Is there such a thing too far above the fray?

From the very beginnings Obama has been maintaining a slightly ‘holier-than-thou’ disposition, staying out of the drama generated by the race. McCain, on the other hand got his hands dirty (arms, shoulders, knees too….) trying to sling mud at his opponent.

While I do not condone McCain’s behaviour, I sometimes wonder if Obama is too ‘hands off’. The word professorial, cerebral and elitist have been thrown around more than once. In mud-slinging situations it’ll be great to stay above the fray, but the recent financial crisis and the whole presidential-debate-vs-negotiations-at-the-hill issue seemed a tad too pertinent for any hint of being ‘hands off’. While McCain’s 1 or 2 phone calls seem laughably undeserving of a campaign suspension, at least it contrasts nicely with Obama’s seemingly steady and calm stance. But if one is only watching the fire, it isn’t hard to remain calm. The ‘cool customer’ has not truly been tested, and perhaps he missed a great chance – or avoided a calamity, by staying so far above the fray.

Will he crack or thrive during crunch times? I think his strategists want Americans to know the answer AFTER he wins.

It Was A Matter of Time Until Palin Unraveled

Trust Fareed Zakaria to weigh in on the Sarah Palin issue. I mentioned a little about him in this post and he has not disappointed with this concise (and slightly sarcastic) critique on Sarah Palins apparent lack of substance. And he makes a great point – that McCain might have put his campaign before country by selecting her.

Incidentally, I think Obama’s reluctance to postpone the debate seems like a manifestation of the classic assertion that he ‘rather lose a war than an election’. I actually managed to follow McCain’s arguments better than Obama’s… maybe he is too used to soaring, tele-prompted rhetoric.

Read the interview here.