Katrina vanden Heuvel: The Last Debate --Hurrah!

[marmar]

from The Nation:



The Last Debate --Hurrah!
posted by Katrina vanden Heuvel on 10/16/2008 @ 01:14am



It's hard to believe that the last debate (hurrah!) in this long and winding and extraordinary election has just ended .

The pundits were out of the gate--even before the two spouses, in red and blue, bounded onto the stage -- peddling their wares and opinions. Who won? Was it a game-changer for McCain? (Note to pundits: Could we abolish that term? Elections are not games.) No. Some argued that McCain won the first quarter. But by halftime, punditocrats brayed in virtual unison that it seemed as if McCain needed anger management therapy.

"Obama on the defensive" was another favorite pundit theme. It is true that given the opportunity to skewer McCain/ Palin's demagogic 100 percent negative ads and rallies-- the ones that have incited ugly and hate-filled xenophobia at a time of metastasizing economic pain--Obama chose to stay cool, sober and cautious. (McCain's defense of those rallies, and his vile attacks on civil rights leader and American hero, now Congressman John Lewis, exposed the dark twists and turns of a man who once denounced gutter tactics. He now condones them.) It's pretty clear --as one observer noted--that Obama's strategy is "dare to be boring." He played a safe game tonight.

McCain, on the other hand, flailed and revealed a kind of manic desperation . He had one punchy line: "I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run to run against him, you should have run four years ago." But how far does one punchline take "No More Mr. Maverick." McCain is more right and wrong than Bush on core principles and issues--from Iraq, Iran, North Korea ( he protested taking it off the axis of evil list) and Russia and he has pandered to a Republican rightwing base on energy, on immigration, and tax cuts for the most wealthy. He's even capitulated ---though Obama failed to point this out in tonight's debate--on the CIA'S use of torture. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/edcut/372720/the_last_debate_hurrah?rel=hpbox