Debate preview: So McCain tries to make tonight about character and what he says is a pattern of Obama's shady associations and excuses for them (Ayers, Rezko, Wright and Raines), his refusal now to say the surge worked and lack of commitment to victory in Iraq, Obama's "plan" (not) to raise taxes on everybody making more than $42,500 and on small businesses and how tax increases will doom the economic recovery and drive more business overseas, Obama's misjudgment/naivete in calling for negotiatians with Iran without preconditions, his lack of legislative achievements, and the need for a proven leader who will put country first in a time of crisis; and Obama tries to make tonight about having an economic plan for the middle class and about McCain's erratic behavior, McCain's associations with corrupt S&L profiteers, Phil Gramm, Rick Davis, Carly Fiorina's $40 million golden parachute, etc. McCain's plan for tax breaks to the Exxons and the super wealthy and lifelong support for deregulation and trickle-down economic theories that got us in this mess, his voting with Bush 95% of the time and being more of the same, McCain's misjudgment about how hard it would be in Iraq, the need to focus on rooting out core Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Pakistan, McCain trying to change the subject from the economy and being out of touch. Does that sound about right? McCain's advisors will be wanting him to seem to have less of a temperament issue than he has recently displayed, and Obama's advisors will be wanting him to be steady and even-keeled but perhaps a notch more forceful and able to connect.

Will McCain be able to force himself to look at Obama this time? Will they go as negative as recent days have indicated? I would bet they tend to stay a bit more above the fray, but that McCain's performance will convey his contempt for Obama, and sense of Obama's pretensions to fitness for the office, and Obama's message will try to convey that he understands real Americans and their needs and fears, and that while he respects John McCain, McCain is out of touch with the middle class, and his voting record, three decades with the Republican party in Washington, campaign choices and inner circle show that he will be more of the same people and ideas which got us into this mess.

Posted by Laura at October 7, 2008 06:49 PM