Here's how I think this goes. [with poll]

Tonight we witnessed what, I believe, will become one of the classics of gotcha "debate."  Tonight's debate will be replayed, or referenced, much like the Nixon/Kennedy debates, with Nixon's sweaty lip.  Not because of its substance (precious little of that), but because, after 20 debates, and after spending thousands of hours of air time on Rev. Wright, etc., over the last several weeks, ABC chose to spend the first 45 minutes of the debate on gag reflex lizard brain issues, rather than try to educate the citizenry about the candidate's relative positions on health care, economics, the environment, etc.

So?

I think this plays out OK for Barack.  Here's how.

We were all upset after bitter-gate.  The sky was falling.  It was truly a campaign ending gaffe.  Yeah, right.  Pennsylvania voters paused a second, thought about it, and Obama bounced right back.  Nationwide Obama's numbers went up.

Tomorrow the blogs, the talking heads, and reich wing radio will be all abuzz about how Obama got creamed during the debate.  He was "on the defensive."  He "is finally getting vetted."  Etc., etc., rinse, repeat.

But the people of Pennsylvania will, I believe, look on this with disgust.  Nothing...nothing new came out tonight.  It was a pile on.  It was 3 against 1.  It was unfair.  And...it was a perfect example of what Obama was talking about in his "bitter" comments:  We've got two wars, 4000 dead kids, no WMD and an economy in the tank.  And these people wanted us to concentrate on what shiny thing???  A flag pin?

If the people of Pennsylvania are who we keep hearing they are (good, decent, fair, etc.), then this coordinated attack will do nothing but backfire on ABC (and the Hannity/George Steph axis).

Obama's numbers will go UP.  Not down.  Obama handled himself just fine, and people really are sick of the politics of distraction.

In sum...tonight will be a plus for Obama.

•  I agree...

  we have to give the voters some credit. even if they managed to elect george bush twice.

  by Taz Man on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:36:37 PM PDT

•  Tips for the hungry...

  by briefer on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:37:13 PM PDT

•  MAKE CALLS FOR OBAMA THIS WEEK IN PA

  This crap needs to come to an end.

  by newyorknewyork on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:38:04 PM PDT

  •  Uh...

    can I do that from Oklahoma???

    Dumb newbie question.  Sorry.

    by briefer on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:40:38 PM PDT

    •  Yes.

      Go to the online phone banking tools on barackobama.com

      by Mother of Zeus on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:42:26 PM PDT

    •  Yes.

      Go to the website, click on the phone icon on the right side of the screen. They'll walk you through the rest of it. Plenty of folks here to answer questions if you need any help.

      And thanks for making calls.

      by canoeist on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:44:44 PM PDT

    •  Thanks all...

      Sorry I didn't know that.  Duh.  I guess my mind's still back in the days of black telephones with rotary dials.  I love me some internet!

      by briefer on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:47:03 PM PDT

•  post a tip jar!

  here's how this goes for me- I officially am no longer watching any TV news (including MSNBC) except for Olberman.   It sucks cause I'll see Gene Robinson and Rachel Maddow less, but I'll also see Pat Buchanan and Tweety less, too.   The net is now going to be my campaign source of news!

  by brueso on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:38:36 PM PDT

  •  See above for tip jar.

    Thanks.

    Rachel Maddow with her own show!!!

    by briefer on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:39:48 PM PDT

•  nevermind

  by brueso on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:39:04 PM PDT

•  In plenty of ways

  it was bad for both candidates.  It was just a dreadful performance by ABC altogether.  Clinton might have been "helped" by some of the questions directed at Obama, but the Tuzla "issue" was a bag of flaming shit as well.  Hell, even MyDD agrees.

  Also, I'm an Obama supporter.

  by socratic on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:41:54 PM PDT

•  This debate will help Hillary in PA.

  I doubt it will be landslide, but I believe she will win by 10 points now at least.

  People here were wanting to use this to take a measure of him.  As unbelievably craptastic as Staphyloccocus and Gibbon were, Barack did not shine as he sometimes can and many people who were looking to this to see if they should give him serious consideration will - I predict - decide he isn't really all that great after all.  He was flustered by some of the straightforward questions in the latter half as well.  Particularly the question about whether we would extend our deterrence policy to Israel vis a vis Iran.  In all cases, Clinton's answers were crisper.  That is not good.  She was very commanding and while, yes, she certainly seized every opportunity to put her toes on the low road in the first portion of the debate, she did so carefully and won't be seen by most people as having gone overboard (no "change you can xerox" moments for Hillary tonight).

  There is no way to spin this:  Hillary won this debate and she will benefit from it in PA.  That's the facts.  Deal with it.  All we can do is work our asses off harder for the next week (and beyond).

  by Mother of Zeus on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:41:59 PM PDT

  •  Hope you're wrong.

    But time will tell.

    Amen on that "work" thing.

    by briefer on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:44:46 PM PDT

•  If you can, donate

  some Obamabucks to the campaign. I did, it wasn't much, but I feel better already!

  by loud zoo on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:48:44 PM PDT

•  Was Billary behind the questions asked of Barack?

  My hope is that someone will turn up evidence that Stepanopolos who worked for Clinton consulted with them for some of the 'gotcha' questions he threw at Obama. If that could ever be proved, it wouldn't only finish The Witch of Westchester but kill the Clinton legacy which they deserve because the way they both have conducted themselves.

  by John the Elder on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:49:32 PM PDT

  •  I would kinda like that,

    but I'm afraid that would damage the whole Democrat brand.  Bad mojo all around.

    by briefer on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 08:54:52 PM PDT

•  Not sure

  I voted Obama in your poll, but I'm just not sure how this will play out.  I think it depends on how the media plays it.  It's different than the "bitter" remarks  - which, in the end, are just some remarks.  What will matter is if the MSM hammers him on Ayers without breathing a word about the Woods Fund (lying by omission, the MSM is capital at that) saying it's a board, but not mentioning very often that it's a charity board.  Not mentioning what I've read on this blog that Ayers is a professor at UIC (if he's so bad would they really give him a teaching degree?? I mean, I had to fill one of those out when I thought I was going to go into teaching and they ask all kinds of stuff about your criminal history - obviously they didn't judge his past worthy of keeping him out of teaching), etc.  If they collectively omit facts and don't really allow Obama or Obama representatives a rebuttal that DOESN'T look like spin against spin... then I think he's in trouble.  It's one thing for people to think objectively about some comments - it's another thing to distrust the media enough to actively research an issue.

  by alouw1 on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 09:22:59 PM PDT

•  helps her in PA

  hurts her nationally.

  by amnesiaproletariat on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 09:27:07 PM PDT