Hidden opinion within an argument

It takes a good writer to persuade a reader without them even realizing it. I read an editorial in the Chicago Tribune referring to the political debate between Barack Obama and John McCain. The article was titled Smooth sailing for Obama until the debate arrived in Iran. The piece was written by John Kass. The title alone makes the reader believe that this writer is a Mccain fan. Kass begins the article by stating that Obama may have been more collected, but was left completely dumbfounded when the topic of Iran came up. Even if you didn't think Kass sided with McCain at the beginning of the article, the reader could atleast think Kass was neutral. He states that he doesn't believe one candidate won over the other.
As you really read the article, you can tell that it is indeed the other way around. Kass refers to Obama as "strong," "cool," and "so full of grace." He attacks the argument head on by making the reader sympathize with Obama. He takes a pathos approach by saying that Obama is able to get nervous during a section of the debate. You almost feel bad for Obama that he cracked under the pressure. You almost feel as if Mccain bullied Obama, and sadly brought him down. There is then the ethos approach to it all. Obama had a great attitude during the entire program, and opposed McCain in an extremely civil manner. Kass goes on to say that Obama was able to touch people whereas McCain came out rather "flat." Obama seemed to act more like a gentleman throughout the debate, and that statement alone can help the reader stray to the writers opinion. Then there is the logos idea. Kass expresses McCain's harsh tone by using direct quotes. He then goes into explain Obama's debating tactics and proves how they play out and work.
I think Kass wrote a very intelligent editorial argument. I don't think the writer ever falls short of anything or misses something that leaves the reader asking questions. He is able to fill the page with a detailed analysis of a debate between presidential candidates. The fact that he isn't so blatantly opinionated just makes the reader believe him even more.