Really, I think it ends up a push. Both candidates held their own, both got in some solid points, both responded to direct attacks.
So, tactically a push. Strategically, though, I think the tie goes to Obama. Foreign policy is McCain’s strong suit, and where Obama is seen as the weakest. Obama is significantly ahead in the polls. McCain needed a knock-out blow, and he didn’t get it. Obama needed to keep his position and look like he could be president, and I think he did that.
I also think that there are going to be a few things, like “John is Right…” and “you just don’t understand” and McCain’s anger vs. Obama’s calmness, that will play differently to the at-home audience than they do to the insta-pundits on TV. People watching at home tend to pick up on mood, tone, and temperament. It will take a few days to see how this all filters out though.
Dr. Peter Howard focuses on US foreign policy and international security. He studies how the implementation of foreign policy programs produces rule-based regional security regimes, conducting research in Estonia on NATO Expansion and US Military Exchange programs and South Korea on nuclear negotiations with North Korea.
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