McCain: now it’s personal

By Alan Tyers in New York

Tuesday night’s Presidential debate was vital for the beleaguered Republican candidate. Did he win? No, but he did enough to suggest he is not beaten yet in the race for the White House. He’s still in the fight, but he will have to fight dirty.

The very intimate Town Hall setting seemed to galvanise John McCain more than Barack Obama and McCain was on the offensive throughout. On several occasions, he chose to play the man and not the ball, showing disdain for the Illinois Senator and at one point referring to him as “that one”. He had Obama’s voting records and past quotes at his fingertips, repeatedly hitting his opponent with his voting patterns on energy, Fannie Mae and foreign policy.

Obama, the man who has made the word “change” his own, paradoxically came over as the incumbent, refraining from both serious counter attack and soaring rhetoric. McCain was aggressive, bordering on blustering; Obama sat back and looked calm and very clever. Whether America is holding out for a man who looks calm and very clever is another matter.

There is still a way for McCain to win, but it will not be pretty. Obama is frighteningly far ahead in the public perception of who would handle the economy better and who would best sort out the messes in Iraq and Afghanistan (and Iran and Georgia, and…). Personally discrediting his opponent is the only option left for McCain.

It looks like he is happy to take it.

Comments

[Grasping Jock]

Dozy Yanks - they say they can't find Obama Bin Laden and here he is running for pres.

[Nisar]

Both as bad as each other

[Jim]

'And god help the rest of us if the US doesnt have a strong and honest president!'

When have they ever?

[mungo1]

Obama is such a slime ball he makes even some of our domestic politicians look acceptable. If the US takes on a banana republic style leader, then it had better prepare to be demoted to the 3rd world. And god help the rest of us if the US doesnt have a strong and honest president!

[Debbie]

Obama looks fishy to me
Has McCain had his chips?

[Equilibrium]

The scariest scenario is that John McCain is elected, dies, and the ghastly Sarah Palin gets in unelected, like Gordon. Finger on the nuclear button with PMT.

[John]

ALL politicians are lying, devious people out for their own ends. Sure they probably started out fighting causes and being benevolent (unless they are career politicians, who learn passive-aggressiveness and lying from a young age) but they all turn from fighting for what the people need to TELLING the people what they need. I think Obama would be marginally better for the world (read - safer) but thats about it.

[Equilibrium]

Obama has the devious, sleazy, slimy, cheezy grin look of Blair about him. Look out America.

[Jason]

They're politicians. Of course they fight dirty.

And "calm and clever" Obama is one of the worst. The nice guy who'll shake your hand while he slips the knife between your ribs.