Nervous Democrats were worried their candidate was going to turn out to be Obamabi, and they wanted to see him take on McCain and the Republicans with a forceful critique, to make his call for "change" seem more muscular.
Taking on what polls show is McCain's biggest strength, national security, Obama said that his GOP opponent was wrong on every foreign policy question of the day - in believing, for instance, that Iraq was an important offensive to launch in the war on Islamic terror, and not understanding the significance of Afghanistan.
"When John McCain said we could just 'muddle through in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights," Obama said. "You know, John McCain likes to say that he'll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell - but he won't even follow him to the cave where he lives."
Zounds. But more important than the specific zingers on gaffes like McCain's statement in a forum that the "rich" make $5 million or more a year - meaning that a $4-million-a-year person is just middle class - was the overall theme:
McCain, Obama said, "doesn't get it." When it comes to foreign policy, he is "grasping at the ideas of the past."
In other words, the dude is old. Really old.
(McCain turns 72 today.)
The Inauguration: Jan. 20 blog brings you coverage of President-elect Barack Obama's transition into office.
It's written by political journalists from the Philadelphia Inquirer. Send us your comments -- and news tips -- at this address.
Thomas Fitzgerald joined The Philadelphia Inquirer in 2000, and has covered Harrisburg as well as city, state and national politics for the newspaper. He was a “boy on the bus” in the 2004 presidential campaign and during primary contests in 2000 and 1996.
Nathan Gorenstein has covered politics and government in the city, state and nation for the Inquirer. He's worked in the city hall bureau, had a stint on the business desk, and once covered the suburbs. After serving as assistant regional editor, he was named editor of the "Politics" web site.
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