It's not over, but Barack Obama passed a critical hurdle (last night). In a debate centered on John McCain's area of strength, foreign policy, he fully held his own.
I tip my hat to both candidates for their preparation on the foreign policy questions. McCain scored more points on the foreign policy areas, especially toward the end, but Obama was never outclassed. I would say Obama won on style points (pleasant demeanor vs. crotchety and contemptuous). McCain's digs brought out the well-schooled debater in Obama, who got his points in consistently.
Although Obama frequently said, "You're absolutely right, John", and McCain often said, "You're mistaken, Senator Obama" (or the equivalent), that doesn't mean that John was always right and Sen. Obama was always mistaken, and I think the American people actually saw that. Obama's giving credit to his opponent is a debating tactic that sometimes throws off his adversary, but it didn't particularly do so tonight. I think he should shift to a different off-putting approach for the next one (say, intentionally ignoring the last statement McCain makes, regardless of what it might be), whereas McCain will try a different style as well, one less confrontational.
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