WP, E.J. Dionne: McCain's Lost Chance; Obama Holds His Own on Foreign Policy

[DeepModem Mom]

McCain's Lost Chance
Obama Holds His Own on Foreign Policy
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Monday, September 29, 2008; Page A19

September began as John McCain's month and ended as Barack Obama's. McCain's high-risk wagers aimed at shaking up the campaign turned into very bad investments. And Friday's debate eliminated McCain's best chance to deliver a knockout blow to an opponent whose most important asset may be his capacity for self-correction.

McCain is supposed to own the foreign policy issue -- and he should have owned Friday's debate. During their respective primary battles, McCain was a better debater than Obama, who could be hesitant, wordy and thrown off his stride. But the Obama who showed up at Ole Miss was sharper and more concise than the man who frequently lost debates against his Democratic foes. He was also resolutely calm in standing his ground against McCain, whose condescension became a major talking point after the debate. If Al Gore suffered from his sighs during the 2000 debates, McCain will be remembered for his supercilious repetition of seven variations on "Senator Obama doesn't understand."...

McCain's derisive approach may help explain why the instant polls gave Obama an edge in a debate that many pundits rated a tie -- and why women seemed especially inclined toward Obama. CNN's survey found that 59 percent of women rated Obama as having done better, with just 31 percent saying that of McCain. An Obama adviser who was watching a "dial group" -- in which viewers turn a device to express their feelings about a debate's every moment -- said that whenever McCain lectured or attacked Obama, the Republican's ratings would drop, and the fall was especially steep among women.

But if the debate was indeed a tie -- and McCain certainly looked informed and engaged once the discussion moved from economics to foreign affairs -- this would count as a net gain for Obama. A foreign policy discussion afforded McCain his best opportunity to aggravate doubts about his foe. That opportunity is now gone....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/28/AR2008092802233.html?nav=hcmodule

[opihimoimoi]

1. McWeak is not an astute man....he has not really kept up with world issues

Faking his way through...he finds that BS is not working...

He is forced to embrace Fantasy in order to sleep well at night....this is not a good thing to do....

[FrenchieCat]

2. I didn't see this "tie" that they keep speaking of.....

Nor the "wisdom & Experience" that McCain is supposed to be so full of. I have yet to experience anything coming of his mouth that is either wise or even sound.