Paul Begala

McCain needs to listen to David Gergen. His only hope is to go big, to be about the economy, to be big and affirming and heroic.

I think the problem McCain has is, voters are going to process all the information they're given for these last 26 days through the fact that they know that McCain is behind.

Both candidates are not being equally angry or equally negative or equally dirty. Obama has been a model of cool, calm.

Campaigns that are the most adaptive are the ones that win. And I think McCain is adapting the wrong way.

Obama clearly had a strategy: link McCain to Bush and make him the status quo.

Barack's strategy tonight was almost on every issue, to harken back to Bush and link McCain to Bush.

This is why what Sarah Palin was doing is so dangerous.

Again Obama's message is change and he is change incarnate and there's a real generational divide here.

I think thoughtful and intelligent might just be in this year.

I was struck that, you know, with Governor Palin, her job, the Republicans will win if they make Barack Obama too risky.

Joe Biden's strategy was to hammer McCain, link him to the status quo and Bush. He succeeded.

He should ignore her and attack John McCain.

Attack Barack Obama. The reason the good Lord made running mates is to attack the top of the ticket.

Yes, I'd say, Governor Palin, your biggest liability is Joe Biden knows John McCain's record better than you do.

Yes, it's a pretty sleazy thing to do, particularly, on Gwen Ifill.

Your biggest liability is that Joe Biden knows John McCain's record better than you do.

Neither of them seemed to act like there's an economic crisis on. I was astonished.

I don't think anybody looked at Barack Obama tonight, and saw a guy who looked risky.

I think, if McCain refuses to go Ole Miss, why doesn't Barack go to the floor of the Senate and say, you know, this is not a bad place to have a debate, John; stand up, you and me; we don't need a moderator; let's go; two hours, talk about…

No. Come on. We're 39 days before an election. Everything he does is political.

If your purpose is to show that Governor Palin can hold her own in a meeting with major international figures, then let her hold her own. Don't exclude the press. Don't keep questions from being asked. Don't -- don't coddle her.

I don't know that I have seen very many politicians more likable than Barack Obama. He's got remarkable appeal.

I think David's right, that -- that Obama needs to get much sharper, much crisper in both the indictment of Bush and McCain, and linking them back together, and ignoring Palin.

If McCain is a maverick reformer, then I'm a Hasidic diamond merchant.

As an American, who has family in active-duty military, I'm petrified.