Wow. I'm not sure which event everybody else was watching, but Obama was horrible. Senator. You should defeat evil. Fine, go ahead and make points, but first and foremost make it clear that you'd like to defeat evil. This was like watching Kerry ramble on 4 years ago, or Biden.

If you, Senator Obama are ever asked that awful question (the one democrats seem to get to prove how weak they are): "If your wife was raped, would you support the death penalty for the rapist?" You look into the camera and say "I'm sure that I would want the attacker dead." Make it clear. Then, make us at Salon happy by extending your answer to explain that the law exists to make sure that personal emotions do not get in the way of justice accorded to the Constitution. Be a law professor (rhetorically) after you have been a presidential candidate.

OK, you're probably thinking that this is pandering. No, it isn't. It is simply giving the same thoughtful message, outlining the same core beliefs in the rule of law, etc., in a way that is more palatable to the people who will get you elected. Burying your answers just makes it seem like you don't have respect for the people whose votes you want. They're out there saying, "Please give us a clear answer." Last night you looked millions of them in the face and said, "No, I won't."

As an author and professor you should know that clarity in an answer does not preclude depth and thoughtfulness. I'm sure the good readers at Salon understand that.

New Obama Strategy:

1. Hang out in small towns.

2. Avoid getting butt kicked in debates.

Somewhere between rambling and pandering is the Golden Mean of political rhetoric, and last night McCain was much closer to the gold than Obama.

Break down the election into a 5 set match. The first set is determined by the state of the country: Obama 1, McCain 0.

Second set was last night: Obama 1, McCain 1.

3 sets left, 3 debates. And McCain, not Obama, is serving up aces.

1. Please, somebody, explain to the Dems that being aggressive is not the same thing as sinking into dirty politics. MLK was aggressive; Gandhi was aggressive. They were not dirty. They were right, they were strong, and they were willing to stand up. The Dems? Not so much.

2. Why isn't Obama talking, at all, about the Constitution? He could kill some many birds with that stone: A. He is an expert (compared to McCain); B. It would allow him to be more obviously American by always evoking Washington, Jefferson, et al and using the phrase "Our Constitution"; C. Americans care about protecting the Constitution and have a sense of how badly it has been assaulted under the GOP. An Obama surrogate should point out that the next president will have to take an oath to protect the Constitution, and that the GOP have proven that they are unable or unwilling to do so.

The Dems should flat out claim the Constitution as an issue, in the same way that the GOP claimed religion in the last 20 or 30 years. Stake out the ground now, when the GOP has forsaken the Constitution, and you (the Dems) will finally have a position of political stength on something.

3. Somebody needs to hit McCain's campaign hard...today through Sunday. Going into the convention with flowery speeches will not give you the bounce needed. Somebody has to prepare the ground with some direct, aggresive (though not dirty, see above), and powerful questions to put the GOP on the defensive.