Obama Wins Third Presidential Debate Handily

In baseball you get three strikes and you're out. There were three debates, and each time Senator McCain tried to get the best of Senator Obama. He didn't succeed in any instance and after three tries he too is out. McCain attacked early and often, but spent too much time attacking and too little time making his own case. McCain needed to make a case for why he would be the better candidate and what he could do that Obama couldn't. He failed to do this, and continued on what are his essential talking points which most of America could have recited with them.

The three debates gave Senator Obama a chance to display his stature and ability to assume command of this country, which has been leaderless for some time. Obama was cool, calm, and collect and responded to almost all of McCain's attacks and charges effortlessly. McCain did score a few points, but consolation points when you are behind in the polls don't matter very much. McCain initially seemed energized, but as the debate war on he appeared old and tired. 72 year old man has the wisdom and ability to run a country, but McCain is not one of them.

The attacks by Senator McCain were mostly tangential and the 700 plus point drop in the stock market only served to emphasize that there was one main issue, the economy. Trying to paint Obama as a tax-and-spend liberal is hard when the so-called conservative president for the last eight years has spent the economy into the ground while cutting taxes.

Senator McCain was clearly an angry man tonight. For much of the evening a frozen plastic smile covered his face. He sought to attack Obama whenever possible and make faces when Obama successfully countered his point. Do we need an angry man for our leader? Or do we need a leader with a more positive vision and a better sense of what America needs?

Presidential Polls: Virginia for Obama?

The latest CNN poll shows Obama with a 10 point lead over McCain in Virginia. What? Virginia goes Democratic? This hasn't happened since 1964 when Lyndon Johnson overwhelmed Barry Goldwater. Have too many Washington bureaucrats moved into Virginia and turned it against its rightful owners? That's certainly a possibility. It's also possible that independent Virginia voters have looked at the past eight years, looked at Senator McCain, and wondered if he was a solution to their problems.


Maybe Governor Palin was only speaking to large crowds of the faithful Joe six packers when she was in Virginia telling voters how dangerous it would be to vote for Obama. The most dangerous thing for the people of Virginia, and the rest of this country, is the state of the economy. You have to be a real Governor Palin zealot to not be frightened at the prospect of her being one heartbeat away from making decisions about an economy so badly damaged. Can anyone imagine her sitting down with Prime Minister Brown of England or any other European leader and being able to converse on equal terms about economic decisions? If you can, then your imagination has taken hold of you.


It seems that numbers of rural voters all across the so-called "key battleground states" have decided that they would rather take a chance with the supposedly unknown Senator Obama then with the tried-and-true Senator McCain. After what seems to be a decade of campaigning, what is it all about Obama that people really need to know that they haven't already seen. The people of Virginia and the rest of America have very little interest in the loose association that Senator Obama had with the former terrorist Bill Ayres. The McCain-Palin attack plan was a failure. Time is running out. Can Senator McCain still win? Yes, but the odds get longer each day. And clearly, the people of Virginia seem likely to give their electoral votes to the man Senator McCain tells them they can't trust.

Presidential Polls Are Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

November 1, 2008 Update
Note: to blog surfers and others who recently found this post. This post was written on September 10, 2008, when the polls showed Senator McCain taking over the lead from Senator Obama. The purpose of the post was to point out that the sampling procedures had been changed to favor a more Republican oriented response. This is a tremendous no-no in any poll or sampling procedure. If you are a Republican hoping to read that the current polls which show Obama with anywhere from a three to eight point lead are wrong, I have to disappoint you. While there is a significant difference among the polls, it is likely Obama still has a four to five point lead. There are significant flaws in some of the polls, such as one that assumes that 42% of the voters will be evangelicals, which is more than twice the percentage of evangelicals that voted in the 2004 presidential election. Besides, the election is decided on a state-by-state basis were Obama has more than enough states to give him the necessary 270 electoral votes. I'm not saying that McCain can't win, but rather that it is extremely unlikely that he will do so.

nb

According to the most recent polls (Gallup, CBS, USA Today etc.) Senator McCain has pulled out in front of Senator Obama. But as everything else in this campaign nothing is what it appears to be. Alan Abramowitz, cited in the Huffington post, said, "One reason for the dramatic difference between the two recent CBS polls is that the two samples differed fairly dramatically in terms of partisan composition. The first sample was 35.2% Democratic, 26.2 percent Republicans, and 38.6 percent independent. The second sample was 34.9% Democratic, 31.1% Republican, and 34.0% independent. That's a change from a 9 point Democratic advantage to a 3.8 point Democratic advantage. That alone would probably explain about half of the difference in candidate preferences between the two [CBS] polls."



