Comeback

We’re likely to get a dull debate tonight.

The talking heads are saying that McCain has to hit Obama hard to change the game, and maybe he will. If he does, I assume Obama will try to just rise above it, and that will probably work.

But I am not as even-keeled as Obama.

If I were standing across from McCain and he attacked me on Bill Ayers, I’d probably pull an “Okay, let’s talk about it” type answer, lay out the facts and then pivot to something like “John, if you want to spend the rest of the campaign talking about Bill Ayers, go at it. And if you, the voter, think that is the most important issue in the country, don’t vote for me. People are losing their jobs. People are losing their homes. I want to be president to help those people.”

And if he attacked my honesty or honor, as he has done on the stump, it would be something like this:

“John, when are you going to drop the charade? You parade around the country, pretending to be a maverick, but you voted with George Bush 90 per cent of the time and you have been totally whipped by the right wing of your party. The truth is, John, you are the son of an admiral who was the son of an admiral, and everything you’ve ever gotten in your life was given to you by your family or bought by your wife. You were very brave in Vietnam, but that doesn’t excuse the way you’ve chosen to conduct yourself for the other 66 years of your life. You’re the same person you were in school, whose class mates called you “Punk” and “McNasty” and who used to hold your breath until you passed out when you didn’t get your way. You’re a hothead and a bully and you’re not fit to be the president. Try telling the truth to yourself. It gets easier after that.”

I would give a million dollars (which I’d have to pay off over time) to see it and I’d place odds on McCain leaping across the stage to strangle Obama or just dropping dead on the spot.

Failing any of those things happening, I think tonight will be a replay of the first debate: McCain will score points in the moment, Obama will seem presidential, everyone will claim victory and McCain will continue to sink in the polls.

I’ll be entertained if it plays another way, but surprised too.