A Bit Tougher, But Not Enough

As I said, John McCain needed a decisive victory in this last debate since it is probably the last one people were really going to pay attention to between now and the election. I don't think he got it. He was a bit tougher, a little clearer in contrast, a bit more energetic than before, but it wasn't a knock out. But that's what happens when you send a Centrist to do a Conservative's job.

I don't necessarily agree with the commentators who gave the round to Obama on style. In comparison to his performance in the first round, I thought he looked a bit shaky, more unsure of himself, and his arguments tended to wander around in circles. He often stammered while formulating his thoughts, searching it seemed for answers. And on a couple of occasions looked uncomfortable and even weak, as in the couple of times he tried, a little too eagerly, to rebut a charge only to be turned down by Brokaw, who did a fairly awful job overall.

Not that McCain was much better. He was better than his first showing, but not much better than Obama. Conservatives probably missed most of the first half because they were still stunned over his proposed $300 billion buy out on failed mortgages. When will it end? In my mind, McCain did draw sharper contrast with his opponent as well as the Bush Administration, which he needed to do. The experienced record on bipartisanship is strong and he was particularly effective when he pointed out that Obama has never gone against the leadership of his party.

But McCain did not exploit the doubts people still have about Barack Obama regarding his character and judgment. They're definitely there because by all accounts Obama should be much farther ahead than he is now. He just can't close the deal. Yet McCain won't or can't put it to bed.

I was a little surprised to hear from some that they thought McCain won the Economic portion but drew even on Foreign Policy. And maybe that favors the viewers who watched the beginning and then got bored.

What was quite interesting was a conversation with a couple of friends from California afterward with whom I armchair quarterback afterwards. One watched a major network and thought McCain was doing really well during the debate. He called the other who was watching CNN who said Obama was kicking McCain's butt. Why? Look at the lines on the graph, he said.

Turns out CNN was featuring the reactions of an undecided audience while the debate was happening. The graph was on while the men talked and, unconsciously, the one friend began to filter his own reactions to what he heard and saw based upon that information.

The race has tightened again but only time will tell if this helped, hurt, or broke even for McCain. If the best is that it's a draw, then his only saving grace outside of a major game changer for Obama is something former Clinton advisor Dick Morris said. Obama is peaking too soon. It happened in the primary and it wasn't good for him then. Too much can happen between now and then. As for now, it's still unclear.