If this was the debate John McCain had to win, it didn’t work out that way. McCain was good in this first debate. But so was Obama. A tie advantages Obama, who has to convince my in-laws in Ohio that his middle name is irrelevant and he doesn’t wear a turban.
The more Obama looks like he can hold his own against McCain, stand on the same stage and not wet his pants, it’s a victory for Obama. His requirement to have a positive outcome is so low, because the undecided racists out there don’t expect much. When they see him in action, Obama becomes more viable and like-able. That’s really all he needs to close the deal in the final weeks.
Obama’s just trying to establish the relationship now with all those undecided voters. The more you know about him, the comfort level rises. Even the most dyed-in-the-wool Hillary supporters in the APA community must be a Obama backers now.
McCain’s poor result tonight could mean we’ll see more negative campaigning from the GOP. That’s risky because he’s preaching bi-partisanship on the financial bailout. It makes the next month tricky. He may not be able to negate the rising comfort level among the electorate for a black man running for president.