Speaking coach TJ Walker breaks down the 2008 McCain-Obama debate. McCain sounded authoritative but condescending. Obama started nervous, found his footing, and landed harder on the economy and war, earning an A to McCain's A-.
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So how did the candidates do in this first presidential debate of 2008? First, let's look at Senator McCain. He had a strong night. He came across very authoritative, knowledgeable. There are a lot of mistakes McCain often makes. He didn't make them tonight. For starters, he didn't say harsh things and then go like this. You may remember he did that a lot during his convention speech. He didn't have these awkward smiles tonight. He also didn't have this annoying verbal tic of saying, my friends, every two seconds as he often does. Overall, he came across authoritative, quite knowledgeable. Now, everyone concedes McCain knows a lot about foreign affairs and that came through tonight. He came across likable. He used humor at one point saying to the moderator, what you think, I can't hear. It was a funny, light moment. And overall he came across in a strong, authoritative, knowledgeable way, a solid, solid performance. Now how did Senator Obama do? He also did quite well. Obama came across knowledgeable, likeable. He did not have this, um, thing that he often does in interviews. He also had much better eye contact. Now, Obama is known as the better speaker when you think of the big keynote speech and the teleprompter. But, but when it comes to debates, he really wasn't known as a great debater. That's quite often because he's looking down and up and down. He seems a little nervous and uncomfortable. Now, the first few minutes of the debate he did seem a little uncomfortable. He used these connecting phrases of. And he had run on sentences. He didn't seem quite comfortable, but after the first three or four minutes he loosened up and he became much, much more comfortable. A solid performance overall. Now where did Obama really distinguish himself? Three key areas. Now, a staple of Republican politics for decades has been the idea that you label your opponent as a liberal. Well, sure enough, McCain did that, but only once tonight. And right away Obama had a retort. He says, well, if that means against voting against the wrong headed policies of George Bush, then I'm guilty. So it was a very effective retort. Obama also was quite effective in trying to position the whole current economic meltdown as a referendum on Bush economic policies. So it was quite skillful policy positioning there and putting McCain on the defensive. And finally, I thought Obama was at his strongest when he really went in quite forcefully and attacked McCain's position on the war, saying, you were wrong. On saying we are seen as liberators. You were wrong that it would be quick and easy. It was a very strong, forceful position. Now, where could Obama have done better? He just didn't have a lot of really memorable moments. He didn't really connect with people when it comes to his emotions and feeling. Now, he seemed very smart, he seemed competent, he clearly seemed intelligent. But did he really connect emotionally with people? Not so much. Did he really have the forceful zingers that will be remembered and said again and again and again on newscast? Not especially. Where could McCain have done better? I give McCain low marks on just sounding condescending. I counted eight specific times where he said, senator Obama just doesn't understand. He doesn't get it. I thought that seemed insulting. It's one thing to disagree, but to constantly imply your opponent almost isn't intelligent enough. I don't think that served McCain well at all. He also gets caught in too much government speak, and it seemed to be that he was implying that Obama didn't have enough subcommittee meetings and wasn't traveling around on junkets. I think that he lost the audience somewhere. So a very, very close debate. I think the partisans for McCain are going to feel very strongly that he won. They'll be making the case that he did and they'll be sincere. The partisans for Obama are also going to feel very strongly that he clearly won and they can say it with a straight face. All in all, it's a very close decision. I would have to give it slight points to Obama. I thought he did connect more forcefully, much more forcefully in these three key areas of defending the charges against liberalism, the whole tax economy issue, and his position on the war. Close call. An a for Senator McCain, but an A for Senator Obama.
