Presidential Debate at the University of Mississippi

First Presidential Debate
Ford Center for the Performing Arts
University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
Friday, September 26, 2008

www.olemiss.edu/debate

Pre-Debate: Stage Setters/Expectations
Obama DEBATE MEMO: Home-field advantage: John McCain
Obama: JUST A FEW OF THE DEBUNKED CLAIMS YOU MAY HEAR FROM MCCAIN TONIGHT
Obama MEMO: Obama’s Good Judgment Proven Right; McCain’s Bad Judgment Proven Wrong
McCain Press Release: 300 RETIRED GENERALS AND ADMIRALS ENDORSE JOHN MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT

During and After: Rapid Response and Spin
Release titles and times are listed here to show the degree of activity; most of the releases themselves are not posted here.
Obama
(time stamps in e-mail)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN ON DEREGULATION (9:23 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: EARMARK REFORM (9:27 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN AND BIG OIL (9:35 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN'S "NOT CREDIBLE" BUDGET (9:36 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: TAXES AND THE ENERGY BILL (9:42 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN'S TAX LIE (9:47 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN'S SUPPORT FOR BUSH ON THE WAR (9:50 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: FACTCHECK ON COMMITTEE HEARINGS (9:55 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: THREAT IN AFGHANISTAN (9:57 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: THE SURGE (10:00 PM)
VIDEO: DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN AND IRAN (10:02 PM) [ed. "Bomb Iran" clip]
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MUDDLING THROUGH AFGHANISTAN (10:09 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN ON MUSHARRAF (10:11 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MEETING WITH FOREIGN LEADERS (10:19 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN HAS ATTENDED FEWER AFGHANISTAN HEARINGS THAN OBAMA (10:21 PM)
FLASHBACK: EVEN REAGAN SAID--"NEVER RETREAT FROM NEGOTIATIONS" (10:28 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: VOTING RECORDS (10:33 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN VS. RENEWABLE ENERGY (10:35 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: WHAT HE SAYS VS. WHAT HE MEANS ON TAXES (10:37 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE (10:44 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: JUDGMENT ON GEORGIA (10:51 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN AND SPAIN (10:52 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: SANCTIONS (11:39 PM)
Fact Check: McCain Invokes Eisenhower Letters (11:40 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: WHITE HOUSE ON SURGE AS A TACTIC (11:47 PM)
DEBATE REALITY CHECK: MCCAIN RECORD ON REFORM (11:54 PM)
McCain seriously mistated his vote concerning the marines in Lebanon (12:15 AM on Sept. 27)
TOTAL: 27

PLOUFFE: Clear Victory for Obama on McCain's Home Turf (10:42 PM)
A look at the numbers. (11:10 PM) [ed. this was a theme in Obama's speeches the next day] >
THE IMMEDIATE REVIEWS ARE IN (11:13 PM)
CBS POLL: Obama wins with undecided voters (11:25 PM)
CNN POLL: OBAMA WINS overall, on economy and on Iraq (11:38 PM)
THE IMMEDIATE REVIEWS ARE IN ROUND 2 (11:58 PM)
THE IMMEDIATE REVIEWS ROUND 3 (12:41 AM on Sept. 27)
From the Debate (4:46 AM on Sept. 27) [ed. fundraising appeal]
...Conference Call With Campaign Manager David Plouffe On Last Night’s Debate at 9 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. ET
The Next Day Debate Reviews Are In...How's It Playing? (9:58 AM on Sept. 27)

McCain
(times are when posted on the campaign's blog)
DEBATE FACT #1: A RECORD OF FIGHTING FOR REFORM (9:02 PM)
DEBATE FACT #2: BUSINESS TAX CUTS (9:22 PM)
DEBATE FACT #3: BARACK OBAMA SUPPORTED BILLIONS IN TAX BREAKS FOR OIL COMPANIES (9:31 PM)
DEBATE FACT #4: MIDDLE CLASS TAX INCREASE (9:33 PM)
DEBATE FACT #5: BARACK OBAMA'S OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING (9:37 PM)
DEBATE FACT #6: THE MOST LIBERAL SENATOR (9:39 PM)
DEBATE FACT #7: OBAMA VOTED WITH BUSH "FOR THE MOST PART" (9:45 PM)
DEBATE FACT #8: BARACK OBAMA VOTES YES ON NEARLY EVERY SPENDING BILL (9:47 PM)
DEBATE FACT #9: BARACK OBAMA WRONG ON THE SURGE (9:55 PM)
DEBATE FACT #10: EVEN JOE BIDEN SAYS OBAMA WAS WRONG ON TROOP FUNDING (10:00 PM)
DEBATE FACT #11: OBAMA HAS AFGHANISTAN PLANS BUT A BAD RECORD (10:21 PM)
DEBATE FACT #12: BARACK OBAMA'S BAD PAKISTAN POLICY (10:33 PM)
DEBATE FACT #13: BARACK OBAMA'S MUDDLED AFGHANISTAN QUOTE (10:35 PM)
Debate Fact #14: Barack Obama Opposed Kyl-Lieberman (10:36 PM)
Debate Fact #15: Barack Obama's Unconditional Meetings (10:37 PM)
DEBATE FACT #16: BARACK OBAMA MISSTATES HIS MISSILE DEFENSE POSITION (10:38 PM)
TOTAL: 16

(time stamps in e-mail)
STATEMENT ON TONIGHT'S DEBATE [Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker] (10:42 PM)
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN'S PERFORMANCE (11:15 PM)
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN'S PERFORMANCE VOLUME 2 (11:37 PM)
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN AT TONIGHT'S DEBATE: VOLUME 3 (12:48 AM on Sept. 27)
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT JOHN MCCAIN AT OXFORD DEBATE: VOLUME 4 (10:40 AM on Sept. 27)

and RNC CHAIRMAN DUNCAN RESPONDS TO FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

also see McCain and Obama web ads

“This was a clear victory for Barack Obama on John McCain’s home turf. Senator McCain offered nothing but more of the same failed Bush policies, and Barack Obama made a forceful case for change in our economy and our foreign policy. While Senator McCain wants to keep giving huge tax cuts to corporations and said nothing about the challenges Americans are facing in their daily lives, Barack Obama will be a fierce advocate for tax cuts for the middle class, affordable health care, and a new energy economy that creates millions of jobs. While foreign policy was supposed to be John McCain’s top issue, Barack Obama commanded that part of the debate with a clear call to responsibly end a misguided war in Iraq so that we can finish the fight against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. John McCain needed a game-changer tonight, and by any measure he didn’t get it.”

Obama-Biden campaign manager David Plouffe

"There was one man who was presidential tonight, that man was John McCain. There was another who was political, that was Barack Obama. John McCain won this debate and controlled the dialogue throughout, whether it was the economy, taxes, spending, Iraq or Iran. There was a leadership gap, a judgment gap, and a boldness gap on display tonight, a fact Barack Obama acknowledged when he said John McCain was right at least five times. Tonight's debate showed John McCain in command of the issues and presenting a clear agenda for America's future."

McCain-Palin 2008 communications director Jill Hazelbaker