McCain’s Condescending Tone Backfires
McCain Fails to Make Eye Contact a Single Time During the Debate

From Time Magazine:
The audience did not like it when he went after Obama for being “naïve” or used his oft-repeated “what Senator Obama doesn’t understand” line. When the two clashed directly in the second half of the debate, with Obama repeatedly protesting McCain’s characterization of his statements or positions, the voter dials went down. Voters appear to have judged McCain too negative in those encounters and Obama more favorably.
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McCain was seen as the more negative of the two—by 7 points before the debate and by 26 points after. The audience did not like it when he went after Obama for being “naïve” or used his oft-repeated “what Senator Obama doesn’t understand” line. When the two clashed directly in the second half of the debate, with Obama repeatedly protesting McCain’s characterization of his statements or positions, the voter dials went down. Voters appear to have judged McCain too negative in those encounters and Obama more favorably.
Not once did McCain look Barack Obama in the eye. That’s right — John McCain refused to even look at Obama, a man who is making an historic bid to become the next president of the United States. Say what you will about Obama, but I don’t think anyone believes that he does not deserve eye contact once in 90 minutes.
McCain was dismissive and derisive. He treated Obama with disdain and condescension. He was smug, arrogant, and patronizing. He simply refused to take Obama seriously. And he repeatedly smirked, giggled, snickered and mocked.


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