"This first debate between John McCain and Barack Obama reminded me of 1996 when Senator Bob Dole debated President Bill Clinton.
Like Bill Clinton, Mr. Obama gave a broader world view and vision about how the world had changed, how we need a president who can handle the complexities of the global financial crisis – one who can relate to the middle class and restore America's standing in world affairs.
In contrast, Mr. McCain painted very much a Bob Dole-esque picture of a president steeped in the Senate, in experience, and in tax and spending cuts – one who is concerned about veterans and taking a tough approach to allies and enemies.
Both had their moments, but Mr. McCain owned the past and Mr. Obama owned the future. …
The First Debate: A Win for Obama By MICHAEL A. COHEN Michael A. Cohen is a senior research fellow at the New America Foundation and the author of "Live From the Campaign Trail: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the 20th Century and How They Shaped Modern America." (Full biography.)
Any analysis of the first presidential debate in Oxford, Miss,. must begin with a simple question:What was each candidate trying to achieve?
For Barack Obama it was all about the half of all Americans who still think he lacks the requisite qualifications to be president. Would he seem knowledgeable and effective in talking about serious foreign policy issues? Would he be able to reassure them that they can trust him with the nation's most powerful job? Would he be able to go toe-to-toe with John McCain.
For Mr. McCain, who is trailing in the polls and has had a rough two-week stretch since the financial crisis broke, he needed a clear victory Friday night. Considering that foreign policy is seen as his strong point he needed to portray Mr. Obama as naïve and inexperienced and not up to the job of commander in chief. More important, after his behavior of this past week, he needed to cultivate an air of statesmanship and counteract the growing chorus of recklessness being heard in the national media.
On a substantive level, both candidates acquitted themselves well. In a political vacuum, this debate would seem like a tie. But as any fan of baseball knows, the tie goes to the runner.
Well, in politics, the tie goes to the candidate who has the momentum and right now that candidate is Barack Obama and from that perspective the debate was an important tactical victory for him. …