As I thought they would, some commentators are calling McCain's "I'm not Bush" moment the best line of the night. But this, my friends, is the kind of thing that gives zingers a bad name.
Yes, it's a neat line, and will get played in round-ups of the debate. But it's essentially meaningless. We know McCain isn't Bush. What voters are worried about is that he'll follow the same economic policies as Bush. And that line - or anything else he said - did nothing to disabuse them of that notion.
A far more powerful moment might have been created if McCain had criticised Bush directly on a single issue - preferably an economic one. As I've said before, McCain should be making his attacks on Bush, not Obama. But he just can't bring himself to do so.
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