Day: October 8, 2008

The Second Obama-McCain Debate

Senator John McCain entered last night’s debate needing to score a victory over Senator Barack Obama.  He failed to do that, as shown by various polls of people who watched the debate, as well as independent and undecided voters.

Senator Obama came across as confident, calm, cool, and in command.  Senator McCain came across as erratic, dismissive of Senator Obama, and quite frankly, as OLD and out of touch.  This is the wrong election for Senator McCain.  He SHOULD have been the nominee of the GOP in 2000, and almost certainly would have been a better President in the past eight years than President Bush. 

Referring to Senator Obama as "that one" does not help Senator McCain.  He comes across as feeling that Senator Obama has "nerve" taking away the Presidency from himself, who is "deserving" of the position.  But that is not how the Presidency works.  No one is "entitled" to the Presidency.  One has to EARN it, and Senator Obama, based on his whole campaign but particularly on last night’s performance, has EARNED that position!  The economy has become the biggest issue and his fresh approach to that, plus the group of economic advisers he has surrounded himself with, promote confidence that he will be decisive and use good judgment as he will face the greatest crisis any President has had since Franklin D Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. 

Once this election is over, the nation needs to unite around Barack Obama as his success will be our future.  Any bitterness or rancor MUST end as we do our part in supporting the new President in the tough circumstances he will inherit.