A Good Night for Stasis, a Bad Night for Reality

Tonight's debate was a political Rorschach test. Wherever you were at 8:59 pm ET, you were at 10:36 pm (the debate ran a few minutes long).

It was a good night for Obama because, when 83 percent of the country believe we are on the wrong track, standing toe-to-toe with McCain on foreign policy is all you need to do. And Obama clearly did that -- scoring strong points on the lessons of Iraq, where he pointed out all the ways McCain had been wrong on the war. He even landed a zinger: "John, you like to pretend the war began in 2007."

It was a good night for McCain because, after a week in which he'd been bleeding like a hemophiliac in a barbed wire factory, tonight stanched the bleeding. He was able to keep the debate about the economy focused on taxes and cutting spending, as opposed to the crisis brought on by the free market, deregulation religion of which he is a devout follower. And he was able to interject himself into the major foreign policy decisions of the last 20 years.

But it was a bad night for reality. Did John McCain really try to reclaim the high ground on torture after having caved on the issue earlier in the year? And did he really profess his love for veterans after having fought against the new GI Bill?

The worst blow to reality came when the candidates took on the question of whether we are safer now than we were on 9/11. Both men agreed that, although there is still work to be done, we are, in fact, safer than we were. A low point: Obama pointing to improved airport security.

In truth, we are not safer. The Taliban is resurgent, al Qaeda is resurgent, Osama is still on the loose, Iran has increased its influence and has a burgeoning nuclear program, North Korea has joined the nuclear club, our ports are still porous, our chemical plants still poorly guarded, our railways and roadways vulnerable, and our standing in the world has been greatly diminished. But, hey, we now have to take off our sneakers at the airport and can only bring on board three ounces of conditioner.

Style points: I give it to Obama, who came across as relaxed and gracious (too gracious; enough with the repeated claims that "John is right"). McCain looked like he forgot to take his Metamucil.

Best moments: For Obama, it was his run on Iraq, his "muddle through" riff ("you don't muddle through Osama... you don't muddle through the Taliban"), and his reminder of McCain's gaffe about not meeting with the prime minister of Spain.

For McCain, it was his line about Putin ("I looked into his eyes and saw three letters: KGB), and his mocking line about sitting down with Ahmadinejad.

Most contrived moment: the dueling tales of bracelets given to them by the mothers of fallen soldiers.

Final verdict: McCain back from the dead, but not nearly enough to seize the momentum in a change election.

Tomorrow morning, after the dust has settled, and the best soundbytes have been played out, the economy will still be in free fall, McCain will still be the guy who 10 days ago thought the fundamentals of the economy are strong, and 83 percent of the country will still be looking for a change in direction.

Read more reactions to the first presidential debate from HuffPost bloggers, including Nora Ephron, Bob Shrum, Madeleine Albright, Paul Reiser, Sean Penn, Sheryl Crow, and more.

Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff

Comments

[btburke]

Arianna, Seems like you've energized the right wing base! Didn't know they were listening all that much to anything but Fox News, but many of the above blogs suggest that they are getting desperate too and turning to the left for your inspiration, though they are indeed slow learners.

About the debate: Obama came across as the cool hand luke of foreign policy, outwitting and outsmarting McCain at every turn.

Mc Cain, however, was successful in distracting attention from the real issues (Republican deregulation, increasing national --Republican driven--debt, an expensive and unjust war in Iraq, unemployment, his lobbyists ) and Obama should have done better reacting to those blunders, though he did do well with Iraq.

btb

[Xenopus]

Well, what do you want in a 90 minute debate, where the rules were strange and not very well controlled, really. I think if people, voters, want indepth information they have a responsibility to get off their fannys to read and study about the candidates, to take some responsibility to learn. If you want everyone spoon fed information from A to Z, that is ridiculous. No one can answer all the questions in a debate where all sorts of trash is dragged in to make a point. Of course the candidates try to hit their high points. I think you, Arianna, have complained in the past that Obama gets too nuanced.

[BBDisk]

To answer why McCain didn't mention the Middle Class:

The mere recitation of "Middle Class" is not a magic incantation that suddenly makes a candidate relevant. What McCain did was point out issues that affect the middle class - especially as concerns taxation.

What Senator Obama doesn't understand: A tax break from income tax for people earning under $250,000.00 sounds sexy - but for people without jobs, no tax break is going to help. McCain illustrated perfectly how Obama's tax-break is posturing - and his business taxation plans would drive more jobs offshore. McCain pointed out that business and jobs are being exported to Ireland because they have corporate tax capped at 11% - considerably lower than the USA is now, and far lower than Obama would have it.

If you're a business with the fiduciary duty to shareholders, but still have to compete with your widgets against others in the market-space - you have to bring cost of manufacturing down (because if you bring the price of the goods up, you'll be outsold by competition). What to do? Go offshore.

The bolsheviks protest, "That's unpatriotic to move those American jobs overseas!!!" ... well, comrades ... you drove them there with your cunning stunt to increase corporate tax.

A tax-break is no good to someone who doesn't have a job. Obama must get his head out of the theory books and look at what is happening around him:

No business equals no jobs equals no tax revenue equals empty promises.

