Just a brief diary on the debate.
At the end of the day, John McCain is still a Republican, and that is where John McCain loses not only the debate, but his whole campaign argument. He is trying to run as "real change". He's a maverick, right? Something new, something different?
He stood on that stage last night and repeated the same Republican rhetoric that we have heard for the past eight years. "Cut taxes, cut spending". He fell back on that as the default position, the thing to say when he had nothing else to say, because he has nothing else to offer. We know now that promise isn't true. When a Republicans says "cut taxes", the reality is they mean cut taxes for the rich. How are those Bush tax cuts working out for you? Chances are you haven't noticed them. Now, when a Republican says "cut spending" - that is where you come in. "Spending" has come to mean schools, health care, infrastructure, projects in your community - the things that benefit you directly. You are "spending". Don't ever forget that.
The Republican promise, actually their whole philosophy, rings hollow after eight years of practice. And it certainly isn't the "change" that the man is supposedly promising when he rips off Obama's campaign theme. McCain stood there and handed you "more of the same", but you are supposed to believe that it will somehow be different this time around. How?
It just doesn't work. It creates a cognitive dissonance. Something isn't right here. It doesn't ring true.
Not only that, he added arrogance and anger. His demeanor throughout the night was one of hostility. Instead of seeming like the voice of experience, he came off as condescending and dismissive. At a time when people are looking for reassurance from leadership, comfort and answers to their questions, new ideas to solve the problems -they got an older, angrier, meaner, George Bush.
Obama came across as cool, calm, thoughtful, knowledgeable. Someone who has taken the time to understand the problems we face and has specific ideas on how he would go about making this country and this world a better place. The message of investing in America, in the American people, is true "change", compared to the stale message of "cut taxes" and trickle down economics. Diplomacy in foreign matters is true "change" compared to the my-way-or-the-highway tactics of Bush, the tactics that McCain indicated he would obviously continue, the face of arrogance that has left the rest of the world distrustful and angry at America.
No. No more. Enough.
McCain's message probably sells to staunch Republicans; they just have to convince themselves that somehow "this time" it will work. For the rest of us, we know that it doesn't, and he won't win anyone over with this kind of performance.
McCain is still a Republican, and Republican leadership, philosophy and demeanor has been an utter disaster. McCain brings nothing new to the table. Republicans in general have nothing new to offer us. They prove that every day.
If "change" is the theme of this election, if "change" is what we are looking for, then only guy on that stage last night who offered us true "change" is Barack Obama.