This is dominating much of the post-election talk. McCain wouldn't look at Obama. Kept smirking. Sighing. Sucking in his lips. Flipping his papers angrily. Accusing Obama of "not understanding" basic points of foreign and domestic policy. We knew he didn't want to be there. But he couldn't keep his body language from signaling that he didn't think Obama deserved to be there. As Marc Ambinder put it, "McCain did not filter himself, letting his frustration and contempt for Obama show; he wouldn't let himself look at the challenger. He seemed to be channeling that famous Saturday Night Live skit featuring 'Michael Dukakis' who looks to the camera and says, 'I can't believe I'm losing to this guy.' Over and over, he adopted the pose of an impatient school teacher." Chris Matthews just called him "grumpy and angry." It's not a posture that worked for Gore in 2000. It didn't work for McCain tonight.
