Massachusetts Democrant

McCain Strikes Out Swinging

A deal closer, if it already isn't

Well, McCain had his best half hour at the start, but that was it. Once again, post debate polls showed that Obama won the third and final debate. Most importantly the CNN poll breakdown of independents and the CBS poll of undecideds both favored Obama. If you favored either man, nothing happened that would sway you, it's in the middle that this race is being fought and won by Obama.

McCain is clearly coming across as angry, disdainful, and prone to exaggeration. For example, he accused Obama of voting against Justice Breyer. Slight problem, Breyer was confirmed in 1994. Not the only, but perhaps the most obvious time that McCain displayed his desperation.

Certainly Obama had opportunity to attack McCain, (the Palin question, times when McCain's foreign policy judgement has been suspect) but the strategy was to not go there. Finally, as one of the CNN talking heads mentioned, McCain's closing was about him. It's not about him, it's about, as Obama took opportunity to note, the American people.

Off topic of the debate, but not of the election is how Governor Palin has been noting to audiences now that she was cleared in the release of that report on the firing of her brother in law. I guess we can add the report to the list of things Sarah Palin does not read.

Rumors are in the air also that Colin Powell may endorse soon. The rumors also suggest that it's not for McCain. Rumors can be wrong, but Powell endorsing Obama would be a huge deal; I dare say a deal closer, if it already isn't.