Anna Marie Cox at TIME notes this interesting tidbit from the swell of post debate spin:
Steve Schmidt: “It’s a very tough time to have an ‘R’ next to your name, I’m not gonna lie to you.”
Nicolle Wallace: “For a Republican to go head-to-head with a Democrat on the economy, and come out ahead of most of them… that’s extraordinary.”
Umm…aren’t you supposed to be lowering expectations before the debate? I know that Nicolle Wallace has an obligation to wax sanguinely about McCain’s performance, but didn’t she see CNN’s tracking meter? It’s pretty clear that most people believe Obama won the debate, so the only message that’s left is that during times of economic duress, it’s hard for Republicans to compete. Not exactly the right pitch.