Simply put, you cannot change the sampling populations from one poll to the next and have any consistency (reliability). Mr.Abramowitz doesn't think the overall spike in Republican sampling among all three polling firms is an accurate reflection of the electorate. He goes on to say, "Given how important polls can be in the coverage of the race, even a slight assist to McCain during a period in which he is exciting the Republican base could help him solidify a new narrative in the race, regardless of the partisan facts on the ground."


The people of this country need accurate information in order to make an informed decision about whom to vote for in the presidential election. If the polls are inaccurate, and the McCain campaign is certainly not accurate, and Obama is spending most of his time responding to "misinformation" from the McCain campaign, then the American electorate falls back to choosing someone they are most comfortable with. That's the McCain strategy. It was the Bush strategy and it got us eight years under what will go down in history as one of the worst presidential administrations. Do we want that again?

If Obama Is Moses, McCain Is the Pharaoh

I would never say or intimate that Obama is Moses, but John McCain did. Imagine that! A McCain attack ad sarcastically calling Obama "the one" and then showing a picture of Charlton Heston splitting the Red Sea. Everyone knows what happened when the Pharaoh refused to let "My people go." God sent down 10 plagues on the people of Egypt until the Pharaoh relented and let the Israelites go. When will McCain and his followers get the message and let Americans go free. Do they need 10 plagues? Maybe so, because McCain's learning curve doesn't seem to be any better then Bush's.

Hopefully McCain and his crew remember what the 10th plague was. If they don't, maybe they should rent a copy of the "Ten Commandments." While they're at it, they might actually read the 10 Commandments, the ninth of which says "Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness." Attack ads and misrepresentations of what Obama says and does are the order of the day for the McCain campaign. It has gone negative, negative, negative untill the whole campaign needs to be put in a dark room.

Notice the very negative guy (Edward G. Robinson). Does he remind you of someone?

McCain Accuses Obama of Everything

In the absence of a substantive campaign Senator McCain has been playing the accusation game. Each week, or every other day, McCain accuses Obama of something or other. It really doesn't matter what McCain accuses Obama of; one can almost fill in the blank. Examples of some of the accusations are listed below.

McCain accuses Obama of playing the race card.
McCain accuses Obama of pandering on Iraq.
McCain accuses Obama of ducking out on visit to wounded troops.
McCain accuses Obama of being willing to lose the war in order to win the election.
McCain accuses Obama of flip-flopping on the Holocaust.
McCain accuses Obama of just being a celebrity. (Aren't all politician celebrities?)
McCain accuses Obama of being soft on Cuba.
McCain accuses Obama of "doublespeak.
McCain accuses Obama of "pandering" to 65% of the voters. (What about the other 35%?)
Etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc


The main problem with this approach is that it doesn't tell us what McCain will do for the country if elected president. He doesn't even tell us why we should vote for him. In fact, the constant array of accusations may tell people why they shouldn't vote for McCain. This is a carefully planned strategy designed to wear away at the image of Senator Obama. Unfortunately for McCain it's a poorly planned strategy that will ultimately wear away his own image. There is one ultimate accusation that McCain can make that will assure his election.

McCain Accuses Obama of Being Better Presidential Candidate.

Republican Attack Ads Sink to New Level of Absurdity

The latest Republican attack ads against Senator Obama attempt to portray him as no more than a celebrity and desperately attempt to link him up with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. These pseudo-attack ads trying to link Senator Obama to two stupor-stars of dubious intellect and reputation will likely confuse the viewers who know that Senator Obama has nothing to do with these two "young ladies." It may leave them as confused as the Republican campaign for presidency. The so-called attack ads are an insult to the people they are trying to influence, the American people. Apparently, Republican self-deception has reached the "outer limits" of what poorly put together minds can conceive.

