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Oxford Town Revisted
The McCain Obama Debate by Terry Cassel
Growing up in the Sixties in northern Florida, I had opportunities to travel to many of the college campuses in the Deep South, and "Ole Miss" was certainly one of the most beautiful. The grounds were covered in lush green grass and punctuated with stately structures built originally in the middle of the 19th century. The common areas were thick with loblolly pines and magnolia trees dripping with Spanish moss. But when I was very young, an event in Oxford spurred my interest in politics, and began my engagement in political activism.
On September 30, 1962, white rioters killed four bystanders and hundreds were injured in a violent demonstration against the court-ordered integration of the university. James Meredith, a 23-year old black student, was blocked from entering his classroom building by the governor and university officials. When the rioting and mayhem began, the Mississippi Highway Patrol just stood back and watched. President Kennedy quickly ordered U.S. Marshalls to the scene to restore order and mobilized the U.S. Army in case more drastic intervention was needed. Meredith went on to graduate with his degree from Ole Miss, and integration began in earnest throughout the South. Recently voted one of the top six college towns in America by USA Today, Oxford has come a long way since that day 46 years ago. Before 1962 no black person could walk freely on the Ole Miss campus, and now the nation's first African American candidate for president has been welcomed to debate there.
With a population of just 19,000, Oxford is a quintessential small southern college town, and it is a center for the arts in northern Mississippi. Bookstores and art galleries grace the tree-lined streets. Opera, the symphony and live theatre are ever present. But poverty and inequality still trouble most of rural Mississippi. William Faulkner grew up in Oxford and called it home. Best-selling author John Grisham has a home there and attended the Ole Miss Art Center. The Meredith incident inspired Bob Dylan to write the memorable ballad "Oxford Town" more than 40 years ago. But in 2008, Oxford has made a new place for itself in history - as host of the season's first presidential debate. Sparring over Iraq and the financial crisis, both Senators stayed close to their campaign rhetoric. As issues emerged, however, their opinions and policy stands became secondary to their physical presence on the stage. Each appeared ready to be president, but each presented the starkly different personalities they would bring to the job. This was our third opportunity to see McCain and Obama in the harsh light of serious presidential consideration. The first was dissecting their decision-making processes and rationales for picking their running mates, and the actual selections of Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. The second was in their divergent responses to the economic crisis as it intensified in the days leading up to the debate. In the shadow of what might be the greatest financial crisis ever to strike at America's heart, McCain's behavior was generally considered erratic, while Obama was thought of as more cautious. And in Mississippi we saw their characters as they might perform on the world stage.
McCain was expected to be on steadier substantive ground with regard to the debate's thematic focus, foreign policy, and Obama was perceived to be the better orator. After a difficult week, and trailing in the polls, McCain had to restore confidence that he could maintain equilibrium in a crisis. McCain proved to be resolute and determined, and Obama showed he was smart and unflappable. But while they traded points on substance, they clashed more deeply on style. Despite months of discussion of race and gender in this historic election, the real contest now seems to be one of generational divide. McCain, at 72 would be the oldest man ever elected to a first term. Obama is one of the youngest ever, at 47, to win a party's nomination. On the stage, a decisive, tough, cranky John McCain contrasted sharply with a thoughtful, graceful, polished Barack Obama. At times it seemed McCain was playing the role of aging patriarch of a powerful family, unwilling to let go of the reigns of control, and Obama playing the eldest son, feeling ready and eager to take charge and to take the family in a new direction. Emotionally, McCain continually condescended to Obama, saying he "doesn't understand", calling him "naive", even "dangerous". Obama, despite the fact McCain refused to face or address him directly, looked at and spoke to McCain, often crediting McCain on issues. McCain, grumpy and grimacing, and Obama, smiling and engaging, are probably the reason a majority of people polled over the 48 hours following the conclusion of the debate felt McCain was "mean" and that Obama "won" the debate. It was a visceral reaction, not based on what the men said but more on how they said it. Neither candidate committed a gaffe, and neither delivered a knockout punch. It showed that John McCain has a better than expected grasp of economic conditions that threaten America and that Barack Obama has the capacity to lead and be Commander-in-Chief. But this encounter was just the beginning, the opening round of three such meetings between these two candidates. There is much more to come, including a much-anticipated clash between vice presidential candidates. |
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Stay tuned.
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