Free Republic

I’m giving it to McCain — and you know I’m a tough grader on him. He was slow out of the gate — a broken record on earmarks and spending — but Obama failed to turn the bailout debacle against him. McCain hit his stride in the second half, schooling Obama on counterinsurgency, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia. McCain made no major soundbite-able gaffes. It was more a matter of a few missed opportunities for McCain than the commission of any major errors. Major omission of the night from McCain: Did he say a single word in defense of...

What should an American president—or one aspiring to become president—do on a day when markets are in turmoil: * Assure Americans and the world that America's economy is fundamentally strong; or * Suggest that America's economy is fundamentally weak? John McCain chose the former path; Barack Obama the latter. WaPo editorial writer Jonathan Capehart believes Obama got the better of the exchange because he came closer to channeling Americans' anxiety. But is that leadership? View video here of McCain and Obama on the stump day, addressing the state of the economy, and Capehart's comment.

Like pensions and insurance, defence is one of those subjects to which too many people only pay attention when things go wrong. You might think, in the light of the past decade, that this would have changed. But you would be sadly mistaken. Even today, even after Iraq, few mainstream MPs without an immediate personal or constituency interest in the subject turn up in the Commons for defence debates. Many politicians who are thoughtful about a range of domestic issues still pass by on the other side when the conversation gravitates to the military. In this they reflect the British...