INSIDE WASHINGTON

Political Insiders Poll

by James A. Barnes and Peter Bell

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008


Q: Did the final presidential debate change the dynamics of the race?

Democrats (74 votes)

Yes                  8 percent
No                  91 percent
Maybe (volunteered)  1 percent

Yes

"McCain's performance has kept him in the game, though the odds are still long."

"It will increase Obama's lead. Even Joe [the Plumber] thinks so."

No

"No news is good news for Barack Obama."

"If anything, this debate solidified in voters' minds Obama as presidential, in command of the problems facing the country, and possessing the temperament to lead."

"Unfortunately for McCain, he still is ready to star in Grumpy Old Men."

"I'm not sure what McCain could have done to change the dynamics, short of personally promising to bail out every voter's IRA with Cindy's fortune."

"John McCain remains in the same sinkhole, along with the rest of the Republican Party."

"What did change, however, is that there are now no more opportunities for McCain to, in fact, change the dynamics, which for him has to be concerning."

"Obama continues to come across as informed and presidential. In this environment, that's all he needs to do."

"There was so much focus by the media on McCain and what he 'needed to do' that it seemed everyone forgot that Obama is just unflappable in these settings. McCain could huff and puff, but that's all he's been doing. The sincerity is gone; the desperation came through."

"A great first 35 minutes for McCain, but the rest was, as usual, nondescript."

"McCain had his best showing--but too little, too late."

"McCain has an unfortunately awkward presence in these debates with Obama. And tonight was no exception. He gets smirky, he sputters, and he gets testy. It doesn't work."

Republicans (73 votes)

Yes                            14 percent
No                             84 percent
Some; don't know (volunteered)  3 percent

Yes

"It stirred the Republican legions to fight on for their man."

"Barely, but allowed McCain to stay and fight another day."

"McCain put taxes on the table."

No

"McCain tried hard for a knockout punch, but Obama played defense and looked presidential doing so."

"The dynamics are driven totally by the economy and the candidates' relative ability to either ride that wave or be swamped by it. Right now, Obama is still a better surfer."

"McCain did very well and won the debate on points. But the dynamics of the race are being set by factors beyond his control."

"It's all about saving 43 [Republican] senators now."

"No debate can change the dynamics of the race, due to the fact that the mainstream media is out of control and obsessed with Obama. It makes me sick to my stomach."

"McCain failed to make the case that his policy prescriptions are superior to Obama's on any of the issues discussed, including taxes."

"McCain threw punches, but Obama used [boxer Muhammad] Ali's 'rope-a-dope' and rarely got hit."

"McCain needed this type of performance a month ago. Should have done every debate in a chair."

"McCain did not press the issues on ACORN and [William] Ayers, and [he] let Obama off the hook."

"Obama is still on cruise control. But this is the John McCain that a lot of people wish had been running earlier in this race."

"McCain had few good options: He had to press Obama. But the angry tone, mixed messages, and missed opportunities reflect the way he's conducted the entire campaign."

Q: Grade the response of your party's presidential nominee to the financial crisis.

Democrats (74 votes)

Average Grade = B

A 19 percent 
B 66 percent 
C 14 percent
D  1 percent
F  0 percent

A

"He projects an understanding of what people are going through."

"Obama handled the Senate negotiations and vote just right: He did not grandstand or get in the way, yet he provided just the right amount of attention, leadership, and vision."

B

"The crisis helped Obama. He was calm and collected, which is what Americans want in a time of crisis. McCain jumped all over the place, which makes voters even more nervous."

"What a mess. Does anyone really know the answers to this problem? At least Obama displays curiosity, confidence, calmness, and reassurance."

"Sen. Obama has made almost no mistakes in discussing the economy and the current crisis. In contrast, Sen. McCain has bumbled around way too much on the campaign's No. 1 issue."

"More specifics needed but steadiness has been reassuring."

"His response is very good, but everyone understands that there are no silver bullets. Consequently, there are no silver-bullet responses."

C

"He's cool under fire, knowledgeable on the issues, but doesn't seem to know any more about the underlying problems or how to approach this differently than we do. Not inspiring."

"Specifics lacking. But when playing defense, you guard, you don't shoot."

"We still need to connect government investment in banks to folks like Joe the Plumber. It is as much about ensuring your employer can get credit to make payroll, or ensuring you can get a college loan for your child, as about saving Wall Street."

D

"I would give both candidates a D."

Republicans (73 votes)

Average Grade = C

A  5 percent 
B 29 percent 
C 37 percent
D 23 percent
F  5 percent

A

"The McCain campaign did propose a significant package of changes in a short period of time on a complicated problem. I give them credit for doing that. However, the Obama campaign has done the same."

B

"Sen. McCain did his best to reflect sound policy during unforeseen circumstances."

"Apparently, there are no A responses, or [Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben] Bernanke would have come up with it by now."

C

"Lost opportunity to differentiate himself from Obama. Smarter move would be to side with taxpayers."

"Both candidates look foolish throwing enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars in every direction."

"John will likely have his own depression on November 4."

D

"I wish McCain had led the populist revolt against the bailout. I fear that after the election we will look back on this as the turning point where it slipped away."

"Where are the free-market solutions?"

