In at least two ways, John McCain almost made a red state blue.

First, the University of Mississippi specifically and, to a lesser extent, the entire state had been looking forward to Friday night’s meeting on the Oxford campus for 11 months. Intense, expensive preparations had been made. The university spent at least $5 million it raised through private donations, banking that a week in the world spotlight culminating in a debate would yield dividends. A pall spread over the campus and the state when it appeared this might all have been done for nothing.

For another, pollsters had long ago written off Mississippi to the Republican nominee. After President Bush won by larger margins here than in many other states in his two bids for the White House, the foregone conclusion was that McCain would have no problem besting Democratic nominee Barack Obama here on Nov. 4.

Granted, the state’s six electoral votes are not a major prize, but given the expected closeness of next month’s vote, the difference could be huge if Mississippi moved into the Democratic column. And that might yet happen. Don’t forget that Obama won his party’s primary in Mississippi with an all-time record turnout in this state, defeating a former first lady of a neighboring state.

As things turned out, however, McCain, who has ancestral ties in Mississippi and assorted kin still living here, saw his way clear to travel to Oxford. We don’t belittle his statement that the pressing debate on how to reverse a deepening American financial crisis should be the top priority. We do agree that providing voters with their first chance to see the two party nominees on the same stage at the same time, however, was at least as important.

Ole Miss is to be commended for seeking this opportunity to showcase its campus, the town of Oxford and the state of Mississippi.

There will be many impressions from the debate — with the immediate attention focused on whether the candidates helped or hindered their attempts to draw support for their campaigns. Inside the state, however, there needs to be a more lasting impression. It is that this state can be a full partner in national discourse. We might also recognize that to the extent it exists, Mississippi’s “apartness” is self-imposed. We can stand on equal footing with anyone. All we need to do is try. There’s nothing to debate about that.