I was predicted a tie, and called it one afterwards, but everyone else seems to think Obama came ahead. That might actually have been because our stream went down during Obama’s “You were wrong” litany. We also ended up watching it in RealPlayer tiny thumbnail o’ vision, so I didn’t get to see a lot of the expressiveness that other I think many undecided voters pick up on — McCain as angry, Obama as … well, what was Obama seen as? I guess I’m going to have to tour the conservablogs to find out.
Mixed feelings on my part. One half of me is impressed at how substantive it got, and the other half was bored rigid through a lot of it. I do get the feeling that this is what Obama will be like as President, which intellectually I’m relieved about — he seemed a lot more considered and concessionary. On the more emotional side, I guess day-to-day Obama isn’t going to be some kind of magical Jed Bartlett constant rhetorician.
One of the more astute comments noted how McCain’s humor is all about punchlines, and Obama is all about the sarcasm and wry asides. I remember arguing with a friend who thought Obama couldn’t be funny, whereas one of the reasons I like him is that he’s one of the few politicians whose humour I enjoy: my friend is definitely a punchline kind of person. I wonder if it’s a generational matter?
September 26th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
The Grauniad liveblog gave it to McCain. I can see why. I’d say ‘score draw in which one manager says “we did enough to earn three points” and the other says “we’re glad we came away with a result”‘, which is why American sports that disdain the tie are silly.
(Yeah, it’s generational: McCain is Bewitched comedy. Obama is Gen X.)
well, what was Obama seen as?
I believe the aim was ‘not Scary Negro’, and at that he succeeded. Also, big moiré tie from McCain? I’m sorry, but don’t you learn not to do stripes the first time you appear on television?