"McCain calling for a White House meeting--then remaining mute at the very meeting he called for--was the day he lost the leadership mantle."

"After 'suspending' his campaign for all of 30 minutes, McCain has looked befuddled, lurching from one idea to another, looking desperate."

F

"The bailout was an insider deal laden with pork. He could be ahead now if he'd condemned this thing for what it is. For decades, we will wonder, 'What if McCain had acted like a maverick in October?' "

Democratic Political Insiders Karen Ackerman, Jill Alper, David Axelrod, Brad Bannon, Dave Beattie, Andy Bechhoefer, Cornell Belcher, Mitchell W. Berger, Mike Berman, Donna Brazile, Mark Brewer, Ed Bruley, George Bruno, Deb Callahan, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Carrick, Martin J. Chavez, Tony Coelho, Jim Craig, Jerry Crawford, Stephanie Cutter, Jeff Danielson, Peter Daou, Jim Demers, Tad Devine, Debbie Dingell, Monica Dixon, Michael Donilon, Tom Donilon, Anita Dunn, Jeff Eller, Steve Elmendorf, Carter Eskew, Eric Eve, Vic Fazio, Peter Fenn, Scott Ferson, Gordon Fischer, Tina Flournoy, Don Foley, Don Fowler, Gina Glantz, Joe Grandmaison, Anna Greenberg, Stan Greenberg, Pat Griffin, Michael Gronstal, Marcia Hale, Paul Harstad, Laura Hartigan, Mike Henry, Leo Hindery, Jr., Harold Ickes, Marcus Jadotte, John Jameson, Steve Jarding, Jonathon Jones, Jim Jordan, Gale Kaufman, Shar Knutson, Kam Kuwata, Celinda Lake, David Lang, Sylvia Larsen, Chris Lehane, Jeff Link, Bill Lynch, Steve Marchand, Jim Margolis, Paul Maslin, Terry McAuliffe, Caroline McCarley, Susan McCue, Gerald McEntee, Tom McMahon, Phil McNamara, David Medina, Mark Mellman, John Merrigan, Steve Murphy, Janet Napolitano, David Nassar, Marcia Nichols, John Norris, Tom Ochs, Tom O'Donnell, Scott Parven, Jeffrey Peck, Debora Pignatelli, John Podesta, Tony Podesta, Bruce Reed, Mame Reiley, Steve Ricchetti, Susan Rice, Will Robinson, Steve Rosenthal, David Rudd, John Ryan, Wendy Sherman, Terry Shumaker, Phil Singer, Bob Slagle, Erik Smith, Doug Sosnik, Darry Sragow, Karl Struble, Katrina Swett, Sarah Swisher, Eric Tabor, Jeffrey Trammell, Ed Turlington, Mike Veon, Rick Wiener, Bridgette Williams, JoDee Winterhof, and Jim Zogby.

GOP Political Insiders Dan Allen, Stan Anderson, Gary Andres, Saulius (Saul) Anuzis, Rich Ashooh, Whit Ayres, Brett Bader, Mitch Bainwol, Gary Bauer, David Beckwith, Wayne Berman, Charlie Black, Kirk Blalock, Carmine Boal, Jeff Boeyink, Ron Bonjean, Jeff Buley, Luke Byars, Nick Calio, Danny Carroll, Ron Christie, Jim Cicconi, Cesar Conda, Jake Corman, Charlie Crist, Greg Crist, Diane Crookham-Johnson, Fergus Cullen, Rick Davis, Mike Dennehy, Ken Duberstein, Steve Duprey, Debi Durham, Frank Fahrenkopf, John Feehery, Don Fierce, Carl Forti, Alex Gage, Sam Geduldig, Benjamin Ginsberg, Bill Greener, Jonathan Grella, Lanny Griffith, Janet Mullins Grissom, Doug Gross, Todd Harris, Steve Hart, Christopher Healy, Ralph Hellmann, Chris Henick, Terry Holt, David Iannelli, Clark Judge, David Keating, David Kensinger, Bruce Keough, Bob Kjellander, Ed Kutler, Chris Lacivita, Jim Lake, Chuck Larson, Steve Lombardo, Kevin Madden, Joel Maiola, Gary Maloney, David Marin, Mary Matalin, Dan Mattoon, Bill McInturff, Mark McKinnon, Kyle McSlarrow, Ken Mehlman, Jim Merrill, Mike Murphy, Phil Musser, Ron Nehring, Terry Nelson, Neil Newhouse, David Norcross, Ziad Ojakli, Jack Oliver, Van B. Poole, Tom Rath, Scott Reed, David Rehr, Steve Roberts, Jason Roe, David Roederer, Ed Rogers, Dan Schnur, Russ Schriefer, Rich Schwarm, Brent Seaborn, Rick Shelby, Andrew Shore, Don Sipple, Robin Smith, Javier Soto, Fred Steeper, Bob Stevenson, Eric Tanenblatt, Heath Thompson, Jay Timmons, Warren Tompkins, Ted Van Der Meid, Dirk van Dongen, Jan van Lohuizen, Dick Wadhams, John Weaver, Tom Wilson, Dave Winston, Ginny Wolfe, and Fred Wszolek.

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