October 8, 2008
Editor's note: NPT asked two El Pasoans with a keen insight into politics -- and an overt political bent -- for their take on the Obama-McCain debate. For a different view, click here.
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Senator John McCain(R-Arizona) entered the second Presidential Debate reeling from a rough couple of weeks of campaigning that saw a slight lead or dead heat turn into lost ground. Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) entered the debate riding an upswing partially due to the economic turmoil on Wall Street.
The stage was set for a potentially pivotal moment in the 2008 presidential campaign. McCain could either make a strong comeback and get back in to contention or he would fall short and make a gaffe that could doom his candidacy. Obama could either put his opponent away, or stumble and allow McCain to get off the canvas.
Unfortunately for the McCain campaign, none of those scenarios played out. McCain's job was simple to define but difficult to execute. He had to show the voters that the man who was in the lead, Obama, shouldn't be the next President of the United States. The only way to do that was through a stellar performance by John McCain or a epic collapse on the part of Barack Obama.
Senator McCain had the advantage of his preferred debate format, a town-hall style event with a mix of undecided voters. But maybe it was the fact that there were television cameras present, the stakes of the debate, time running out, campaign fatigue, stress from the economic turmoil, or just age, but something just wasn't quite right for McCain.
John McCain appeared more stiff, on-edge, and uncomfortable than usual.
By contrast, Barack Obama strode confidently into the debate hall with fluid youthful vigor.
I'm not talking about gait, I'm talking about demeanor.
Neither candidate took major risks, though they each took one key small risk that could be pivotal to the election. McCain went after Obama all night, though it was a much more muted charge than expected. Obama, determined not to make the mistake of turning the other cheek like John Kerry, fired back. Both candidates risked turning off voters by kicking up some dust. Time will only tell if the voters were turned off by the candidates mixing it up in the second Presidential Debate.
What I think will turn off voters is McCain's perpetual need to minimize Barack Obama. In the first debate, McCain wouldn't look at Obama. In the second debate, McCain referred to Obama as "that one." Voters will have to decide if McCain is dismissive of Obama or frustrated. Coupled with inevitable character assassination tactics that the Karl Rove GOP machine is known for, voters are going to quickly grow weary with the Arizona Maverick.
In one of the night's few highlights, John McCain quoted his hero Teddy Roosevelt's (earlier in the evening he said his hero was Ronald Reagan) famous "talk softly and carry a big stick" line. Obama quipped that changing the lyrics to a Beach Boys song to a message of bombing Iran wasn't talking softly. McCain was visibly angered by Obama's response. Of course its possible that McCain needed a nap or had a hemorrhoid.
McCain also accused Obama of asking Congress for pork spending, specifically for what McCain called a $3 million overhead projector. The problem with that statement was that it was a bi-partisan request from the entire Illinois delegation for a projector system at a planetarium. Oh, and by the way, it hasn't passed yet.
McCain told America that the presidency is not the place for on-the-job training. But unless I somehow missed a previous McCain administration in the White House, he'd need to have a little OJT as well.
The candidates tried to stay on message as much as possible, with Obama using the term "middle-class" eight times and "change" 17 times. McCain countered by saying "my friends" around 25 times and "America" 33 times. If you ask me, the constant use of the term "my friends" by John McCain reminds me of pathological liars who preface their sentences with "to be honest," "to tell you the truth," or "honestly."
McCain tried to show his comfort with the format by telling jokes throughout the evening, but he was the only one letting out a (nervous) laugh. The knock on Obama is that he not emotionally engaged, but Obama was the only candidate who told a joke that actually got a laugh. I thought the town-hall style was supposed to be McCain's strength.
Obama won the debate by doing more than just not losing. Obama looked presidential. Though they disagreed in political philosophy, the presidential candidates showed something not seen in the Veep debate. They showed that both candidates looked capable of being the leader of the Free World. In this case, the tie goes to the front-runner.
I was most surprised by what the candidates spent relatively little time discussing, the economy. The debate was nothing more than a struggle between the candidates to keep the car in the middle of the road. No one wanted to take a risk. That's not so bad for Obama who is running with a lead in the fourth quarter, but McCain needs to be calling plays from the shotgun with a spread offense so that he can get back in the game.
But McCain's perceived strength, the town-hall format, did not lend itself well to what McCain needed to do. It's pretty hard to make it a street fight when you're in the middle of a glorified PTA meeting.
I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that McCain appeared to resist the urge do what the GOP is telling him to do and "take the gloves off." By the way, whoever created that cliché obviously never laced up a pair of gloves. Gloves protect your hands so that you can hit harder.
Keeping the gloves on will help John McCain, especially because of how common osteoporosis is with people his age.
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Jaime Abeytia is a Democrat, writer and Chicano activist. He is the author The Lionstar Blog.