Sep 26, 2008 7:40 pm US/Eastern
Keller's Presidential Debate Preview
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
This first debate of this year's presidential election is taking place Friday night at the University of Mississippi. WBZ's Jon Keller spells out what viewers can expect from this debate that was very close to becoming a
one-man show.
McCAIN
Look for him to go on offense right from the start, not necessarily by attacking
Obama, but aggressively asserting superiority as a leader and explaining his claim that he helped save the taxpayer money by injecting himself into the bailout talks.
Watch for him to try to tie Obama to the Democratic congress, a group which is, incredibly enough, even less popular with voters than President Bush.
And by going on offense early,
McCain can demonstrate vitality, easing doubts about his age and ability to really make the tough changes he's promising. Crisp answers and a few funny lines won't hurt, either.
He's proven he can deliver both in the past; he'd better do so early on tonight or his campaign is in trouble.
OBAMA
He, too, must come out swinging, showing skeptical swing voters right away why and how he'll do more for them than McCain.
Obama's been criticized by some of his own supporters for not showing enough passion; tonight would be a great time to put that complaint to rest. And Obama has to keep in mind who he's talking to, undecided voters who likely don't know all that much about him, as hard as that may be to believe after all this time.
Chances are those very casual political observers don't want a law lecture or the sort of gauzy sermon he favored during the primaries. Right now, they're very anxious, and looking for reassurance and hope.
Watch for Obama to take a page out of the Bill Clinton playbook by connecting with viewers on a personal level, perhaps by using inspirational details of his life story, as McCain will almost certainly do.
SPECIAL VIEWER TIP Don't plan on any pizza runs or bathroom breaks during the first half hour. While an unscripted gaffe or clever ad-lib could occur at any time, the meat of their presentations will likely occur during the early minutes, when viewer attention is historically most focused.
Enjoy.
And watch WBZ News at 11 for my analysis, then visit my blog for a post-debate analysis conversation.
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