A two-fer from the Post

Two tidbits from Kathleen Parker:

FIRST

"Who won? Overall, I’d say that it was a fairly even split, with Obama oozing good guyness and connecting with everyday Americans over the economy and McCain inspiring confidence that he’s the man when it comes to national security and foreign policy. No surprises there.

Obama also inspires confidence, but in a completely different way than McCain. He’s a cat. He’s doesn’t sweat... anything. He is the envy of cucumbers. When everything is collapsing around him -- the economy, the Dow, the job market -- Obama is perched on the stool like Frank Sinatra between sets. Got a light? That’s not insignificant, I think. At the same time, when he talks, he sounds perfectly reasonable -- not at all the pal of radicals who has the most liberal voting record in the Senate.
...
Obama has a knack for connecting without condescending, which engenders trust. He seems to say, look, I get it. We’ll work it out together. He’s Bill Clinton without the lip biting.
...
But McCain tripped on his own lines by emphasizing the need for experience, saying this isn’t a time for on-the-job training. We couldn’t agree more, so tell us again why you picked Sarah Palin as your Heartbeat Away?

McCain was weird when he mentioned hair transplants and rude when he said “that one,” pointing to Obama, the U.S. senator from Illinois. (See You Tube.) He was smart and clever when responding to whether Russia is an evil empire.

"Maybe,” he said. “If I say yes, then that means that we're reigniting the old Cold War. If I say no, it ignores their behavior.”

Obama answered the same question as a psychologically aware parent, who says of his child: “You’re not bad, but you’re acting badly.” Russia is guilty of evil behavior and nationalist impulses that are bad, Obama said. The message to naughty children and nations is that though you misbehave, we still love you and want to help you be better.

Ultimately, Obama probably came out on top, if only because he’s in the winner’s seat and only had to not fall off ..."

SECOND

When John McCain pointed to Barack Obama and said "That one" during the debate - pointing to his opponent as one who had voted for an energy bill loaded with goodies for the oil companies - I emailed a friend and said, "Tell me he didn't say, 'That one'."

The exact quote: "You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one. You know who voted against it? Me."

McCain supporters have tried to explain what he meant, but there's a reason it was so stunning in the moment. I'm don't think it was racist, as some have argued. But it was objectifying. "That one" isn't the same as "that man." One is an object; the other is a person. A human being. 'That one' has a dehumanizing effect and one is right to recoil.

Giving McCain the benefit of the doubt, I suspect he was merely expressing contempt for Obama's position and the implicit hypocrisy. Even so, McCain would do well to recognize why people are upset about it. Given the heat of recent rhetoric aimed at painting Obama as The Other, the McCain campaign must work harder to find the high road he used to travel and from which he has strayed.

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