[cheforacle]

McCain gives tax breaks to all of the earners under $250,000 just not as large a break. What is your position on those? Do you support McCain's tax breaks as well.

And did you ever consider that part of the purpose of the Obama tax cuts is to give people more money at the end of the month to cover their essentials and reinject money in to the economy. You're not denying that additional consumer spending can contribute to a stimulus to the economy and create or maintain jobs.

[Johnjlws]

I believe Barack said our airport security was much improved, but we had work to be done like hardening our chemical plants and securing our ports and then proceded to school "the Maverick" on the legitimate threat all this nuclear material and bombs have to our security. I am stunned that "the left" seems incapable of understanding the basic fact that Obama is a candidate for President and not "the" President. Yes, security at airports is something of a placebo, but only because of the competence of the individual screeners. Flying through some cities screeners seem more interested in their coworkers than my carry-on. However, before 9-1-1 we were asked 2 questions one being "are you a terrorist?" and when we said "no" we weren't even asked "why are you carrying that ammo belt and those grenades?" Not seriously on the ammo belt, but almost. So saying "our airport security is better" should be a clue to those of us supporting this monumentally challenging run telling us "hey guys I get it, but..." That the left keeps missing these not very subtle clues is disheartening. Imagine the volume of screeching from the right and the dramatic turn in the polls if Barack had said "Nope, we've done nothing and we're more susceptible to all sorts of nonsense from the insane maniacs than ever before." Oh my God. Come on folks. I know everyone needs to "sell newspapers," but let's get him elected first.

[greginwva]

John is absolutly right! Barack Obama was outstanding the other night because in addition to displaying his in depth knowledge of the issues he displayed his knowledge of everyday Americans.He coud have came away from that debate as a winner in say,Chris Mathews eyes,but a loser and uppity black man who wont even admit how far weve progressed since 9-11 in the eyes of blue collar Americans.If Barack had reacted to McCain's rudeness with anger,he would have dropped 10 points overnight no matter well he did with the facts. With all due respect to the Paul Risers out there,you really dont understand white America.

[minniebee]

Am I the only one who thinks that John McCain was a sexist last night in the debate? When discussing Obama's ability to understand/handle the war in Iraq vs. his own ability, McCain attempted to paint Obama as weak and not up to the task by saying (twice) that he (McCain) was not "running to be Miss Congeniality." In other words, he used a reference to women to represent weakness and flawed ability. In doing so, he tried to make himself appear strong and Obama appear weak at the expense of women. In my book, that's sexism. However, I've heard no one mention this. If Obama had made the same reference, the McCain campaign and the conservative media certainly would be all over it, accusing Obama of disrespecting all women and specifically Sarah Palin, a former Miss Congeniality.

[BBDisk]

Grasping at straws, you are. It is a long running joke, apparently you have only heard it for the first time last night.

Let me help you: by referencing that for himself, he was calling attention to the fact that he's not a party mollifier, that he will and has fought against his party's position on various issues. THUS earning him the right to refer to himself as "NOT Miss Congeniality"

Obama had no place in that reference.

Hope that clears it up.

[minniebee]

It's still a sexist reference. Let me see if I can put this another way: would McCain - or you, for that matter - use a masculine reference to represent a mollifier? If yes, give me your example, and I'll stand corrected!

[SailFree]

It would have been better had reality played a bigger part.

[AspenFreePress]

I was voting for Obama before last night's debate. Now my choice is NONE OF THE ABOVE. Neither dwelled on the largest bank failure in U.S. history having just occurred. I can imagine what these two geeks would have discussed, if last night's debate had occurred just after the the Kennedy assassination. Probably the debate would have still been a warmed-over rehash of stuff they'd been saying on the campaign trail for months. Maybe there wasn't enough time in the interim between the bank failure and the debate for their writers pen new prose for them to utter. They looked like a couple of puppets in need of new lines. What happend to being extemporaneous?
Sterling Greenwood
Aspen Free Press

[JonathanDS2U]

Republicans have for a long time taken a tone with the public akin to a 1950s form of paternalism. They're your Daddy, and Daddy wants you to make your bed, drink alcohol for inebriation instead of smoking pot, etc. Don't dare see authoritarianism, see paternalism, and don't dare question Daddy's necessary, firm beliefs. Could your rejection of those competing to become the "voice of authority" in the U.S. result from the fact that neither stamped their feet while continuing to repeat the "perfect answer" to the financial crisis, as if it should be just another cut-and-dry issue? Obama calmly laid out an explanation for how it came about. If the way out of the woods would involve a more extensive explanation, you can be sure that soundbite-hungry "children" will feel deprived of that paternal reassurance that everything is fine.

[longislandlol]

He gained indies- indies don't like divisiveness and negativity--so Obama gained Indies last night

[jrterrier]

If this doesn't scare every liberal, progressive or conservative in America, nothing will:

http://www.kmov.com/video/index.html?nvid=285793&shu=1

This is an outrage.

[BBDisk]

That is an abomination. That a presidential candidate can mobilize his own "Truth Squad" from local and state law enforcement? Very VERY Bolshevik.

