Here Come the Debates: Obama vs. McCain; Palin vs. Biden

The AP’s Charles Babington sizes up the coming debates between Obama and McCain and Palin and Biden and opines the pressure is greater on Obama. Most of the world knows by now that Obama doesn’t perform well away from his teleprompter. Hillary Clinton ran circles around him during their several debates, and it wasn’t just style: she was by far the more knowledgeable and all around better-qualified candidate.

Babington writes:

“WASHINGTON (AP) — For Democrat Barack Obama, the three presidential debates that begin Friday are a chance to halt John McCain's momentum, re-establish his image as a refreshing political force and make his case against a third straight Republican presidential term.

“For McCain, they provide an opportunity to reinforce voters' doubts about Obama's experience and readiness, and to demonstrate that he's still on top of his game at age 72.

“With polls showing the race tight, and the debates expected to draw millions of TV viewers, they could tip the balance on Nov. 4.

“The pressure probably is greater on Obama, who built his meteoric career largely on charisma and a gift for words.”

- Um, tell that to the Democratic party elite, Mr. Babington; they are the folks who selected Obama while shoving Clinton out of the race.

Babington cites political scientist Bruce Cain in pointing out the different focus in the debates for the two presidential candidates:

‘“The debates are particularly important for Obama,’ said political scientist Bruce Cain, director of the Washington program for the University of California at Berkeley. Obama's candidacy relies heavily on his promise to break from President Bush's domestic and foreign policies, he said. Such topics are conducive to a debate's thrust-and-parry format, he said, and Obama must capitalize.

‘“He needs to really identify how he's different on the economy from both the current administration and McCain,’ Cain said.

“Obama has emphasized that message for months. But a debate's intimate setting may give it more resonance than the big-stadium speeches many voters associate with Obama.

“McCain's candidacy, Cain said, rests more on his image as a corruption fighter and war hero who survived a Vietnamese prison camp. Those qualities are certain to come out during the debates, but they could lack the specificity or immediacy that voters want, he said.”

Babington speculates as well about the vice-presidential debate pitting Sarah Palin against Joe Biden:

“The Oct. 2 vice presidential debate between Palin, Alaska's governor for two years, and Biden, Delaware's senator for 36 years, may draw nearly as much attention as the three McCain-Obama forums.

“No one expects Palin to match Biden's knowledge of federal matters, particularly his specialty of foreign policy. But Biden, whose verbosity sometimes gets him in trouble, will have to avoid any hint of patronizing Palin.

‘“Biden is going to have the toughest time,’ Baker said. He sometimes ‘lays down a smoke screen of rhetoric’ sprinkled with senatorial jargon, Baker said, which could give Palin a chance to appeal to voters with a straightforward, anti-Washington message.”’

Read Babington’s article in its entirety here.