Third Debate: Rocky I or Rocky II?

Recently, Senator John McCain has embraced the full realization that his presidential chances are dropping faster than points on the stock market. More appropriately, his presidential chances started dropping at the same time the points on the stock market did.

To acknowledge his underdog status, McCain has started to be introduced on the campaign trail with the theme of 'Rocky' playing in the background.

Now, the question is this: is McCain trying to emulate Rocky I or Rocky II? After all, Jay Leno said it best –

Why would McCain want to emulate Rocky I when the black guy beat the hell out of Rocky? ...

November 4 will show whether or not McCain wins the election, but at least he came out swinging in this final debate, winning significant portions of this debate.

If McCain does not win the election, his supporters will look back and wonder why McCain decided to skip the first two debates, waiting until now to take on Senator Obama directly and aggressively.

If he does win, Wednesday night's debate will be the starting point of a major turnaround.

McCain came out of the gate hitting hard, attacking Senator Obama on his recent conversation with "Joe the Plumber" about "spreading the wealth" as an Obama justification for higher taxes on those making over $250,000, including small businesses. He continued this argument on taxes, attacking Obama's decision to raise taxes on any American at a time when Americans incur the 2nd highest corporate tax rate in the world. Those that refute that claim by responding with positions on corporate loopholes must ask: if this makes staying in America that attractive to the point where these companies don't pay their share of taxes, why are they still taking their jobs and organizations to places with lower corporate tax rates?

McCain attacked Obama's social philosophy as he wrapped up the tax policy portion of the debate, calling Obama's strategy "class warfare," a clear denunciation of the Obama approach.

It was a clear signal to the conservative base that McCain was ready for a 90-minute brawl.

Senator McCain continued to draw sharp contrasts while attacking Senator Obama's passivity on particular issues. When the question of riling up campaign crowds was pressed by Senator Obama, McCain went on the attack, replying with points about his opponent's failure to repudiate Congressman John Lewis' remarks about the tone of the GOP campaign. McCain drew the contrast between Obama's inactivity and his own leadership to quell some of the nastiness that has erupted on the campaign trial. While Senator McCain was able to call some of the actions of both campaigns "regrettable," he was never able to get the apology from the Obama campaign that he was looking for. Of course, after stating that he was dealing with a candidate that has spent more money on negative campaigning than any other presidential candidate in history, Senator McCain probably gave up on receiving that apology.

What he did not give up on, however, was his efforts to distance himself from the Bush Administration, a move that he made clearly, strongly, and defiantly. Looking Senator Obama in the face and advising him that "if you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run 4 years ago," Senator McCain was finally able to create the break from the Bush Administration that he was looking for. He used the opportunity to list a bevy of instances where he broke from the Bush Administration's policies and stances.

McCain never stopped being on the attack, throwing hooks like a young Rocky as he criticized Senator Obama's plan to unilaterally renegotiate NAFTA. He took Obama to task for his willingness to deal with Hugo Chavez directly but not with others in South America that are friendlier to the USA. He hammered home the differences between Senator Obama and himself on the issue of abortion; (an issue where the clear difference in approval between men and women could be seen on CNN's meter for those watching.) Senator McCain even criticized Obama's "eloquence," saying that it was that tool that allowed Obama to dance around questions and rephrase his positions to be more aesthetically pleasing.

Senator McCain even called Senator Obama "Senator Government", a clever way of attacking the Democratic nominee's willingness to grow government with new spending at a point where McCain is looking freeze spending in order to wrestle government spending under control.

Have you noticed how much I have used the word "attack" in this piece?

That, unfortunately, was also part of the problem. Although the John McCain aggression had Senator Obama on his heels at times (evident through several laughs and smiles from the junior senator as McCain stated his case), it did not play well to the viewing audience. Despite causing Senator Obama to pause extensively at times as he slipped back into his professorial shell, Senator McCain came out looking tense at times, giving a nervous smile of his own that did not play well on camera.

Once again, many political pundits saw the first half of the debate as going clearly to John McCain, calling Wednesday night his best debate performance. I agree. Although I feel that he won the first debate overall, this debate showed a moxy John McCain had not exhibited in either of the 2 debates. This debate was enough to make somewhat of a race again in some true battleground states (such as North Carolina, for example.) However, states with huge and non-traditional leads for Senator Obama (such as Virginia) will not completely come back to McCain based on this performance.

I will say, though, that with 3 long weeks left, it is a move in the right direction.

This performance was certainly more Rocky I than Rocky II, but at least the real John McCain showed up at this debate, giving him a chance to make a sequel on the campaign trial with the hopes of landing a knockout blow at some point to win at the bell.

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Lenny McAllister is the Political Guru for Fox News - Charlotte and blogs the Republican side of the election for BlackVoices. He is a frequent contributor to The Charlotte Post and The North Carolina Conservative.

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