Spinning the prez debate

Results from a CNN poll of television viewers of last evening's presidential candidate's debate in Mississippi between Senators Obama and McCain had

Obama winning overall by a margin of 51-38. The poll suggests that Obama is opening up a gap on connectedness, while closing a gap on readiness.

Specifically, by a 62-32 margin, voters thought that Obama was “more in touch with the needs and problems of people like you”. This is a gap that has no doubt grown because of the financial crisis of recent days. But it also grew because Obama was actually speaking to middle class voters. Per the transcript, McCain never once mentioned the phrase “middle class” (Obama did so three times).

And Obama’s eye contact was directly with the camera, i.e. the voters at home. McCain seemed to be speaking literally to the people in the room in Mississippi, but figuratively to the punditry.

In a reversal of previous results, the same poll showed that the debate watchers

thought that Obama “seemed to be the stronger leader” by a 49-43 margin

The best line of the evening didn't take place during the debate. It belonged to Fox News bloviator Sean Hannity:

"Unfortunately, I think Obama won this debate," said Dick Morris on Hannity and Colmes.

"I don't know which debate you were watching, Dick," said Sean Hannity. "It was book knowledge."

Book knowledge! Fahrenheit 451 all over again, eh Sean?