Obama must have gotten a pit in his stomach when he saw Cindy McCain get out of the car with McCain. The McCain couple made everyone think “where is Michelle”? ( You know, she of the “I’m-not-proud-of-my-country”, Michelle!).

Then, five minutes in, Wolf Blitzer twice asked, “Where’s Michelle Obama?” The Obama campaign hurriedly rushed out that Michelle was with her daughters at home. Uh-huh.I thought to myself, McCain won another day today.

Yes, I know today is supposed to be non-political, but images and ideas are shaped by every single event leading up to an election.

Another small, but telling, symbolic moment was when Obama and McCain were set to put their flowers on the memorial. Obama casually tossed his on the pile. McCain, gently placed his down on the pile. Different styles: McCain solemnly commemorates the fallen, while Obama casually does.

They represent their constituencies well.

I thought McCain looked especially “presidential”, especially in his arrival with all those Secret Service cars with their sirens all ablaze. That’s what we’re used to seeing when a president arrives somewhere. It was an important, subliminal “moment” that the mainstream media will never pick up on but American voters just feel.

Obama being at the event so much earlier than McCain didn’t look good for Obama. We WAIT for presidents and the entire viewing audience waited for Mr. McCain. Obama too. McCain’s entrance was beautifully staged – yet, another moment where the McCain campaign showed how much more professional they are than Obama’s outfit.

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