So who “won” the debate? As a matter of substance, I’d say it was fairly even, and if you went into the debate supporting McCain you would continue to do so, and if your bumper stickers read “Obama ‘08” you won’t be peeling them off any time soon. It took a while for McCain to find a stride, and in fact I found many of his answers during the first half hour difficult to follow, and sometimes almost incomprehensible. He careened all over the place in single answers, and occasionally didn’t seem to answer Jim Lehrer’s questions (speaking of which, am I the only one who thought that both candidates answered Lehrer’s question about which programs they might have to cut or give less priority to because of the enormous bailout plan? He asked the question 3 times, yet I thought both had been pretty clear after no more than twice. I guess McCain wasn’t the only one having a senior moment).
But for all the relative even-handedness of the candidates’ command of their positions, their styles could not have been more different, and that is what will have swayed an undecided voter. John McCain was petty and condescending; he spoke to Obama as if he was a naïve child, uneducated in the ways of the world. He didn’t look at Obama once, even though the format was designed to be a discussion during the second half of each answer session. In contrast, Obama frequently addressed himself to McCain, looked over at him, and attempted several times to strike a bipartisan and conciliatory tone by agreeing with points about McCain’s answers before launching into how his position differed. In sum, Obama had the demeanor of someone I would want at the helm of my country, and McCain looked as if he belonged teaching a classroom of unruly, teenaged prep-schoolers, preferably not my own.
CNN and CBS polls that tracked viewers’ reactions during the debate showed a clear, positive response to Obama, which tells me I was not the only one put off by McCain’s acid style. I know I am tired of being condescended to; patronized as people I don’t agree with make decisions for my life and country that I find despicable. At least if very conservative Republicans have to endure what they see as taking their medicine for a few years, it will be handed to them by someone who actually thought about it before he made his decision, and gives it to them with a smile instead of the back of his hand. As McCain said himself, he’s not known as Miss Congeniality in the Senate. Unfortunately for him, one of his own campaign managers said that this race is essentially a popularity contest. If that’s the case, McCain will have earned the Grumpy Old Men vote, but that’s about it.
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2 comments:
I felt sorry for the old man when he told his bear DNA story for the 100th time. He forgot he wasn't at a campaign event and that crowd reaction was against the rules. It went over like a lead balloon. It was like your grandpa telling his fish story for the 1000th time at the family reunion. Embarrassing.
I'm starting to wonder if the man isn't schizophrenic. There were several moments when his voice and demeanor would instantly change - like he was suddenly possessed by the ghost of Ronald Reagan. It was always when he was speaking of his military service or telling the standard "I met Mrs. so-and-so in [insert city name] who told me[insert sappy, probably false story usually about Iraq]" Then he would switch back. That on top of the fact that he wouldn't even look at Obama and kept sneering and chuckling to himself made me wonder if he was hearing voices. Think we can start a serious campaign to discredit his mental health? OK, so the Ronald Reagan thing was I'm sure intentional but am I the only one that at the very least found it CREEPY?
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