Senator McCain Vs. Senator Obama: The First Debate

Last night, we watched the first debate between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain. These are my first impressions of that event.

Overall, I would give the debate to Senator McCain. His answers were generally clear and detailed, and showed the in-depth knowledge of foreign policy that can only be acquired by spending twenty six years in the Senate, or, failing that, by spending all day reading every news outlet available for the last twenty years. Despite a misstep or two along the way, Sen. McCain showed a command of foreign policy that is very, very hard to beat. McCain answered every question calmly. He never got flustered or seemed to lose his place. Given that he has spent the last several days working on the financial bailout plan, McCain gave me the impression that he could do this debate literally any time.

Senator Obama frankly performed better than I thought he would. Infamous for his dependence on the teleprompter, he acquitted himself nicely overall. However, his actions while Senator McCain was speaking reminded me of George H.W. Bush's famous "time check" in 1992 or Al Gore's infamous heavy breathing in 2000. Obama was clearly nervous as the debate went on, as shown by the sheen of sweat clearly visible on his forehead. At risk of being impolite, he needs to bring a handkerchief to wipe his mouth during the next debate. He had clearly spent the last several days preparing for this debate, and his preparation served him well.

The most telling moment of the debate, in my opinion, was when Senator McCain told about the bracelet he wore. He attempted to lift his arm up several times to show the bracelet, but was unable to do so due to the injuries he suffered as a "guest" of the North Vietnamese. Obama sounded like a petulant fourteen year old when he responded that he, too, had a bracelet, but worse was that he apparently had to look down and read the name off the bracelet.

Sergeant Jopek and his family deserve better. For years, I, too, wore a bracelet like that. To this day, I can remember the name - Master Sergeant Russell Bott, lost in Laos on December 2nd, 1966. If you can't even remember the name on the bracelet, take it off -- you don't deserve it.

This incident serves as a microcosm of the entire campaign, in my opinion. Senator Obama has flash and style, but one is left wondering if he is little more than a Hollywood set, a facade designed to look good for the camera. Senator McCain, on the other hand, has the courage of his convictions. I don't agree with many of McCain's positions, but it is undeniable that he is a man of character and integrity. I'll take a man of solid character over an apparently empty suit any day.

In the interest of full and complete disclosure, I am a veteran of the US Army Infantry, a conservative and a registered Republican. I currently work for the Federal Government in Columbus, Georgia.