After the debate- The top three remain the top three. For now..

Rudy Giuliani after NH houseparty John McCain in Gilford, NH

Watching Tuesday’s presidential debate— it was clear to me that the two so-called “frontrunners” were indeed the winners. While several of the “second-tier” candidates certainly had their moments, Giuliani and McCain were in command of the evening. Each, in differing styles, demonstrated why they have garnered the support they continue to enjoy. As I have often noted, whether we like to admit it or not, politics in the modern era is 5% about the issues and 95% perception. While there is no question that the topics and answers are important, it is the WAY that they are delivered that moves the vast majority of people to vote in a particular way– especially for president.

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As I look to presidential race of ‘08, I find myself with that majority, focusing on the perception part of the equation. “Gasp! But Doug, I thought you were a deep-thinking, issues-orientated kind of guy? What– you care more about looks and stuff than substance?!”

After six years of a complete lack of any leadership ability by President Bush (other than the fateful days following September 11th) the country needs a heavy dose of someone who can stand up and sound and act and look presidential- in the eyes of both the Nation and the world. What good is being great on issues if you can’t motivate people to follow? George W. Bush is right on many matters important to conservatives, but it doesn’t mean squat because nobody takes much of what he says or does with a whole lot of seriousness these days. Don’t get me wrong, I still care about the things I care about, but the leadership component trumps everything. In order to be a leader, you must be perceived as one. Think about that.

History tells us that democratic states cannot sustain war without the popular support of the citizenry. Obviously, during the normal waxing and waning of luck in warfare, there are times when maintaining such support is difficult. This is when a leader is needed to keep things together (Think Churchill or Lincoln). Otherwise, once lost, it cannot be regained. Unfortunately, we have come to one of those times. We are at war with an enemy that, as John McCain continually reminds us, if we stop fighting and “we have to withdraw, will follow us home.”

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While I remain skeptical over the proposed illegal immigration deal being debated in the Senate, I begrudgingly must give McCain credit for standing up for his beliefs, and will, for now, take him at his word that he will continue to work on improving what he agrees is wrong with the proposed law. One reason I’m willing to do this is because his unabashed support for victory in the war is well-explained and much needed at this time. He was on his game during the debate Tuesday evening, reflecting much the same man we all saw right here in Gilford earlier in the day.

Rudy Giuliani continues to impress me. While his answer on the abortion question certainly disappoints a fair number of pro-life people, I appreciate his candor on the subject, as opposed to saying what he thinks people might want to hear. Pandering only leads to future disappointment.

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He also made excellent points about the war and plainly identified the flaw in the arguments made by the Democrats:

“the problem is that we see Iraq in a vacuum. Iraq should not be seen in a vacuum. Iraq is part of the overall terrorist war against the United States. The problem the Democrats make is they’re in denial. That’s why you hear things like you heard in the debate the other night, that, you know, Iran really isn’t dangerous; it’s 10 years away from nuclear weapons.

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Iran is not 10 years away from nuclear weapons. And the danger to us is not just missiles. The danger to us is a state like Iran handing nuclear weapons over to terrorists. So it has to be seen in that light.”

His delivery during the debate contained a whiff of optimism, an air of strength, and an overall degree of confidence that one imagines an American president would possess. National Review’s Rich Lowrey agrees with my overall assessment, while lamenting Giuliani’s abortion position. He writes, of Rudy:

[H]e was quick, commanding, authoritative-sounding—altogether the Big Man on stage, projecting the image of the kind of guy you can trust during a time of war. He kept taking digs at Washington, burnishing his outsider credentials, and was frank and feisty in taking it to the enemy both metaphorical (the Dems, the media) and real (Islamic terrorism).

Overall, I would place Rudy in first, McCain second, with Romney pulling third. While he seems quite at ease in front of a large audience, his positions sound somewhat contrived to me.