Hey, Tom Brokaw. Here's an idea: when the candidates speak past their allotted time how about cracking out a kazoo, or dropping confetti and balloons on their heads, or blasting the theme song from Chariots of Fire? Just a thought.
We Don't Debate Religion: It's amazing how few of the debates (I count no less than 40 of them going back to the primaries!) have featured as much as one word about religion. I haven't figured out what this all means, but let me bring the following to your attention: In American presidential politics we often talk about religion but we don't debate religion. Why not?
I remind you that the events devoted specifically to faith issues like The Compassion Forum and the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency were not debates. Instead, they were conversations between one candidate and one interlocutor. But if we are going to play the Faith and Values game in American politics then why not go whole hog? Why not let politicians argue with one another about religion?
Let them get into each other's faces about faith versus works. Let them call each other out on their readings of Leviticus 20:13. Let them wrestle with issues concerning the proper place of religion in American public life.
Who knows, the proceedings might be so unsightly as to remind Americans why some of us are so fond of Church/State separation.
McCain: "Peripatetic is the only world I ever heard that really describes him" *: For much of the debate McCain shambled across the stage, shook hands with former servicemen, and repeatedly wandered into Obama's airspace (often standing right in front of him in each camera frame).
The McCain campaign probably figured that this strategy would assure a winning reaction shot: a woozy Obama helplessly absorbing the Maverick's punishing body blows. This is a risky tactic (just ask Hillary-Clinton-space-invader Rick Lazio) and whatever advantages it might have yielded were neutralized. For the Senator from Illinois' facial expression and physical bearing betrayed not the slightest hint of anger, unctuousness, fear, loathing, etc. Which brings me to. . .
Obama: Looking Presidential: I was struck last night by how Commander-in-Cheifesque Obama appeared. This was rarely seen during the primaries when he was tuning out Mike Gavel or beating back Clinton and Edwards. Nor did I see it in his first joust with McCain where he looked tight and nervous. Yesterday, by contrast, he radiated a statesmanlike countenance.
Where is Mitt Romney when you need him?: No one (?) could have forecast the market meltdown of September 2008. But, with the benefit of hindsight, might not Mitt Romney have been a better choice for vice President? Sure, Governor Palin energized the base. But the White Evangelical base, formidable as it may be, is simply not large enough to hand a Republican the keys to the White House. Had the former governor of Massachusetts (who polled quite respectably among Evangelicals) been selected, his Harvard M.B.A. and experiences as a C.E.O might have come in handy.
Hold on to your hat, Hofstra University: Insofar as I think Obama came out ahead last night, and insofar as he seems to surge half a point each day in the polls, the third and final debate at Hofstra next Wednesday is effectively McCain's last stand. Given McCain's well-known feistiness this may possibly be the most uncivil (and entertaining) encounter yet.
* A lyric from the inimitable Jazz singer and national treasure, Jon Hendricks. I cannot, at this late hour, remember what album it is on.
Jacques Berlinerblau is the Rabbi Harold White Chair in Jewish Civilization in Georgetown's Walsh School of Foreign Service and senior advisor to the Center for Jewish Civilization, where he was director from 2006 to June 2020. Berlinerblau has published on a wide variety of issues ranging from the sociology of heresy and modern Jewish intellectuals to African-American and Jewish-American relations.
