Preview To Tuesday's Debate

So, this Tuesday marks the second of the presidential debates, the third of the official 2008 Election debates (that number includes the VP debate).  So what can we expect?  What does each candidate have to do?  Who has the upperhand?  Oncemore, I'll take off my bias-hat and try to approach this from a rational and level-headed perspective.

So the debate is coming from  "Town Hall" format, where citizens (usually undecided voters, if I understand correctly?) ask the questions to the candidates.  Based on experience alone, one would assume John McCain (R) to have a slight upperhand.  He has participated in hundreds upon hundreds of Town Hall style debates, and knows very well how to handle whatever may be thrown his way.  Barack Obama (D) is not at all inexperienced either.  Although his Town Hall record is not as extravagant as John McCain's, he does know how they work.

So what can we look forward to?  Maybe some really off-the-wall questions.  Both candidates need to be able to respond to something that is ridiculous, positive, negative, or pointless.  It's part of what make Town Hall debates so exciting.  You never know exactly what will happen.

John McCain is coming into the debate with a more-than-slight deficit in the polls.  He really needs to focus on his record vs. Obama's for Tuesday's debate.  He can't bounce around the issue of experience, or any issue for that, like he has in recent weeks.  The McCain campaign really needs to turn on the heat if they want to come out of this debate on top.  Also, he cannot be vague with his answers; one of the biggest criticisms of McCain's last debate was the clarity of his answers.  If he can be his usual, straight-talking self and hit the issues hard and concisely, he is golden.  Finally, he has to attack Obama.  Both candidates have turned up the intensity of their smear ads, but that will need to come across (professionally) in the debates.  There is a lot to attack Sen. Obama for, so it is likely that McCain will be turning up the intensity of his debate strategy as well.

Obama needs to play this debate safe.  Again, he may have to field some completely ridiculous questions, and he'll need to watch himself.  It's his race to lose at the moment, and he can't let a gaffe hurt his lead at any point.  He'll need to play more defense when John McCain attacks him and his campaign.  If he can stick to the issues, he should keep himself safe.  If McCain's temper gets the best of him, Obama needs to be able to show himself as cool and collected.

It's all about how they play the game.  McCain has an advantage in this style of debate, but Obama has a lead in the polls.  As in 2004, we know that the outcome of the debate does not necessarily reflect the outcome of the election, but it can be a significant part.  If either candidate stumbles, it will cost them, but both are looking for that "golden" moment ("Say it ain't so, Joe")  We'll see what happens.