Two children, one winner

VOTERS WANT a grown-up in the White House more than they want a maverick or a great speechmaker.

At times last night, two bickering children showed up instead.

But there were enough times when Democrat Barack Obama looked and sounded like the adult the country desires. And that was bad news for Republican John McCain.

Both Obama and McCain missed opportunities in the beginning to score on questions that appealed to their basic willingness to stop pointing fingers. They needed to tell voters how, as president, they would lead the country by finding common ground.

One woman asked: How can we trust either of you, when both parties are responsible for getting the country into the current mess?

Both Obama and McCain cast the questioner as a cynic. In fact, she was expressing the fundamental issue in this presidential campaign: Who can voters really believe will deliver, as promised, on honesty, integrity, reliability, and justice?

With his polling numbers low and the pressure to perform high, McCain never really connected on questions that should have been relatively easy to answer. As usual, he talked about being a reformer and reaching across the aisle. As usual, he said Obama would raise taxes, a charge his opponent easily deflected. He also charged that Obama and "his cronies" were partly responsible for the mortgage mess, but without details the charge went nowhere.

Obama seemed petty, too, in his attacks on McCain. But he was also confident and commanding when it came to talking about his vision for healthcare reform and America's role in the world.

As Obama pointed out, his opponent wants voters to think of him as "green behind the ears."

Last night, that mission went unaccomplished.

Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com.