UPDATE: As the Mason Conservative observed, McCain already has an ad out (see here).
Who won? Since both John McCain and Barack Obama presented themselves well, I doubt either scored decisively. What follows are merely a few observations.
Obama began by blaming our latest financial crisis on Republican deregulation of the lending industry. Since this proposition is an outrageous lie, I was at first puzzled that McCain did not counter Obama’s assertion. As the debate progressed, however, it became apparent what McCain was about. McCain had no problem being combative. However, he was not interested in blaming either Obama or Democrats merely for past mistakes. Instead, he focused on the mistakes a President Obama would make if he were elected.
Instead of taking Obama to task for his role in creating a financial crisis, McCain hammered Obama for his unwillingness to control taxes and spending. Instead of defending his vote to invade Iraq, McCain hammered Obama for his unwillingness to fight for victory in Iraq.
What McCain tried to do is sell his own approach and his experience. Instead of defending the Republican party, he talked about his experience, his votes, his plans, and the trips he had made to troubled areas such as Georgia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. When Obama tried to portray him as against alternative energy sources, he ridiculed the idea as absurd – ”nobody is against alternative energy”. Whereas Obama focused on blame and past failures, McCain spoke about the future and how the mistakes a President Obama would make would affect our future.
McCain’s approach to the debate must have required considerable self discipline, and perhaps it worked. From my perspective, McCain came across as an experienced veteran. Next to McCain, Obama did not seem like anyone’s fool. Nonetheless, I did not see him as battletested, a leader made rugged by living with practical problems. Instead, Obama struck me as a polished member of academia.
I can only hope Obama’s relative lack of practical experience was as evident to others as it is to me.
If you missed it, CNN is starting to put up the video. See here.
