Clinton Backers Resist Palin and Debate Audience Unimpressed with McCain

These articles show the arrogance and meanness of McCain, the one in highlighting his cynical move to co-opt not just women, but Alaska by having Palin be his running mate (boy, I bet Republicans are really regretting his decision right about now), but the other article highlights his attitude, towards his opponent and towards the audience he supposedly wants to impress. Just peppering your speech with "My friends" does not make people your friends, nor does it make you appear sympathetic. McCain's handlers should tell him that. It is quite condescending.
"Palin Meets Resistance Among Clinton Backers"
and
"Debate Audience Members Talk About Candidates"
Some observations by audience members:

"The Republican, Lindsey Trella, a family business consultant, said she was disappointed that both men used her question – should health care be treated as a marketable commodity? – to lay out their own health care plans and take jabs at each other. Neither gave her a Yes or No.

“I came away thinking John McCain has a position that supports marketable health care, whereas I think Obama supports affordable health care in a universal sense though he wasn’t really specific,” Ms. Trella said. “Personally I don’t think health care should be a marketable commodity – under the current system, too many people are excluded, and I think that’s sad in this country,”...

Both women, as well as the third audience member, were especially emphatic about their feelings on the two men’s performance after the debate. All three said that Mr. McCain shook hands with several audience members and then left fairly quickly. Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, stuck around to shake far more hands, pose for pictures, sign autographs, and answer more questions, including from people who had been on stage but did not get a chance to ask their questions. Only when Secret Service agents told them it was time to go did the couple leave (upon which they headed for a post-debate fundraiser at Al and Tipper Gore’s house nearby)."

Ms. Trella said that on the whole, she was more impressed with Mr. Obama during the debate, and that she now planned to vote for him.

“Obama talked at one point about responsibility, Americans have acted responsibly or should do so, while government really hasn’t – I liked that,” she said. “McCain, I felt more like he went over points he had already made, and went over some set answers. There wasn’t anything he clarified, in terms of what he would do.”