After last night’s debates, the McCain campaign immediately went on to string together a web ad pouncing on the 7 or 8 moments when Barack Obama started a sentence with the words, “John is right…” Obama often seeks common ground (as a starting point) on any problem before diving into areas of contention. Perhaps because this is a tactic I use myself (like the good (iNtuitiveFeeler I am), it makes sense to me.

The McCain ad strikes me a cynical and as disrespectful to the intelligence of the American people. Anyone who actually watched the debate saw that “John is right…” was usually followed by a specific instance in which Obama agrees, followed by a vast wasteland of areas where their perspectives diverge.

Rather than blathering on about this, I’ll point you to two more prominent bloggers who reached the same conclusion that I did:

Hilzoy (Obsidian Wings): “John Was Right”

Nonetheless, the McCain campaign seems to think that pointing out the occasions when Obama said that McCain was right is a winning strategy. I think this is wrong, not only for the reasons I mentioned, but because it undercuts one of McCain’s main lines of argument: that he is willing to reach across the aisle and work for bipartisan solutions, whereas Obama is not.

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John Cole (Balloon Juice): Tactics v. Strategy, Style v. Substance

Obama is clearly not agreeing with him on substance- this is Obama’s style. He works from a point of agreement, and then moves to differentiate himself and or to attack. Everything is”You are right, but…”

I know that this bothers some of you, but it is one of the things I like about Obama. I think it is a graceful and gentlemanly way of debating. Additionally, it works really well in the type of format they had last night, where they are allowed to provide lengthy comments and responses. It may not be as effective in a different type of format, where it really may seem that all Obama does is agree with someone and then get cut off by the buzzer before supplying the “yes, but.” Last night, though, it was exceptional. Obama was able to come across as a decent, earnest, and honest fellow of integrity who was confident enough to point out when his opponent was right before contrasting the differences between the two of them, while McCain sat hunched over the podium grimacing and unable to look his opponent in the eye.

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My own thoughts…in writing, without having to type a darned thing. Rather than feeling chagrined that someone beat me to the punch, I’m just glad that there are others out there who see what I see.

“It appears to me that those who rely simply on the weight of authority to prove any assertion, without searching out the arguments to support it, act absurdly. I wish to question freely and to answer freely without any sort of adulation. That well becomes any who are sincere in the search for truth.” Gallileo

There’s so much meaning in those words. Read them a time or two…or ten. I know I’m going to.