Senator McCain who insists on attaching himself to an administration that has patented the use of self-deception, is running a campaign that is going rapidly in reverse. Other than reiterating the expected Republican pledge about not raising taxes, Senator McCain has spent much more time attacking Senator Obama's qualities than clarifying what McCain do for this country if elected president. Time is running out and it is clear that the Republican Party is getting more and more desperate. The latest attack ad is likely just a warm-up to even more vicious attack ads that will be released in September and October. By then, the Republican attack ad team will be pairing up Senator Obama with Kermit the frog and Miss Piggy. If they do, they will be giving Senator Obama a better supporting cast in Senator McCain is likely to surround himself

with.

Kermit the Frog Rumored to Be on Obama's Shortlist

Persistent rumors have begun to circulate that Kermit the Frog is on Obama's shortlist for vice presidential running mates. No one in the Obama inner circles would confirm these rumors other than to say off the record that the senator is certainly interested in going green. Attempts to locate Kermit have been unsuccessful and he is rumored to be hiding out with Miss Piggy. Efforts to contact Miss Piggy have been futile, and one reporter who allegedly got inside of her house was seen flying out the second-floor window.

There are questions about Kermit's qualifications to be vice president of the United States. However, an unnamed friend of Kermit's said, "Kermit has a demonstrated history of leadership in times of crises and has also displayed a unique ability to get along with all creatures." The animal world is naturally quite excited about such a prospect, particularly frogs and toads. Effingmeyer Toad, a state representative from Mississippi, has gone on record stating that, "Frogs and toads have the greatest possible vested interest in the quality of water in this country and can make a significant contribution to water conservation in drought stricken areas."

When Senator McCain was asked about Kermit's qualifications, he is reported to have responded, "A frog? I wouldn't put anything past Obama. That's too far liberal for anything America could ever tolerate." It is actually not known whether Kermit is a liberal, moderate or a conservative. For that matter, it's not even know whether he is a Democrat. There is no record of Kermit ever voting in any election. Nor has Kermit held any public office. These factors should not be any barrier to Kermit running as vice president in view of the qualifications and performance of many members of Congress.

Stay tuned for further rumors.

Study shows clearly: Media has been harder on Obama

Research from George Mason University's Center for Media and Public Affairs shows clear evidence that TV news has been mostly negative toward Obama, and more negative than toward McCain. The so-called love affair between the media and Obama seems to have been more of a rumor than a fact. Does this mean if you whine now enough and long enough people will come to believe you? Let's hope this isn't the start of a new trend. Whining is bad enough, political whiningought to be a capital offense.

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Obama Goes to the Wall: McCain Attacks Obama

On Thursday, July 24th, Barack Obama gave a speech to a crowd of 200,000 people in Berlin, Germany. The number of people that attended that speech is as noteworthy as anything Obama could have said. My opinion is that he gave a good speech, one consistent with his message of hope. I will leave it to others to debate the historical merits of his speech. A portion of that speech is presented below.

"That is why America cannot turn inward. That is why Europe cannot turn inward. America has no better partner than Europe. Now is the time to build new bridges across the globe as strong as the one that bound us across the Atlantic. Now is the time to join together, through constant cooperation, strong institutions, shared sacrifice, and a global commitment to progress, to meet the challenges of the 21st century. It was this spirit that led airlift planes to appear in the sky above our heads, and people to assemble where we stand today. And this is the moment when our nations -- and all nations -- must summon that spirit anew."

On Thursday July 22, in Rochester, New Hampshire, John McCain said, "This is a clear choice that the American people have. I had the courage and the judgment to say I would rather lose a political campaign than lose a war. It seems to me that Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign."

Joe Klein, reporter for Time magazine said of McCain's comments, "This is the ninth presidential campaign I've covered. I can't remember a more scurrilous statement by a major party candidate. It smacks of desperation. It renews questions about whether McCain has the right temperament for the presidency. How sad."

Many of those who oppose Senator Obama have said that his speeches are mostly rhetoric, empty of significant content. If Senator McCain's speech is an example of significant content, then this nation cannot subsist on it.

Obama Challenges McCain to a Basketball Game for the Presidency

In a radical break with tradition, Senator Barack Obama challenged Senator John McCain to a game of one-on-one basketball to determine who would be the next president of the United States. In view of his slight age advantage, Obama is willing to give McCain a three basket head start. The game will be refereed by Rush Limbaugh, with the Reverend Al Sharpton as backup. One of the conditions of this game is that both senators will donate all of the campaign contributions which they will no longer need to spend to the United States treasury in an effort to solve the fiscal crisis confronting this nation.

