John McCain is a Weak, Feeble Man

We had a great discussion last night during the debate here on the blog (in the 600 or so comments in the post below). I have some more thoughts. McCain's performance last night was disjointed and -- for all the hoopla of the "town hall" format favoring him -- he looked very small, in more ways than one, on that stage and never connected with the crowd.

But what underscores that he is feeble and weak is the fact that he didn't do what he said he was going to do: "take the gloves off" and go afte Obama on these supposed character issues he and Palin have been hitting on in their nasty attacks. I think it's relevant in light of McCain's having used his war-hero macho persona as a character issue in this campaign, claiming he's got the courage and the grit to take on opponents. But in truth, it turns out he's actually a coward.

McCain'a campaign sent Sarah Palin out over the weekend to attack in the most vicious, race-baiting way we have seen -- inspiring one man to scream "kill him" about Obama at a rally -- and McCain too followed up on the campaign trail, asking who Obama is, calling him a "mystery' and a "liar." And yet, at the debate last night he didn't have the guts to face the opponent he'd demonized head on and say the same things. He ran away from himself, and showed he doesn't have the stomach for this kind of campaigning, even as he allowed strategists to push him into it. He is easily manipulated and at this point aimless and, with Sarah Palin in tow, dangerous.

Obama showed what being presidential is about. He was confident and pretty much just sloughed off McCain, something hard to do considering what McCain has been doing to him. McCain blew his chance to do any damage in this debate, largely because, absent the nasty smears, he has nothing to say.