McCain Outshines Obama at Saddleback

There seems to be widespread consensus among liberals and conservatives alike that McCain was the clear winner in the Saddleback Church interviews over the weekend. Obama's answers were dishonest (pretending that his opposition to the Iraq war was his greatest moral challenge when he wasn't even a U.S. Senator at the onset of the war); they were doctrinaire talking points and not sincere, heartfelt answers. McCain, on the other hand, was confident and didn't mince words.

Now, of course, the moobats are claiming that McCain overheard the questions put to Obama so that he was more prepared for the answers in advance; it isn't true, of course, as McCain was enroute to Saddleback at the time Obama was being questioned. McCain was more prepared, as his handlers drilled him on possible questions before the debate, which were not difficult to anticipate, considering the views of the evangelical host. Furthermore, McCain has a lot of experience handling questions of this sort and isn't afraid of negative political fallout as a result of giving frank answers. Obama, on the other hand, knows that his real positions won't play well with the American people and so tries to "nuance" or sidestep politically dangerous questions.

John McCain isn't the perfect candidate for conservatives, but he is a lot closer to what we want than is Obama. As the two candidates are questioned in debate forums, Obama's lack of a teleprompter will continue to show him for what he is: an inexperienced poser with little substance and few intelligent answers to questions about the economy, class warfare, our military preparedness and future responses to evil, aka terrorism.

For Obama, it's all downhill from here. The campaign is taking an interesting turn and it will be fascinating to see how this is reflected in the polls over the coming weeks.

As for me, I am no longer simply voting against Barack Obama. On the strength of John McCain's performance at Saddleback, I will be voting FOR John McCain, a good and honorable man. He won me over.

Watch the Debate online at this link.