Round Two : Obama Moves Past Talking Points While McCain ...Doesn't.

As we approach the finish line of this marathon campaign, when candidate fatigue is quite possibly setting in, Americans can take comfort in this fact; we're two down, one to go. The stakes were high tonight, with both McCain and Obama needing a victory, each man for very different reasons. Obama needed to pull this off to ensure no break in his stride, the momentum has been on his side recently, a win tonight could only extend his roll. McCain, conversely, needed a win tonight to convince not only Independents, but his own base, he's still a viable contender.


Flash polls are not entirely reliable..... however, they provide a nice snapshot of immediacy, the gut level reactions felt by the average voter. It appears, according to the data, once again, Obama ran the board. This viewer had the same take-away as the majority of those polled; several factors contributed to this response.

A. The Town Hall format has been fabled to favor John McCain; this arena has been touted as the stage where he would shine. Either Senator McCain was having an off night, or this particular crowd of mixed voters (bi-partisan) failed to inspire him toward a winning performance. Although McCain's demeanor was somewhat modified from the previous debate, the senator presented tonight as condescending, superficial and somewhat confrontational. Once again, McCain did not deliver, with a favorable asset in his corner (tonight's format), just as he fell short in the first debate, with the advantage of his strength serving as the debate topic (foreign policy and national security.)

B. The American people are so eager to hear an actual platform from these two candidates. The electorate has grown weary of tap dancing. People are now demanding these two get serious and concrete regarding their strategy and tactics for achieving success across a broad spectrum of issues. Barack Obama managed to articulate a coherent plan tonight which addressed all key areas of the national conversation, including the economy, job creation, health care, energy independence, the budget (priorities toward the end of reasonable maintenance of services while responsibly curtailing spending), foreign policy and international relations, and climate change. Senator McCain offered one concrete plan that will surely not sit well with the fiscally conservative branch of the party; a buy-out of bad mortgages, at current market value, to assist the ailing economy. This plan would be hugely expensive, as well as, presumably, hugely socialistic by traditional conservative standards. Outside of this ill-conceived proposal, Senator McCain offered no new initiatives, no fresh strategies, nothing tangible to comfort and assure voters that change is, indeed, coming.

C. Finally, the most salient feature of Senator McCain's weak performance tonight was the visceral, highly visible contempt he holds for Senator Obama. Obama has been quoted as saying "We can disagree without being disagreeable", but this is an idea McCain clearly does not embrace. During the debate McCain referred to Senator Obama as though he were an object ( the sure to be repeated instance of nodding toward Obama during a talking point, saying ".... and this one over here."), used humor,as this columnist predicted, to deflect attention from the issue at hand, with attempts at "funny" coming off as snarky digs ( Note to McCain: Definitely don't quit your day job.), and, at the conclusion of the debate, displayed a glaring lack of basic manners, blocking Senator Obama's attempt to shake his hand, instead choosing to sprint out of the hall as soon as possible. If John McCain cannot treat a campaign opponent with more dignity than this, how can we expect him to interact with the global community, particularly those who may not fully agree with his positions? We are no longer operating in an environment where leaders can unofficially declare America as isolated, or unilaterally dictate the rules of engagement. We now live in a global economy, interdependent on other nations to move forward. I should correct myself and say it is possible to conduct foreign policy in this manner, but it hasn't met with stellar results for the past eight years.

We have now seen another commanding performance from the Obama/Biden ticket, with Senator Obama prevailing as an informed, reasoned, poised presidential presence. Those who would argue experience beats judgment and decorum, take a closer look at tonight's debate. Given the current conditions in this country, and where the calendar stands in relation to election day, tonight may have, indeed, been a "game changer."