Debate Reviews of Obama's Performance

[illinoisprogressive]

# Politico's Roger Simon: Spoke with passion and conviction and has gotten better and more confident with each debate, which bodes well for him because we have plenty of debates to go. He had a certain kind of homefield advantage as the only African-American onstage, but he used it modestly. While others could show sympathy, he could show empathy. "We have made enormous progress," he said, "but the progress we have made is not good enough." And he did speak with refreshing candor when he talked about the high incidence of HIV/AIDS in the black community, and said: "We must overcome the stigma that still exists. We don't talk about this. We don't talk about this in our schools. We don't talk about this in our churches. It is an aspect of homophobia that we don't talk about it."
Click here to read the article in Politico

# Democratic Consultant Jenny Backus: Democratic consultant Jenny Backus said Obama's effort to speak to whites and blacks resulted in his best debate yet. "Obama took his performance to a different level by showing the ability to have a conversation that was about race that wasn't just one way," Backus said. "He was talking to both whites and blacks in his answers."
Click here to read the article in Forbes

# Washington Post's Chris Cillizza: Speaking of nice moments, Obama showed his ease in the debate a few minutes ago. After Sen. Joe Biden (Del.) said that both he and Obama had been tested for AIDS, Obama jumped in to note that he had been tested with his wife, Michelle -- jokingly adding that he didn't want anyone to think anything "funny" was going on. The crowd laughed as PBS showed Michelle on screen. The moment showed how Obama has grown in the first three debates; he appears relaxed and comfortable tonight.
Click here to read the blog post in the Washington Post

# Slate: Howard University was Barack Obama's venue. As the only African American candidate he received the loud shout-outs from the audience.
Click here to read the article in Slate Magazine

# The Nation's John Nichols: Illinois Senator Barack Obama, the only black candidate on the stage, was especially eloquent in his denunciation of the current court's assault on the protections set in place by the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling that barred state-sponsored school segregation Speaking of the courageous students, parents and civil rights lawyers who fought to bring the Brown v. Board of Education case to the high court more than half a century ago, he mused, "If it were not for them, I would not be standing here
Click here to read the blog post in The Nation

http://www.barackobama.com/2007/06/29/debate_reviews.php

[ShortnFiery]

1. Excellent. Obama - Solid performance with NO pandering for cheap-shot applause.

:thumbsup:

[msongs]

2. i thought they all did just fine, better than any republican...gravel is

concise and to the point but i think maybe he is now included for entertainment value.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[polichick]

3. You don't have to be black to "show empathy"

Good grief ~ has Roger Simon never shown empathy for someone different from himself?? I'm sure most, if not all, of the others are able to empathize with blacks.

[zulchzulu]

4. I thought he did well...as well as the others...

With so many candidates on stage, I think it's hard to see a clear winner. I plan on re-watching it to see how I feel about it.

[churchofreality]

5. Compared to Hillary he sounds like Captain Kirk.

He pauses between each work like William Shatner.

[durtee librul]

6. She sounded like a damn harpy last night. nt

[jefferson_dem]

7. That's because he's actually trying to respond in a thoughtful way to the actual question...

rather than rolling out some canned, focus-group-drafted, slop.

[Inspired]

8. I know...I loved how he agreed so much with Edwards. n/t

[maximusveritas]

9. I thought he did ok

Nothing amazing though. Maybe he's holding himself back so he doesn't peak too soon, but he's really going to have to have to make a move soon or Hillary will leave him in the dust.