McCain "That One" Comment Highlights Presidential Debate

The second presidential debate featured Barack Obama and John McCain squaring off in a town hall format. The standards for each candidate were clear- all Obama had to do was stay steady and not do anything to stop his momentum, and all McCain had to do was not dig himself in any more holes.

But one moment during the debate may have caused another bump in McCain's road that he cannot afford right now. It may not qualify as an official gap, but the phrase "That one" officially became another cross for McCain to bear last night.

When McCain was asked about his vote against a 2005 energy bill, before he mentioned that he voted against the bill, he addressed Obama's support for it. But his phrasing of it became the most talked about part of the debate.

"You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one," McCain said while glancing at Obama. He did not address Obama directly or by name, just by "that one." It may have been an attempt at humor on McCain's part, but it did not go down so well with pundits and commentators.

Questions arose as to what exactly "that one" reflected, on whether it reflected contempt or even a racial reference. But whatever it meant, "that one" is a comment that the Obama camp, pundits and comedians can use against him for at least a few days, in a time when McCain doesn't need more ridicule and backlash.

Most of the polls after the debate already gave Obama the edge in the debate. CNN had Obama winning the debate by a 54-30% margin, while CBS had Obama winning 40-26%, with 35% saying it was a tie.

But ties do not help McCain, as even if he had finished closer in these polls, the judgment would still go towards Obama since he is pulling ahead so much right now. Only decisive victories and knockout blows can help McCain gain a few points. Instead, comments like "that one" will take up all the attention in the next news cycle and tie into the "going negative" narrative set in the last few days.

It will take a few days for any post-debate polling and criticism over "that one" to show up. For now, Obama maintains an 6 point lead in Rasmussen polling and a 9 point lead in the Gallup polls.

Sources