES not about this horse-shit! I expect that kind of crap here (it's just the internet, after all) but to see it on a nationally televised presidential debate is a travesty!

[DevonRex]

42. What a nice thing to say. I'm glad you felt like that, like

something wasn't right and that he had been set up. Kudos to you.

[KAZ]

43. The 1st 45 minutes was a hitjob, but after that, Gibson & Stuffituphisass..

.. spewed nothing but Puke talking points, while constantly interrupting. They jumped on both of our candidates, which these two dickass "moderators" would never do to a Puke.

[hans]

45. What's ABC news phone number? I'm mad as hell

The first 45 minutes of this debate were a failed attmpt to smear Barack Obama with utterly meaningless trivia; this was a disgrace to journalism. I want to give them a piece of my mind. Emails have been sent. Who can I call?? Thanks

[RememberWellstone]

47. I sent an e-mail

I said I was Hillary supporter, I doubt they will believe it..but it's true.

[anonymous171]

48. It was a total set-up. At first I was pissed off at Hillary.

But as the "debate" progressed I became more and more inflamed by the stupid questions the "moderators" were asking. Steph even asked a question he was fed by Hannity!

[RememberWellstone]

51. Moderator rape

Hill just took what was given to her from the mods...softballs, maybe but he was set up by the mods for their own pleasure not Hillary.

[Straight Shooter]

49. Didn't he make a statement recently about ensuring his AG would investigate the bush administration?

Something to that effect, that his AG would look into the deeds of the bush administration.

Such remarks play well with the lefties but the media is GOP owned and controlled. So maybe his remarks had something to do with their pettiness.

Or maybe they're just messing with his mind. Who knows.

[RememberWellstone]

52. He needs to be careful

If he pisses off the rethugs to the point of them becoming frothing wolves, he will have stepped in a huge hornets nest. He needs to focus on what got him where he is. Nothing more. Promises are broken when they become a soundbite and not a heart felt belief.

[ShortnFiery]

53. Oh Stop! We all know your perspective and know you have ZERO empathy for Obama.

[RememberWellstone]

56. "we"? You do?

What would that "perspective" be? That I cannot be objective? WTF is your problem? I say what I feel when I think something is right or wrong. Don't believe me, ask those "we" voices in your head again.

[TML]

60. Thanks for this post

Seriously. I know we spar quite a bit on here, but I'm glad you wrote this. The debate's not on here on the Left Coast for another hour, but from what I'm reading it sounds like I'll have to keep my golf clubs and dumbbells out of reach so I don't throw them at the TV set.

It almost sounds as if Hillary was given the questions ahead of time and Obama wasn't. I'll see for myself in a little bit.

Once again, thanks.

[RememberWellstone]

63. Save yourself, throw pillows

And throw down a couple of shots, you're gonna need them. You're gonna be pissed. Keep all sharp objects away from your body...get a picture of chimpy and chew it up during the first half hour.

[TML]

65. I've got pen and paper ready

And taking a few notes. To be honest, no one won. Democrats lost. This only helps McCain no matter who wins. It was an ambush.

[PseudoIntellect]

62. Gate-Debate. No substance required.

[myrna minx]

64. Thank you very much.

As an Obama supporter, I am always happy when he takes on the tough questions and always enjoy his answers, but tonight felt like an ambush, and that's what upsets me. I want him to answer tough questions, but these questions and the manner they were asked seemed especially "Hannitized." I really appreciate your thoughtful post.

[Beacool]

66. I didn't !!!!!!!!

After the mocking crap of last weekend about duck hunting, and yelling "shame on you" and calling her Annie Oakley, screw him!!! He's finally getting asked the questions that he should have been asked months ago if the media had done their job instead of getting wood every time he gave one of his vapid speeches!!!!!!!

[Political Heretic]

67. I didn't even watch the debate, because it completely does not matter.

I'll accept opinion that he had a bad debate, because it doesn't matter. Nothing that happens at this debate changes the fact that he is going to be the Democratic nominee. Period. I have pretty much moved on in my mind to the general election. I'm tired of all this stupid shit fighting about nothing. In order for the SDs to overturn the primary process, Obama would have to demonstrate himself to be a complete failure as a candidate. Despite everything thrown at him, he has continued to GAIN GROUND. Even this week.

He's the nominee. I'm sick of the democratic circular firing squad. Wake me up when we can start focusing on the general election.

[Skwmom]

70. What debate were you watching? The lies about the debate are really ridiculous.

Obama did a GREAT job and made Clinton and the media hacks appear small, petty, and out of touch.

[Imagevision]

71. I'm positive Obama learned a lesson last night and will bounce back wiser/stronger...

just when he thought he had a handle on controlling the media it came out of no-where and slapped him up side the head, Obama is great at rebounding and will make him so much the wiser when the real swift-boating BS begins...