But then again, did he not learn his trade in Chicago?

[voteABC]

If Obama wants a slam dunk win the next debate, there is one simple question he can ask that will ensure a devastating victory over McCain.

Find out what it is in "The one debate question that will rattle McCain and guarantee an overwhelming Obama victory in the 2nd debate" at http://abcparty.org

vote ABC - anyone but conservative...because the Right is wrong for America

abcparty.org

[BBDisk]

"'Nobody's suggesting that kindergartners are going to be getting information about sex in the way that we think about it,'" Obama told the Daily Herald. "'If they ask a teacher 'where do babies come from,' that providing information that the fact is that it's not a stork is probably not an unhealthy thing. Although again, that's going to be determined on a case by case basis by local communities and local school boards.'"

Sounds like McCain must have been talking about this in his "shameful" advert.

[Forest]

Bravo, Arianna!

[Undercontrol]

I am an Obama supporter, but I do not believe had a knock out win. I think, technically, McCain won. Speaking about foriegn policy last year was quite ridiculous. With the finacial meltdown in the U.S., an issue that will definately be in the history books, should have been the focus.

[oregonrain]

I agree , there was no clear winner in last night's debate . I thought it was mediocre . Neither candidate had the guts to tell the American people what THIER plan was for the economy . MC Cain went to D.C. , to lend his powerful " Maverick " style , but , he doesn't sit on any of the banking committes . Political theatre ? Yup yup ! Obama didn't fair any better , as far as I'm concered , other than , he looked more the statesman than MCCain could ever hope to . Hey ... It's just my opinion .

[sagopalm]

John McCain's campaign personifies the thing I dislike most about having republicans run the country; Mean Spiritedness.
It was true during the Nixon years, and the Ford years and (especially) the Reagan years and the bush years and Clinton years (thanks to the republicans and their insatiable hatred for both Bill and Hillary Clinton) and now, as so surely represented during the torturous bush/cheney years.
McCain looked as though he Hated Barack Obama. His shoulders were hunched, his grinding teeth were clenched and his venom was at full spit! I was waiting for steam to come blasting forth from his ears like Yosemite Sam.
He kept Obama on the defensive which worked effectively part of the time. Obama really missed several opportunities to make McCain eat his own words. But he spent so much time correcting him that it almost put McCain in a good light. Almost! If only the disparaging things McCain said towards Obama were true.
But ultimately, McCain came off as a man dreading his first bowel movement after having had anal polyp surgery earlier the same day.

[LorettaSingbiel]

"His shoulders were hunched, his grinding teeth were clenched and his venom was at full spit! I was waiting for steam to come blasting forth from his ears like Yosemite Sam."

McCain didn't mention the "middle class" because he could care less about those Americans living from paycheck to paycheck ... who don't understand why ONE TRILLION DOLLARS of THEIR taxdollars MUST "URGENTLY" go to WALL Street ... to prevent THEIR portfolios from FREE-falling.

McCain showed DISRESPECT by not looking Obama in the eyes...even when prodded to do so by the moderator.

But I imagine it's tough to look someone in the eyes ... when you're telling LIES!!!

There was some criticism of Obama being "too nice" to McCain. But can you imagine how the righteous republicans would have foamed at the mouth to decry Obama as an "angry black man", had he NOT maintained a certain level of composure! (Remember what they did to his wife!)

Obama is CLEARLY the man to lead OUR country out of the CATASTROPHE of these past eight years!

OBAMA/BIDEN '08!
HOPE and CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!!!

[MegWe]

Thank you for your comment Loretta. The cynics are out on HuffPost today. I think Obama was brilliant. He did what he needed to do in the debate, and undecideds are finally listening to him.

[dcazal01]

Good move for Obama, the kind of people that will change from Mc Cain to him would not be gained by a more agresive posture.

Mc Cain is a good debater and Obama was very smart not to confront him because the point is not to win a debate but to get some votes from the other guy . I think Obama did that by being not agresive. Both of them are in at that level for a reason.

[mikeossur]

We all know and I am sure McCain and Obama know that security does not really start at the battle fields of Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq but right here at home. The kind of terrorism we must watch out for will be of our own making.
If we had never entered these countries we would be far more secure and we would be far more financially stable. If we had not elected GW Bush in for a second term we would be far more secure.
Who we need to fear is the corporate and military structure of or society not a rag tag bunch of thugs hiding in some cave half way across the world. If we want to stop the stem of terrorism we need to educate people in this country so our democracy will be stronger. We need to provide better health care and make main street or first concern.

Why are we in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq? Why we see Iran as a threat?
One word, OIL - how it is distributed and managed is the only reason we care about this region.

So, Obama and McCain are playing the game that has been set forth. We will never leave this region as long as we have a need to be there. Sure we may draw down our forces. Obama will be a far better leader who's interest is America ahead of corporate greed but the stage has been set and everyone has to play along.

[JNagarya]

"The kind of terrorism we must watch out for will be of our own making."

Not actually ours, but it has been here:

The Bushit criminal enterprise and its constant Politics of Terrorizing the Electorate for Partisan Political Gain and Private Profit.