Oh, did they talk about foreign affairs?..Because right out of the gate, Jim Lehrer asked a question about the economy and that’s where it seemed to stay for at least half or more of the debate..The topic tonight was supposed to be on Foreign Policy, or did Lehrer forget that ?...
Nice when the moderator shows his bias right at the first question...
I would respectfully disagree. I believe it was understood that by both participants going into the first debate that the Wall/Main Street bailout/rescue would transcend foreign policy. This was not an arbitrary decision based on Lehrer’s inherent bias.
Lehrer’s pointed question to both candidates as to what they would NOT be able to accomplish as a result of this market meltdown was brilliant, because even though neither candidate was willing to answer it, the answer was so self-evident and obvious to undecided viewers that it did not require a direct answer - and that is devastating to Obama. With apologies to Rick Pitino, a tax cut for “95% of Americans making less than $250,000” is not going to be walking through that door anytime soon.
That’s strike one.
Next because of McCain’s recent aerial acrobatic manuevers on the Wall/Main Street bailout/rescue, Obama was not able to line up McCain in his sights as “McSame” and was therefore unable to even attempt, much less convince, undecided voters that they “can’t afford four more years of George W. Bush”
Strike two.
Finally, as Obama kept saying “I agree with John”, Senator McCain kept hammering the Illinois Senator about “what he doesn’t understand”. He then emphatically reminded undecided voters that this old comfortable shoe is “ready to be President on Day One without on-the-job training”.
Strike three. Innning over.
I’d say McCain scored a run, and Obama went down 1-2-3. That makes it about a 3-3 ballgame going to the 7th inning, as I see it.