The '08 Debate That Never Happened

Perhaps tonight's debate will be different, but the most surprising thing about McCain specifically and Republican leaders in general is their utter inability to defend themselves.

Back a million years ago, in May, I thought this race would be decided by the debates. I thought that this would be the time in which our headlong rush to embrace change for the sake of change would be impeded.

I thought, in other words, a debate would break out during the debates.

But over the past seven years, Bush was almost amazing in how he refused to go directly to the American people and use the bully pulpit (a phrase originally coined by Teddy Roosevelt back when "bully" meant wonderful or excellent). This lack of communication has been devasting.

And now McCain doesn't seem to be able to get beyond soundbytes like "taxes...baaad!" and in his commercials "Ayres....baad!". To watch McCain go on, eunuch-like, The View was painful. (Of course I'm engaging here in blatant backseat-quarterbacking...it's easy to say "Go down like Goldwater!" when the race is over.)

Rep. John Boehner says that the reason for Republican inarticulateness and poor self-defense is because most Democrats have a background of being an activist, or they come from the union halls, and so they are used to fighting. Most Republicans come from the Rotary Club. They've spent their lives above the fray.

This makes a lot of sense. Democrats are by nature more contrarian, and they reflexively see government as the primary solution. By definition they are going to be better at conflict and more motivated to wield power.