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McCain sure is one poor public debater. Not smooth, or quick witted (which doesn't mean stupid by any means). He did manage to raise most of his critical points. He missed a number of good opportunities as well. For example:
1. When Obama said he and Biden were in lock step McCain could have highlighted Biden's liberal record and used it against him.
2. McCain also failed to capitalize on the 95 percent tax cut = 40 percent welfare angle when he had the opportunity.
3. The angle to have handled Ayers would have been to talk about the Annenberg foundation and what they spent the money on and not the terrorist angle. Radical fiscal and social policy vs radical individual.
4. McCain totally missed the opportunity to point out that Obama supports an activist supreme court and that's not the role of the court. It's up to the legislative and executive branches to make law. Something that could have been educational to the public.
However, all in all not a failure. Not a victory moment, but a foundation for the next two weeks focused on "Senator Government" and his "No Pork Left Behind" policies. Joe the Plumber is a real wild card now.
Noticed a mutually toxic subject like Immigration was not raised. An anti immigration McCain would be a shoe in today, but that's not where the current Republican party is looking to go long term.
2nd Amendment didn't come up. Probably a bone to Obama from Schieffer (moderator).
I agreed somewhat with Obama's populist views on a level playing field with US trade agreements. Now, Obama would likely push for more protectionism than is wise, but it's currently hard for our companies to compete for mfg. when we have ethical and moral standards for labor and the environment, but we enter into trade agreements with countries that have business practices straight out of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle" -- largely for the benefit of multinational tycoons and the politicians they buy.
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