Cool jazzman vs. hot-headed toddler

Let's take a look at the body language of last night's debate. According to Robin Abcarian of the LA Times : "Obama sat like a jazz musician on his chair, one heel hooked at an angle, while McCain sat as if he might leap up at any moment, or stood impatiently waiting for his turn to speak." Obama wore a cool arctic blue tie. McCain wore a blazing striped red tie. McCain appeared to toddle and wander around on the stage. He kept interrupting and even mocked moderator Tom Brokaw by responding to Brokaw's question "who would you select as secretary of the treasury" with a condescending "not you, Tom." It was as if he was saying, just sit down and shut up, you are just the moderator. I thought Brokaw asked some tough questions.

McCain seemed to ramble well beyond the allotted time limit, and I thought that when he started to turn his answer into a stump speech, the moderator should have jumped in. I think the most memorable moment was when McCain mockingly referred to Obama as "that one." But the best moment for Obama was when he countered McCain's "he doesn't speak softly and carry a big stick" with "bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran." McCain started with energy, but ran out of gas at the end. Obama ended on a high note. Obama mentioned the middle class six times, McCain mentioned "middle income" 3 times. I'm glad Obama called out McCain for voting against SCHIP healthcare for kids. I wish they would have talked more about education. Obama did bring up the subject, McCain never did. And Obama believes that healthcare is a right, McCain sees it as a responsibility.

Well, my friends, I think "that one" clearly won this one.