Posted by
Sean Engmann on Friday, September 26, 2008 11:27:52 PM
Amid much fanfare John McCain and Barack Obama held their first debate tonight at Ole Miss which was a spirited exchange, but will likely produce little movement in the polls. The enduring image for me in the debate will be the contrast of the two candidates, McCain as the experienced old hand and Obama as the eager up and comer. McCain came across in the debate as a stable leader, measured, experienced, trustworthy and understated. Obama came across as very eager to prove that he is a credible leader, with change at the heart of his message.
In a way, the debate reminded me of the movie "In Good Company" where a hot shot 24 year old took over an advertising job from an older guy who'd worked in that job for decades. The hot shot had some pretty interesting ideas and strategies, but he was out of touch with the industry and eventually had to rely on the older guy's experience. Obama in the debate was awfully eager to defend himself at every turn and get the last word, and he came across as someone trying to desperately prove that he belonged on the stage.
In terms of how the debate went, Obama was stronger on the economic point of view because McCain failed to challenge Obama's tax and spend policy and his notion that 95% of the people would get a tax cut. McCain cannot cede that point in future debates. On foreign policy, McCain clearly was the stronger candidate, but he allowed Obama to get away with repeatedly saying that al Qaeda is strengthened. Both of these points, unchallenged, allowed Obama to score points with undecided voters, enabling Obama to get away with a push in the debate.