The Associated Press published two articles this week discussing which sides of the candidates we will see on Friday night. While Jim Kuhnhenn described the debate as “John McCain’s high wire act” and discussed whether McCain will please or annoy the audience, Christopher Wills questioned whether we would see a “tone-deaf debater” or a “confident candidate” in Barack Obama. Come Friday night, two different styles will showcase themselves in a debate that could decide the votes of many undecided citizens.
Kuhnhenn discussed how McCain has used humor, empathy, and absolute contempt throughout his debate in quite memorable ways. Alan Schroeder commented on how McCain “understands the power of the moment…and how to take advantage of it.” Indeed, McCain knows how to embrace a situation to his advantage and should be able to do that if he can remain calm and collected. Known for being respectful and effective when debating against those he thinks highly of and harsh against those for whom he has little respect, McCain’s final outcome on Friday might depend on the type of respect McCain has for Obama and whether Obama is able to get under his skin. And although McCain’s best performance will probably occur in Nashville—not Oxford—due to his success in town hall-style debates, it will still be interesting to see how he does Friday night.
In his article, Wills goes on to discuss how Obama did not any serious errors during his previous debates and how he has only gotten better over the past year, but also that he does not seem to have the same type of energy during debates as he usually has during his speeches. Indeed, his flat answers are not helping to reassure voters or sway them his way. Worries also exist on whether Obama might make a “single thoughtless remark” during the debate that would cause uncertainty in the minds of undecided voters.
Until Friday, only uncertainty exists as to which side of each candidate will be showcased in this first debate and how successful either will be. And on Friday night, the eyes of the nation world will be watching to see which styles of these candidates will come out during the first presidential debate.