A picture sums up the debate

the democratic candidate will put it's answers in the bucket.
the democratic candidate will put it's answers in the bucket!!!

Wasn't it weird how McCain wouldn't do eye contact?


via getty images

Point #1: 80 or so minutes without looking at Obama. Eeek.

Point #2: Tonite was for all the folks in MI, FL, PA, OH, MO, IN, WV, etc. Translation: for all those caucasian recipients of wackjob emails 'proving' that Obama is a Commie Alien Muslim Babykiller. Think about strategy, not tactics. (Couldn't help myself)

McCain, old white guy. PA, OH, MI, FL . . . full of old white folks. And younger ones too. The 'bitter' folks that Obama's not supposed to resonate with. Observe the patient look, even smiles, as McCain talked over Obama. Did Obama talk over McCain? No. Obama let McCain rumble and ramble, tried a few times to interject. When pushing back obviously had low ROI, he smiled, turned to Lehrer and said, "We'll let it go. Next Jim?"

A fair number of Americans decided Obama is Bill Cosby, not Spike Lee, tonite.

Obama held his own, and then some. But mostly a tie on McCain's 'strong suit,' foreign policy.' That's not good enough, or good, for McCain. Only one of the two talked about Middle Class and retirement in any meaningful way. Wouldn't let McCain make a jab unanswered but was decent to McCain when McCain obviously didn't have that decency or respect for Obama in him. Plenty of seniors saw that. Youthful and ligtweight, as McCain must have inferred a dozen times? Plenty of seniors didn't see that. Many probably thought: "He's 72, like me. Jeez. This Obama seems calm and level headed and on top of things. Hmm."

Result: Independents giving this to Obama 60-40 or better, when the finals are in of the trickle that's coming out via CNN, CBS etc.

There's a Fox News Luntz Focus group video out there I'll find tomorrow. In the meantime, an appropriate compare and contrast exercise for future Politics and Media 231 classes is born. . .