Saying "It’s...part of the president’s job to be able to deal with more than one thing at once," Obama signaled he's preparing and prepared for the job. If you watched his statement and press conference last hour, you saw a nascent President.
Obama was poised. He answered the press's questions. He didn't seem like a deer in the headlights, as McCain so often seems when addressing the media. In short, Barack Obama looked Presidential. Anyone watching would have to concede that, even if conservatives might still contend he was playing politics. The game will play out in the days ahead -- either there will be a debate or there won't be one on Friday, depending on who wins this game of political chicken. However, Obama has already made the larger point. The nightly news will show a man who looked like a President -- actually, like the President -- deftly handling a press conference...his first Presidential press conference.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle Obama has to overcome in this race -- besides racism -- is getting people comfortable with the notion of Obama as the Chief Executive. They have to to able to see him as President. I think he will win some converts with his appearance today.
Obama may stumble a bit when he's trying to talk casually to voters on the campaign trail, but in this venue he was cool as the other side of the pillow. More importantly, he was, undeniably, "Presidential".
Game. Set. And Match?