Sunday, January 06, 2008

McCain and the Debate   [Rich Lowry]

The more I thought about it last night, the less well his performance sat with me. I think he won as a political matter and now would be surprised if he doesn't win handily in New Hampshire. But he was nasty toward Romney, letting his hatred—and I used that word advisedly—show. Of course, he tried to cover it with an occasional forced grin, but it was clear where he was coming from. I find this aspect of McCain's character very unattractive, and it’s not a great quality to have in a president. The other thing extraordinary about his performance is that he could condescend to Romney about the Massachusetts governor's alleged phoniness at the same time he was being dishonest (as he apparently is routinely) about his own dodgy and unworkable immigration position. But he specializes in bristling self-righteousness and last night’s debate was a great example of it.

01/06 11:14 AMShare