Nationwide CNN poll finds Obama handily won the debate
 

Obama 51% McCain 38%

Strange, many of us here and on Utefans felt otherwise, but maybe that was largely from watching the debate through the red, right-wing Utah bubble. (And other red states like Texas and Oklahoma). However, the majority of the nation felt it was Obama's show.

That gap is actually larger than recent polls, which means it's not just the Obama homers speaking up.

McCain did better among men. But Obama won by ~20 points among female viewers. I think that's because McCain looked like an asshole.

Well in all fairness CNN polled only 524 people, and they could have been largely from San Francisco for all we know. Perhaps a FOX insta-poll of 200 Arizonans would yield different numbers.

And Fox's poll was like 82% saying McCain won. It's all partisan. It cracked me up last night because out of all the pundits on both channels analyzing the debate, it clearly broke on partisan lines. What a joke.

What happened to the days when they would debate experts just score it as a debate?

Most polls have a sample of 500-800 people, so I don't understand the criticism of a poll having 524 people. Look at Zogby or Rassmussen or any other polling agency, and you'll see what I mean.

FMCoug, are you differentiating between an online poll and a real poll?

The Fox poll, like any internet poll, is completely worthless. If McCain had come out on stage, curled up in a fetal position, and sucked his thumb for the entire debate, he probably would have still received over 50% of the votes.

Having said that, the CNN poll, even though the methodology is obviously better, doesn't really say that Obama won in any meaningful way. The poll was only of people who watched the debates, not likely voters or anything like that. Of the poll's participants, 13% more were Democrats than Republicans. In the final result, 13% more people said Obama won than McCain. I couldn't find a breakdown, but it appears that, shockingly, Democrats thought Obama won, Republicans thought McCain won, and independents split pretty evenly. Pretty much exactly what we see here on CG. To me, that seems like it was basically a tie.

They polled 41% Dems and 27%
 

Repubs.........that might explain the numbers. Too bad Wirthlin is out of the polling business. His polling firm used to be the most accurate. Plus the way the questions are worded is huge. But I'm sure CNN was very professional in their wording and tonal expressions.

The most interesting story out of the debate was not the question of who won, which I find pretty pedantic. Friday gave you one of the best exposes you'll ever see on the ideas and allure of liberalism.

Listen to Obama's answers. We need to provide health care. We need to put more money in public education. We need to make college affordable. We need broadband Internet in rural areas. We need more funding to HeadStart. Business isn't paying enough tax. Meet our enemies without preconditions (a proposition he claims Kissinger supports, which Kissinger immediately and flatly denied).

Obama says he's going to cut taxes on 95% of America, but 41% of America pays no federal income tax at all. He says the top 5% don't deserve a break, but they pay well more than 39% of America's personal income tax burden.

McCain said Obama's new program prescriptions will cost $800 billion, a figure I'm sure Obama disputes. But there can be no question Obama has big plans for lots of new spending. Liberals hate to have their stuff termed socialism, but there's no other term for it. Gov't in every aspect of your life. It's the same doctrine that has facilitated the housing crisis ... giving huge loans to people who have not demonstrated an ability to pay them back.

I watched the Luntz focus group of so-called undecideds afterward. Those swayed to Obama felt he "understood me," as if Obama were their personal psychologist. Reminds me of what Limbaugh termed the "arousal gap" during the Clinton years.

McCain by contrast is no textbook conservative, but he presents an image of strong national defense and controlled spending.

This election is a referendum on liberalism, as much as it ever was on Bush and Republicanism. It's a philosophy America has rejected time and again. I don't know that we've had a true Obama-style dyed-in-the-wool liberal since LBJ (we can argue on Carter). McCain is a terribly imperfect vehicle for the opposition, but I fear for a country that chooses the Obama way, that looks to government to solve our personal ills. God help us.

LOL. That is a funny contradiction in terms, Tex. You are a funny guy!

I can't wait for McCain to control spending by strengthening our national defense.

I guess Tex heard that McCain will outsource our national defense to India and the Philippines, where it is much cheaper. It will be a call center format.

"You have decided to harm America....please press 1 if you wish to bomb a building...please press 2 if you wish to hijack a vehicle...please press 3 if you wish to damage agriculture.......or stay on the line if you wish to talk to a customer service representative..."