http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2008/sep/29/john.mccain.debate.electionThe great McCain train wreck
John McCain is acting more like a drama queen than a president, and his erratic behaviour is turning off voters
So the great debate of 2008 that almost wasn't is finally over. Coming at the end of a week when John McCain threatened not to show up, swooped into Washington like Cincinnatus to save our financial system by scuttling a potential bipartisan deal and suspended his campaign while continuing to advertise, give public speeches and have his vice-presidential candidate attend rallies - in a word, campaigning - one would not be faulted for thinking that McCain could win the debate if he just showed up and managed not to drool on himself.
Certainly, if drama were people McCain would be China.
But is drama what people want in a president during a financial upheaval and while American troops are mired in two wars abroad? Judging by CBS and CNN polls and a Fox News focus group, all giving the debate to Barack Obama, the answer would seem to be a resounding no.
In fact, McCain displayed the same childish behaviour during the debate he did in the week leading up to it, and to steal a campaign slogan from former president Warren Harding, the American people reacted by saying they want to return to normalcy. It seems we've all had enough of the eight years of this runaway train, of government investigations, lawbreaking and trumped up threats of terrorism (while ignoring the real threat: anyone seen Osama bin Laden lately?).
It is as if we all cried out in unison: "Someone please save us from another drama queen!"
McCain clearly has not gotten this message. After his downright erratic behaviour last week, he showed up at the debate at Ole Miss with a chip on his shoulder. Every chance he got he took shots at Obama, often chiding him for "not understanding" something or other (this from a man who didn't seem to know who the president of Spain was a week ago). He refused to even look at Obama when he addressed him. He sneered, smirked and shook his head in disgust. It was as if someone took the Republican candidate and replaced him with a cross between Archie Bunker and Grandpa Simpson.
Meanwhile, Obama was calm, cool and collected. Perhaps a bit too much, as this particular debate observer would have liked him to show a bit more fire and point out the many inconsistencies in McCain's claims when put alongside a little old thing known as reality. But he still did what he needed to do. He seemed like a statesmen, like a president. Next to a man acting as though he were going through a mid-life crisis at age 72, it was not an exceedingly hard thing to accomplish.
McCain and Obama will debate twice more. And, with the world being a crazy place, anything can happen to change the dynamics of this race. But
if Friday night - and perhaps more importantly, the last week - was any indication, Americans would seem to have finally decided they would prefer the next four years not look anything like the last eight.
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