McCain was repeatedly insulting to Obama in the debate. McCain said, "He doesn’t understand" at least four times. Asshole.
[updated 9/27/08]
In a CBS News poll, uncommitted voters see Barack as the debate winner. When it comes to the economy, 66% say Barack would make the right decisions versus 42% for McCain.
The CNN poll results are also clear:
Who did the best job tonight?
Barack: 51
McCain: 38
Who would better handle Iraq?
Barack: 52
McCain: 47
Who would better handle the economy?
Barack: 58
McCain: 37
On the flip
side, and I adore Obama please don’t get me wrong here, but he has a “verbal tic” he might want to try to avoid using so frequently. By
way of explanation, one trial technique used by some attorneys, when questioning an expert witness, is to ask a series of questions to
which the expert will have to answer “No.” This is done so that the jury is left with the impression of negativity from that witness.
Obama might do well to reconsider his tendency to start his responses with the phrase “John is absolutely right, . . .” I realize he adds
his ironic punch a while later, and, I don’t mean to be insulting, but I think it’s not unfair to say that his Mark Anthonyesque
rhetorical technique may be a bit too subtle for some. Instead many viewers may be left with the impression that, well, Obama really
thinks “John is absolutely right.” And that’s, to apply the technique to a Martha Stewartism, a bad thing.
The GOP immediately released a Web ad featuring those same remarks you note. Odd to fault a man for politeness. I think it is
Obama’s nature to make disagreements agreeable. It seems he looks beyond the moment to how are we all going to work together later.
Quite the change from the Rovian tactics (or is that strategy, John) of slash and burn and salt the earth and rule through an agitated
minority rather than a true majority. peace, mjh