What did I think about the debate? Yes, it was McCain's strongest performance. Barack Obama was on the defensive much of the night. Gaffes? A couple of innocent misstatements here and there, such as John McCain's slip-up (or was it?) calling Obama "Senator Government."
Who won? Joe the Plumber.
Seriously, McCain did, but he hit a double, not a home run.
So it's over? Right?
No.
McCain slugged Obama hard over his ACORN ties. The group, as even casual political observers know, has been implicated in voter registration fraud in 14 states. My guess is that the number will go up.
Here was Obama's response:
The only involvement I've had with ACORN is, I represented them alongside the US Justice Department in making Illinois implement a motor voter law that helped people get registered at DMVs.
Obama's involvement with ACORN goes back to his first taste of working in politics, leading the Chicago office of Project Vote, an ACORN group, in leading a voter registration drive in 1992.
Three years later Obama represented ACORN in the DMV case--which had to be an easy win for both. Governor Jim Edgar was trying to prevent vote fraud, but even he had to know it was loser cause. And silly. I remember voting in an election around that time--there was a "motor voter ballot" that contained just federal offices.
While serving on the board of The Woods Fund, with Bill Ayers in the 1990s, grants were given to ACORN.
More recently, the Obama campaign paid ACORN $800,000 for "get out the vote" efforts this spring.
If the ACORN scandal continues to spread, and I suspect it will, ACORN is an aggressive, "the end always justifies the means" group, it means problems for Obama.
Besides, ACORN registers voters only in heavily Democratic areas. Independent voters won't like the ACORN odor.
As for the rest of it: Obama has an almost musical presence on stage--or sitting at a table. But like light classical music, it feels pleasant enough during the performance, but a few hours later, you can't remember the tune. McCain's symphony, even with a crashing cymbal here and there, is more memorable and will stick with those coveted undecided voters.
There are three weeks left.
That's all for now...time for some sleep.
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