Most people view Senator Obama's age advantage as a major factor in making him the overwhelming favorite. However, McCain has said off the record that he will body check Obama off the court. Furthermore, if the game gets really physical, McCain is purported to have stated that, "I will put some major bruises on Obama." When Obama heard this he is reported to have laughed and said, "That dude will never lay a hand on me." In order to sharpen up his game Senator McCain is reportedly working out with the Boston Celtics under the special tutelage of Paul Pierce. Pierce will also be able to help the senator interpret any gang signs that Senator Obama might be inclined to use.

Senator Obama has been working out with the USA women's Olympic basketball team. His wife Michelle has been at every workout and monitoring his progress very closely. Excitement about this game has risen to a fever pitch, even eclipsing the anticipation for the Olympics. Dick Vitale has been selected as the play-by-play announcer, and Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley will provide commentary at halftime. Stay tuned for further announcements.

McCain Pins Obama to the Wall

The presidential election was all but decided when Senator McCain uttered the magical Republican incantation. What is this magical incantation? Whenever a Republican presidential candidate wants to assure his victory he states that the Democratic candidate will raise people's taxes and the Republicans will not. Thus when McCain said that Obama will raise taxes the race became essentially over. It doesn't matter whether this is true or not, because this accusation sticks like wonder glue to the Democratic candidate.

Senator Obama naturally refuted Senator McCain's statement. His campaign political team worked overtime in showing that this was not true and how Senator Obama's tax plan would be beneficial to most of the middle class. The newspapers even challenged Senator McCain's assertion. None of this will matter because as long as you are defending yourself you are climbing uphill. It's a little like responding to the infamous question that has now become a terrible cliché, "When did you stop beating your wife?" All the other issues in the campaign will fade into the background. What about Iraq? Doesn't matter. What about the economy? Doesn't matter. What about the price of gasoline? Doesn't matter.

Senator McCain will now repeat the following refrain endlessly until his victory on Election Day.

Senator Obama will raise your taxes I will not.
Senator Obama will raise your taxes I will not
Senator Obama will raise your taxes I will not.

Karl Rove's third term

Paul Krugman of the New York Times makes very cogent points about what is happening in the political campaign wars. He stated the following:

"The willingness of the McCain campaign to engage in these tactics, employing such tainted spokesmen, tells us that the campaign has decided to go negative — specifically, to apply the strategy Karl Rove used so effectively in 2002 and 2004 (but not so effectively in 2006), that of portraying Democrats as unpatriotic."

Picture of Paul Krugman

I believe Karl Rove to be a totally immoral man. He will do anything at all to achieve his ends even if it means defaming people, or as in the case of former Governor Seligman of Alabama, helping to put them in jail on false charges. (Blogger's words)

Senator Obama Convincingly Wins Second Presidential Debate

Senator Obama gave a sterling performance in the second presidential debate while Senator McCain seemed tired and old beyond his years. Senator Obama spoke crisply and emphasized his key points while making good eye contact with the audience. Senator McCain continued his ineffective attack on Obama and repeated most of his points from the previous debate. It is questionable as to whether Senator McCain actually reads the newspapers. He was still harping on the importance of the surge and victory in Iraq when today's papers carried statements from the outgoing British commander in Afghanistan that the war was unwinnable. Message to Senator McCain: we're losing in Afghanistan.

Senator McCain emphasized his experience but talking about events that occurred during the Reagan administration, and even referring to Teddy Roosevelt, made him look out of touch with the current economic crisis. Senator Obama made a point of emphasizing the need for a lead it to be able to "look around the corner" and think about what's going to happen next as opposed to always being in a reactive state. While Senator McCain appeared to be more cordial at first, he clearly has disdain for the younger man who is now increasingly being seen as a good more commanding leader despite his lesser experience. McCain fails to see that experience in an of itself is not a recommendation for leadership.

While Senator McCain saw the provision of health care as responsibility, Senator Obama saw it as a right of all Americans. Senator McCain's emphasis on turning to the private sector for health care seems ill chosen when the financial private sector has collapsed and the health-care private sector is best known for its attempts to deny or limit to policyholders. A woman in the audience had a good question when she wondered if we should make health care more like a public utility. Unfortunately neither senator chose to address this issue.

