2 posts tagged “presential race”
If McCain was a plane he would be a short range attack one. If Obama were a plane he would be a long range bomber. As a result the debate this evening was a fly past of different machines, at different heights just out of each other’s shooting range. Time and again it was McCain that tried to reach the dizzying heights that Obama still commands.
The financial crisis, energy independence, climate change, tax plans, abortion, dodgy connections, government waste, negative campaigning and education were all issues on which McCain tried to erode the smug looking assurance of his adversary. McCain’s passion was as palpable as Obama’s unflappability. Obama managed to dispatch his sparring companion’s attacks. There was nothing that changed the ordering of the game (as well might be expected).
The media will not have anything to seize upon of substance from this evening. The momentum is strongly against McCain and there is little time left now to get back in the game. He will struggle from this point on in the mainstream media to prove that he can control the course of events better than Obama. But the truth of the matter is that the events that have taken control of the situation are those that are outside the debating hall.
It is now a accepted fact that with three weeks to go before the election Senator John McCain needs to focus on a central message to wear down the formidable defenses of Obama in the election. There are plenty of issues on which this can be done but Republican nominee has not zeroed on one of these. The legitimate concern (even voiced by Hilary Clinton) of Obama’s experience is being sidetracked by discussions about race and other issues that whilst it alights the fringes of the political spectrum does nothing to engage the broad general public.
Each day the battle for attention of the American people will be harder for McCain to capture. It will become progressively harder to gain what commentators call the ‘momentum.’ It is in America’s interest to have a close race. Both sides need to have their opinions and views thoroughly and seriously analyzed. It would be wrong at this time for the country to have some kind of comprehensive Republican rout. Though satisfying for the Democrats, they should from other countries that large victories invariably set parties up for a greater fall, weakness at the head of a broad coalition and a more comprehensive laziness in government. As the markets stabilize in the face of unprecedented action by central banks around the world, Americans must hope that this becomes a race again.
