National Review Online editor Kathryn Jean Lopez asked Debra Burlingame her opinion of last night’s debate between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. Here is a glimpse:
Lopez: Could you ever vote for Obama? Why (not)?
Burlingame: If I could wipe out all I heard Senator Obama say in the primary season — he was then presenting himself with the more moderate positions; he now says he supports missile defense, as opposed to scrapping it — I’d take him more seriously. If al-Qaeda and militant Islamism did not exist, I would be much more comfortable with Barack Obama. He is, at best, a conventional-war commander-in-chief. His resume is so shockingly thin, he is utterly dependent on the advice of those around him. That concerns me deeply. The president has a million people competing for his ear. Without more experience in world affairs, how will he decide whom to listen to? Will he take the path of least resistance? I don’t believe I could ever vote for him because, despite his claim that Sen. McCain is about yesterday and he is about tomorrow, I think he wants to take us back to a defensive posture that would work for our enemies, not us.