The Second Debate: Business as Usual

Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain will admit that the United States is experiencing the crisis of the century, but the advantage lies with the young.

The hall in Nashville was completely decked out in patriotic colors – red, blue and light gray which had to simulate the white of the flag. The decorations were new, but the answers were very familiar – we heard them during the last debate two weeks ago in Oxford, Mississippi. Yet the most important thing had, in fact, changed: the relationship between the two contestants.

This time, Barack Obama found himself in the role of the champ, John McCain was the challenger. And no wonder: McCain’s narrow lead in the polls had crumbled. Since the start of the super-crash in mid-September, Obama’s numbers had been steadily rising. His lead was 6 to 7 percentage points. His lead seemed to increase in direct proportion to how low the Dow went.

In contrast to the self-assured but in no way immodest image projected by Obama, McCain’s movements seemed skeletal, his facial expressions wooden. Probably millions of Americans concluded on Tuesday evening that the race was over. And because of that, it was no longer really important what the candidates were saying, especially since much of it had already been said during the first debate.

Even the once rough ideological edges seemed to have been ground down by the crawl toward the center. Both claimed to be spokesmen for the middle class, both promised a nervous nation only their best and most comforting: a better, cheaper and more equitable healthcare system, an energy policy that would contain renewable as well as nuclear power. They both promised independence from rogue nations like Iran and Venezuela as well as environmental protection. Within 15 years, as Obama promised.

Growth and jobs would soon return. No one need be afraid of losing his home much less his savings account. The retirement system, in nowhere near as bad shape as it is in Europe where the population is rapidly aging, would be solidly reformed. A boy scout would have added, “on my honor”.

Foreign policy? Both were right – Obama with his vote against the war in Iraq, and McCain with his vote in favor of it. How both could be possible will have to be explained by the voters. Humanitarian missions not predicated on classic national security interests? Both accented the moral as well as the political duty to first consider the methods, the goals and the likelihood of success.

Iran? This rogue state must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons at all costs, a point of agreement between both. But war? “This option stays on the table,” grumbled Obama. But both agreed that serious sanctions, in cooperation with our allies, had to be tried first.

Afghanistan and Pakistan? Obama again implied that the United States would capture or kill Osama bin Laden if the Pakistanis couldn’t do the job. Invade Pakistan, then? McCain scored a few pacifistic points here when he warned the younger Obama not to hint at such a thing since such a breach of sovereignty might damage our relations with Pakistan or even force them into the enemy camp.

“You can’t gamble away their cooperation by trying to turn Pakistani public opinion against itself,” scolded McCain, at which remark Obama replied, “Nobody’s talking about an invasion here”.

Differences? Yes. Obama addressed the horror felt by voters since the super-crash happened and promised social-democratic action, American-style: a caring, safeguarding government, but staying with the classic virtues of individualism and sense of community. McCain? Classic liberal-conservatism whereby he provides the tax breaks to enable people to buy their own health care program.

Obama’s people say voters should choose him so he can carry the American dream into the next generation. McCain’s people say they should vote for him because he can promise them “a steady hand on the rudder”.

Neither candidate addressed the fact that America was in the midst of the century’s greatest crisis. It was business as usual, but with a clear advantage to the new, young and fresh faces.