Here’s what I wrote on my Facebook status bar yesterday: “Paul is uncomfortable about the upcoming presidential candidates’ debate, and he doesn’t quite know why.”
An American friend who is following the campaign from her distant home in Australia wanted to know whether I had some sort of awful premonition. No, I responded, I didn’t. Since she forced me to think about it, I was able to put a name to my anxiety: a fear that John McCain would come unglued and get a sympathy bump from uncommitted voters.
Didn’t happen. McCain didn’t come unglued, but he was consistently nasty, and on the whole I think he turned more voters off than otherwise. McCain was hostile, Obama was even-tempered. McCain kept repeating distortions of Obama’s positions and plans. Obama didn’t have to distort McCain’s positions or plans; he merely described them and then contrasted them with his own. McCain exuded flop sweat; Obama was presidential.
Hands down Obama. That’s what I think. Here’s what I wrote on my Facebook status bar today: “Paul is feeling much better about the debate, now that it’s over.”
© 2008, Paul Woodford. All rights reserved.
