Pundits and partisans tend to be impressed by attacks, but the portion of the population that actually watches debates with an open mind usually judges debates by intangible factors like demeanor, confidence, and comportment. Why did Al Gore lose his debates with George W. Bush? Because people might have agreed with him but they also hated him. This is often a source of frustration for Democrats, who tend to pay attention to the substance and accuracy of the candidate’s arguments. But it is working in our favor in this election cycle. In the contest over who the American people would rather have a beer with, it’s no contest. The answer is Barack Obama. Barack Obama exudes cool. John McCain is the kind of guy that shouts at clouds and gropes women at last call.
That’s why all the bloggers were goading McCain to attack tonight. We knew that the format was horrible for personal attacks and we knew that McCain would drive up his unfavorables without laying a glove on Mohammed Ali Barack Obama. But, look, don’t listen to me. I’m no better than Andrea Mitchell. I’m just a pundit. Look at the snap-polls:
CNN:
Fifty-eight percent of debate watchers questioned in the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll said Democrat Obama did the best job in the debate, with 31 percent saying Republican Sen. John McCain performed best.
The poll also suggested that debate watchers’ favorable opinion of Obama rose during the debate, from 63 percent at the start of the debate to 66 percent at the end of the debate. The poll indicates that McCain’s favorables dropped, from 51 percent to 49 percent.
CBS:
Fifty-three percent of the uncommitted voters surveyed identified Democratic nominee Barack Obama as the winner of tonight’s debate. Twenty-two percent said Republican rival John McCain won. Twenty-five percent saw the debate as a draw.
John McCain lost because he acted like an asshole. Provoking him into being an asshole was the most surefire way to win this debate. And we did it with an assist from his running mate, who is truly a moron of Grand Canyon proportions.
John McCain didn’t just lose this debate. He was crushed. He was literally knocked out. He fell into a trap that we telegraphed for him all day. Please, please, please, attack Obama, we said. We weren’t kidding. We desperately wanted him to attack Obama as often and as harshly as possible. We knew that it would further alienate the very few undecided voters and also lead to a post-debate massacre in the media.
John McCain probably added another two points to his national deficit tonight, and the media will crucify him over the next 72 hours, which will deepen the chasm. I am so enjoying watching Barack Obama just beat the pants off John McCain. This election is really going to change things for the better in this country and the change is going to last a very, very long time.
Plus, the Phillies won the pennant. Bring on Tampa Bay!!
