Apparently, the conventional wisdom is coalescing around the idea that Obama was the winner last night, though maybe it’s just the blogs I read. Immediately after it appeared to me that the media was working overtime to make it a McCain win. I always hearken back to the Bensten-Quayle debate at times like that. The media immediately called it for the empty head from Indiana, but the public saw it differently. In the course of a few days the media’s initial take went down the memory hole, and everyone agreed Quayle looked like a fool.
I thought Obama won flat out, but then I tend to judge these things on who is telling the truth, who makes the most sense, etc., all of which, as the media will tell you, are in fact totally irrelevant, unless it’s Al Gore forgetting with FEMA official accompanied him to Texas.
I have to admit that there were times during the debate that I became frustrated at Obama’s reluctance to clobber McCain. For instance, McCain railed against an earmark from Montana that went to studying the DNA of some creature, an earmark remarkably similar to one sought by his vice presidential candidate. It seemed like a softball to Obama right in the strike zone, but he took the pitch. There were a couple of other times when McCain left similar openings. Upon reflection, however, I think Obama knows what he’s doing. He came across as statesmanlike and measured. In any event, it probably makes sense for him to be himself, and he just doesn’t appear to be the kind of guy who really likes to go for the jugular.
I found it interesting that women seemed more attuned to McCain’s condescending attitude toward Obama, and were more turned off by it. Let us hope that Biden is made aware of that and that he makes an effort to be respectful toward Palin. Better to let her destroy herself.
Finally, I thought it was great that Obama got in the dig about Spain, after having to deal with McCain’s continuous mischaracterizations about his willingness to negotiate with Iran. McCain painted himself into a corner on that one. He never meant to say he wouldn’t talk to Spain, but since Republicans cannot admit error, he has adopted it as official policy.
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