Sorry, Voice of Reason, but I think that you're wrong, and I say this with no disrespect.

After watching the debate, I thought that McCain won it (slightly). Then I saw the post-debate polls, and they're all breaking hugely towards Obama.

McCain is running a circa 2004 campaign. Talking tough on Iraq would have worked well in 2004, but right now, talking tough on Iraq only wins over, let's say, 39% of the voters, and they're all already voting for McCain.

McCain didn't do anything in this debate to make anyone vote for him who isn't already voting for him.

Obama did.

What did he do?

He was likeable.

That sounds weird and kind of shallow to say, but let me explain it this way. Obama is in the same position now as Bush was in 2004; voters are actively looking for a reason to vote for him. The economy tanking, the growing nightmare that is Sarah Palin, the endless war that even die-hard Republicans are secretly sick of...

George Bush won last time because it was 2004, average Americans were still terrified that Osama bin Laden was going to show up in their back yard and blow up their houses, and so people just wanted an excuses... he presented (somehow, again), as more "likeable" than John Kerry, and so voters went with their guts, because they wanted to vote for him anyway.

The important thing now is to win over independents and undecideds. If you're still independent or undecided at this point you are (let's face it) a little clueless, and you're going to go with your gut.

Obama was calm, relaxed, funny, composed, presidential. That was all he needed to be. He didn't respond to McCain's baiting or call McCain a liar. He was just... likeable.

This is all very new territory for us Dems because we're so used to being down in the presidential polls, but we're not now. We're up five to nine points. I know it would have fun for you (and me) to see Obama call McCain on all his b.s. and talk about how Iraq is an endless clusterf**k and how the Republicans are ruining the nation, but that would have just freaked out the undecideds.

What he needed to do was be more appealing than McCain, and he was. And it worked. People are just looking for an excuse... they don't want to vote Republican again this time, they really don't.

It's taken me a while, but I'm starting to really think that this Obama dude knows what he's doing.

And if all this isn't enough, we have the awesome prospect of the Palin/Biden debate to look forward to.

Good times...

Look, I'm a law student, but I can't name a billion Supreme Court cases off the top of my head. Kelo, Miranda, blah blah, Marbury, okay, okay... Of course, I'm not running for the Vice Presidency.

The man problem with Palin is that's she's not even smart enough to be a dumb politician. If you don't know the answer to something, take the question and redirect it! Jesus, that's debating and arguing 101. "I'm not so interested in telling the American people what I disagree with. Here's what I agree with; here's what I stand for. Overturning Roe v. Wade, less activist judges blah blah..." How hard is that? Cramming those conservative talking points into her little brain is useless if she can't even figure out a way to deploy them.

What you don't do is pause for three seconds and stutter like she did. Come on, Sarah!

It is priceless that Palin instantly says that she agrees with a Constitutional right to privacy: the cornerstone of the decision in Roe v. Wade. Sarah! You don't have to agree with something just because it sounds good! Yeah a "right to privacy" sounds neato, but it's what you're trying to argue against.

She's dumber than Bush. Much, much dumber than Bush. Watching Bush talk is a relief in comparison. It's like some horrible movie sequel where the stakes have been raised.

Mikey D! That's the biggest celebrity that Sarah P. can get?

I used to work in a very posh restaurant in New Orleans, Mike Dikta came there once, and was found having a threesome in the bathroom with two highly-coked up ladies. By the way, and I know this will shock you, but the two highly-coked up ladies were not his wife.

Family first! Eh there, Sarah? Mike? Ya?

Objectivists are just the most annoying people in the entire world. Back when I used to work at The Strand, I used to hide all the copies of "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" so that future generations would not be contaiminated...

...But, man. These guys crack me up. First of all, there's a typo in Steele's letter.

And secondly... "Help fight the unfair redistribution of wealth! YOU! PERSON WITH NOT A LOT OF MONEY! SEND YOUR MONEY TO THE RNC, BECAUSE WE CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS!"

Awesome. Just awesome.

It's cute how "Steele" is trying to talk all 'street.' "Empathize right on your behind. Craziness." Did someone tell him it was a good idea to talk like a sitcom version of a rapper, or was this his own idea?