All Eyes on the First Presidential Debate

Posted on September 26, 2008

All eyes will be on the first presidential debate tonight in Mississippi. No one was really sure whether there was even going to be debate after McCain's political stunt. Suspending his campaign to focus on the bailout deal that no one in Washington wanted him involved in was a mistake.

It really wasn't a bad idea to have a meeting between the current president and the next president (McCain and Obama had a meeting with President to discuss the situation), but the timing was off. Polls showed that the public wanted the debate to go on and so McCain had to suspend his suspension and head for Mississippi.

The topic tonight ostensibly is foreign affairs, but the economy is sure to play a large role in the questioning given current events. McCain has to make sure not to lose his temper and his sarcasm will not be welcome tonight. The mood of the public is ugly -- they don't like the bailout and sniping between the candidates won't go over well. As for Obama, his challenge is to seem calm, in control of the facts and ready to lead. McCain's best argument is that he has faced many big crises such as the current one and that he's captain our ship of state through the stormy waters ahead. Both candidates must show a full command of the economic facts at hand. If either candidate makes a major gaffe that makes him look as if he doesn't understand the economy, he's toast.

The debate is on most major channels at 9:00 p.m Eastern/8:00 p.m. Central time.