I’ve been so busy today that I’ve not had time to ‘post’ about the debate - but I’m thinking about it, there’s not much to say. McCain came with his old angry tricks.
I succumbed and watched this video from start to finish, and was pleasantly surprised. This one, of the many debates I saw, actually hewed closer to the ideal format in which the candidates would be free to ask each other questions and argue.
Bob Schieffer of CBS moderated the debate. Before the event, lefty bloggers raised some doubts about his sense of fairness, since he has been on record praising McCain to the heavens. But Bob Schieffer lived up to his stellar reputation as a journalist and directed the conversation wisely.
The early minutes of the debate were harrowing for me as an Obama supporter. McCain went aggressively on the attack. Obama opted to stay above the fray the entire time, forbearing from pointing fingers at Senator McCain’s record even as the opportunities passed him by.
As time went by and the debate settled down to familiar territory of talking points, it became obvious that the split screen display is horribly disadvantageous to Senator McCain, who rolled his eyes, sighed audibly ,grinned uncomfortably and managed to look like a jittery teenager when he was not talking.
I agree with the judges that this was the most ferociously contested debate of the three - Sumithra Rajendran saying it was “an extremely engaging and lively debate which didn’t leave room for yawns.”
I recognize the impact of McCain’s aggressive manner. But I am more impressed by Obama’s calmness. Neill Harvey-Smith said the “end product was that Obama looked and sounded presidential, while McCain’s aggression got the better of him.”
I am also swayed by McCain’s tactical approach, particularly early in the debate, where he turned the economic issue into a tax debate.
Above all, both Obama and McCain had their own share of developing clear, logical arguments using critical-thinking strategies in their argumentation speeches, though they differ in presenting them. Lots of fallacious arguments were thrown against each other, but I think it’s inevitable.
