Candidates Show Discipline at First Presidential Debate

NEW YORK — There was no Al Gore sigh, no George H.W. Bush checking his watch. The occasional moments when candidates let down their guard or lose their cool — unfortunate for them, but entertaining for the audience — were for the most part absent from Friday’s presidential debate. Instead, what we saw was two generally disciplined candidates who muted some of the tendencies that have given them trouble in past debates. And in so doing, they muted some of the considerable contrasts between them. These two vastly different candidates seemed to morph a little bit into the other, or at least move a bit closer to the middle. And so if the 72-year-old John McCain didn’t really seem too old, the 47-year-old Barack Obama didn’t really seem too young, either. McCain went on the attack often, and Obama gave measured, careful responses. The Illinois senator avoided a tendency he’s had in some past debates to speak haltingly and was more forceful, less aloof and ... (link)