Israel Matzav

Wishful thinking?

According to a quick survey over at LGF, 80% of those voting (as of now) think that John Sidney McCain won Tuesday night's Presidential debate over Barack Hussein Obama. But much of the rest of the world seems to disagree (Hat Tip: Memeorandum). I can't really express an opinion, because I didn't see the debate. But in the Corner, Andy McCarthy fears that we conservatives are engaging in some wishful thinking (Hat Tip: Hot Air).

Here's what Obama needed to do tonight: Convince the country that he was an utterly safe, conventional, centrist politician who may have leftward leanings but will do the right thing when the crunch comes.

Now, as the night went along, did you get the impression that Obama comes from the radical Left? Did you sense that he funded Leftist causes to the tune of tens of millions of dollars? Would you have guessed that he's pals with a guy who brags about bombing the Pentagon? Would you have guessed that he helped underwrite raging anti-Semites? Would you come away thinking, "Gee, he's proposing to transfer nearly a trillion dollars of wealth to third-world dictators through the UN"?

Nope. McCain didn't want to go there. So Obama comes off as just your average Center-Left politician. Gonna raise your taxes a little, gonna negotiate reasonably with America's enemies; gonna rely on our very talented federal courts to fight terrorists and solve most of America's problems; gonna legalize millions of hard-working illegal immigrants.

McCain? He comes off as Center-Right .. or maybe Center-Left ... but, either way, deeply respectful of Obama despite their policy quibbles.

Great. Memo to McCain Campaign: Someone is either a terrorist sympathizer or he isn't; someone is either disqualified as a terrorist sympathizer or he's qualified for public office. You helped portray Obama as a clealy qualified presidential candidate who would fight terrorists.

If that's what the public thinks, good luck trying to win this thing.

Andy concludes that Tuesday night's debate was a disaster for our side. And from the videos and coverage I've seen, I'm inclined to agree with him. McCain seems to lack a killer instinct, and he's not going to learn from his running mate how to find one.

It almost makes you wish Sarah (Does she have a middle name?) Palin was the one at the top of the ticket.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:21 PM