Old McCain vs. 'That One'

If there was one answer that seemed to epitomize John McCain's lackluster performance in Tuesday's presidential debate with Barack Obama, it came when Tom Brokaw asked each man whether the federal government should start a Manhattan-project-like task force to attend to the country's energy woes, or whether it should fund the thousands of small business who are already busy picking up the government's slack response. At the heart of the question was what, exactly, the role of government should be to fix what both men agree needs to be a priority for the next administration .

McCain's response drifted and zig-zagged all over the map, as did many of his answers last night. He seemed to say everything and nothing before he pivoted and launched a stuttering non sequitur attack on his opponent. Worse, he referred to Obama as "that one," showing a lack of respect for the man who was, at that very moment, mopping the town hall floor with the more experienced Arizona Senator. Watch:



Indeed, there is no love lost between these two men. But McCain has an uncanny way of showing his contempt, whether it's refusing to make eye contact, or offering snide winks to the taunts of his campaign rally audiences. Last night, after it was all said and done, McCain even seemed to dodge shaking Obama's hand, and left that task to his wife Cindy, who, hours earlier in the day had declared, apparently without irony, that Obama was waging "the dirtiest campaign in American history."

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But while Palin/McCain's hardcore supporters grow ever frustrated and irate, yelling out "Kill him!" and "Terrorist!" and "Treason!" and "Sit down, boy!" (the latter to an African American sound man) at their rallies, Obama has, to borrow McCain's woefully transparent debate talking point, kept a steady hand on the tiller. In fact, if anything, he's shown that he seems to keep his cool and perform best when the stakes are highest. And that's precisely the temperament we need in a commander-in-chief.

Of course, Palin and McCain and their gang will continue with their "that one" strategy right up until election day. They will argue that Obama doesn't see America the way most Americans do (73% anyway). They'll say he's a terrorist sympathizer. They'll call him naive and uppity and whatever else they can think of to try to scare the daylights out of the nation. And through it all, "that one" keeps showing what he's made of.

As if reading from a McCain press release, the media assured us that John was a master of the town hall. That this was the forum where he shined. Well, if there's one consolation for McCain from last night's debate, it's that Obama didn't agree to more town hall appearances until now.


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