One month to election day, and I just cannot get off the fence. Last night's Vice-Presidential debate didn't help much. If anything, it made me more undecided. I was leaning McCain until last night. Joe Biden's remarkable performance wowed me.
Many in our conservative, Republican state rooting for the native Idahoan may disagree, but the debate last night was a Democratic blowout. Biden had better command of his facts and showed the kind of passion and discipline I cannot recall seeing from him before. He also seemed way more personable at times than the hockey mom. His demeanor more confident, his smile more relaxed. Every time I thought Sarah Palin was going to score points, like when she talked about sitting around the table talking about the issues that have impacted her and her family, Biden would give an even more compelling response, talking about losing his wife, raising his kids as a single parent and the financial struggles of his own parents.
Biden also showed remarkable restraint. When Palin butchered the name of the commanding general in Afghanistan, Biden gave a knowing smile but did not correct her. When Palin attacked his record, Biden protested she had it all wrong and dared her to look it up. She instead backed off by saying the TV pundits would do it for her, the same TV pundits she derides most every day. Weak.
When Obama picked Biden, I condemned the pick as too safe and not very visionary. My image of Biden was of the long-winded all-too-communicative long-time Senator who said lots but couldn't make a point. My thinking was if this was an example the kind of decisions Obama was going to make, maybe he isn't ready to lead. By contrast, I thought McCain's pick was bold, sort of like a football coach taking a chance on the up-and-comer he can build upon rather than the grizzled veteran who looks back with more enthusiasm than he looks forward. During the V.P. debate, Joe Biden took my entire theory and put it on its ear.
Pundits praised Palin for her lack of serious slip-ups. No 'deer in the headlights' moments for her. True, but that's a very low standard for the person who would sit a heartbeat from the Presidency.
Of course, no matter what I decide, it won't matter. Idaho's 4 electoral votes will go to McCain. It's a lock, so why blog about my 'undecided-ness?'
It's because it is reflective of why I think McCain is in a lot more trouble than people realize. He just pulled his campaign out of Michigan, a state political experts were at one time saying could be to 2008 what Florida was to 2000 ... the key state for victory. Suddenly, the McCain electoral math is looking very daunting, with Obama now appearing to have locked up as many as 250 of the 270 electoral votes he needs for victory.
A month is a lifetime in politics and McCain can certainly come back. But if he has trouble closing the deal with someone like me ... someone who has never voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate in his lifetime, but who now feels the country is most certainly on the wrong track and does need change ... he won't win this election.
McCain has two debates left. Outside of some unfathomable Obama meltdown, they represent his two last, best chances to win. Political ads won't do it. Political rallies won't do it. He has to land decisive hay-makers in the debates. I know I'll be watching ... closely.
I did not see anything that looked like a "knowing smile" from Sen. Biden when Gov. Palin got GEN McKiernan's name wrong. (I recognized it was wrong immediately, and was specifically looking for something to that effect.) He didn't call her on it, so he gets no points for actually knowing the right answer, if in fact he did.
Posted by: Bubblehead | October 03, 2008 at 03:23 PM