2008 Woodie Awards
OXFORD - Even though Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain left the Ford Center at the University of Mississippi late Saturday evening, students and citizens who came to watch the debate on the lawn at The Grove were weighing in on the evening.
The viewing party -- which was prefaced by a concert series featuring local favorites the North Mississippi All-Stars -- was half tailgating party, half a presidential debate with tents and booths set up by both Obama and McCain camps among others.
"I love the school's set up and everything they had going on in the Grove," said Kenneth Anderson, a civil engineering major from the University of Alabama. "It's been great. An Ole Miss student let me sit on their blanket. They were all very friendly and it was a very loving environment."
But the fun-loving atmosphere turned into a partisan event quickly as the sun set and the debate began. Cheers and boos could be heard throughout debate as Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain verbally sparred during the debate over foreign policy and the economy.
While the general consensus was that there was no winner, the debate helped shape the opinion of indifferent voters.
