I’m with Michelle: McCain’s bulging eyes and barely contained rage will be the narrative, possibly for the remainder of the campaign. Why did people make so much hay about Gore’s sighs? Well, it fit a pre-existing (and unfair) caricature about the guy’s haughtiness. Unfortunately for McCain, his facial expressions jibe with the impression that he is angry. The media has been chewing over his alleged anger for eight years now. It’s part of his lore, and he has now, for several debates running, lent that caricature credibility. Tonight’s performance was the most extreme example, pure SNL fodder and stuff that makes for good midday office bull sessions. I'm sure you'll be seeing You Tube aggregations of his cutaway shots in the next few hours. What’s more, it just doesn’t seem very presidential. I wasn’t overwhelmed by Obama’s lethargic performance, but his lethargy did set McCain’s more unhinged moments in stark relief.
PS: The Oracle of Conventional Wisdom David Gergen just announced that McCain needs to begin worrying about the damage he is inflicting on his party and reputation.
--Franklin Foer