Obama-McCain debate: jabs, but no knockout

Then Obama went after McCain, calling the current financial straits “a final verdict on the failed economic policies of the last eight years, strongly promoted by President Bush and supported by Senator McCain….”

McCain began his response with his own “I feel your pain” rhetoric: “You go to the heart of America's worries tonight,” he said, complimenting the audience member for his question, as McCain did for just about every question he took. “Americans are angry, they're upset, and they're a little fearful. It's our job to fix the problem.”

McCain then put forth some proposals – including a new one that immediately had conservatives scratching their heads. He spoke of energy independence, the need to keep taxes low, the need to cut government spending, and then the new proposal: “I would order the secretary of the Treasury to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America and renegotiate at the new value of those homes.”

McCain said that would allow people to make payments and stay in their homes. He acknowledged that such a plan would be expensive, but added that “until we stabilize home values in America, we’re never going to start turning around and creating jobs and fixing our economy.”

McCain criticized Obama for backing special projects known as earmarks, such as a $3 million projector for a planetarium in Chicago. He also tied Obama to the subprime mortgage crisis, via his “cronies” and friends.

Perhaps McCain’s sharpest attack on Obama came in his discussion of energy legislation that “was loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies.”

“You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one,” he said, pointing dismissively at Obama. This kind of impersonal dig was unusual in a presidential debate, especially for one between two senators, who normally address one another with particular decorum.

Still, for all the jabs during the evening – and Obama gave as good as he got – Obama seemed almost preternaturally calm. It may be that he knew his assignment was to make no mistakes, and that by maintaining a cool composure he would be less likely to say something he would regret.

“In terms of style, Obama seemed more relaxed tonight than in the last debate,” says Jennifer Reem, a communication expert at Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. “He did a good job of not condescending to the audience. He addressed the entire audience, making sure to turn around and face each portion of the audience during his answers.”

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