ABC Debate Thoughts -- The Cool Kid and the Valedictorian

Last night's debate attacks on Mitt Romney confirmed each of the GOP nominees see Mitt as the candidate that they cannot allow to gain momentum. I enjoyed having McCain in the fold until last night. His hostile remarks on the pharma industry were irresponsibly liberal. He also made it clear that he believes his experience would be compelling to voters in a showdown against Obama despite the fact that Dodd, Biden, Clinton, Edwards, and Richardson all tried that message and failed. Time Magazine said McCain v. Romney is like the The Cool Kid v. The Valedictorian.

The New Republic said, "It was all a bit much. At certain moments it had the effect of making Romney look more sympathetic, at others it made him look like the only adult on stage, and at others it made him look like he must be the front-runner, since people were so determined to take him down a peg. McCain in particular seemed to go too far, looking and sounding downright snide at times. I could see the pundits proclaiming Mitt the loser since he took so much incoming fire. But my hunch is that it won't play that way among voters."