When Senator McCain referred to Senator Obama as, "That one," he lapsed to a level of disrespect heretofore not seen in presidential debates. Senator McCain's one attempt at a "new initiative" whereby the government would buy up mortgages, turns out to be in the plan that was passed by Congress last week. If Senator McCain can't be bothered to read, then he ought to have better staff members who read what he should and remind him of what he should know. This was an evening Senator McCain needed to win in a fashion that would turn around the campaign. Unfortunately for Senator McCain, the evening turned out the exact opposite of what he needed.

Arianna and Others “Huffed” at Obama

Now that Senator Obama has all but officially been declared as the nominee of the Democratic Party, he has begun to move his political stance to the middle. In the last couple of weeks he has spoken up in favor of national security interests, indicated his interest in continuing support of faith-based social services, and voiced his objection to the Supreme Court ruling against the death penalty for rape of minors in Louisiana. This is a natural move if he wants to become the next president of the United States. The ultra liberal wing of the Democratic Party has taken exception to these moves. They want the purest of liberals to lead Democrats out of the wilderness back into power.

The headline in the Huffington Post, under Arriana Huffington’s byline, was, "Seven Things Barak Obama Should Do to Keep from Blowing It. Ms. Huffington went on to outline seven steps Senator Obama should undertake to assure his victory in the November election. Ms. Huffington's advice is well worth reading, and most of it is good common sense. However, one wonders whether she is talking as a reporter/journalist or as a presumed leader of the Democratic Party. The Huffington Post quoted Will Marshall, president of the centrist Progressive Policy Institute as saying, "I've been struck by the speed and decisiveness of his move to the center."

The Los Angeles Times expressed its concern with the headline, "Obama is shifting toward the center.” This was followed up by a statement that recent changes by Obama carry some risk that he will diminish the image he has sought to build as a new type of leader who will change how Washington conducts business. Unless I misremember my history, seizing the center is how most candidates have gone on to become president. It is likely that Obama is focusing on the broader electorate which he will need to win over in order to secure a victory in the electoral College. For those of us who have forgotten, but certainly not Al Gore, in order to become president you need to win the majority of electoral College votes, which is different then getting the most votes on a nationwide basis. In any event, it is unlikely that Senator Obama will shift so far right that he will become indistinguishable from Senator McCain, solely on political issues.

The Presidential Campaign: Hyperbole and Invective

At a time when the nation faces an energy crisis, a housing crisis, and the strong possibility of the economy slipping into recession, America needs a political dialogue from the presidential candidates that focuses on these issues and how they plan to solve them. Unfortunately what we get from most of the media is a never-ending flow of hyperbole and invective. Anytime either candidate says anything that can be taken out of context it is immediately done, so that the media has an eye or ear catching headline to attract its audience. When Senator McCain says something that can be interpreted as him misunderstanding what's going on, the "age issue" is frequently brought up. Republicans shout that "Obama is the most liberal person ever to run for the presidency." The implication being he will turn us into a quai-socialist state. News: we are one already. Obama is accused of having a plan for Iraq that will lead to a disastrous defeat for this nation and catastrophe for the Middle East. If Obama is elected, there will be US bases in Iraq for some time to come. None of this addresses the key issues that we need to hear about.

In an article in the Chicago Tribune, Mark Silva was stated the following:

“It's probably time to stipulate that John McCain and Barack Obama are good
Americans. It may also be time to acknowledge that McCain is not "confusing
the basic facts and reality'' in Iraq, as Obama's chief foreign policy adviser
has suggested, and that Obama is not "wedded to defeat'' in Iraq, as McCain's
chief foreign policy adviser has suggested. And McCain's campaign may be a lot
of things, but it's hard to believe, as Democratic National Committee Chairman
Howard Dean said on cable news TV this week, that it's "sleazy.''

Yet, in the over-the-top environment of an over-heated presidential campaign, still in the early stages of a five-month marathon, hyperbole is the stuff of headlines.
And misconceptions run so deep, and are so readily misconstrued by
opponents and sheer mischief-makers, that now the Obama campaign has launched a rumor-control Web-site which finds itself addressing the rumors that the
on-again, off-again, flag-pin wearing senator from Illinois refuses to say the
Pledge of Allegiance. See Obama pledge - from that day in June 2007 when he
presided over the Senate. “

Silva goes on to address what I believe is one of the major roots of the problem “All this is worth remembering as the surrogates of the presidential campaign step forward to say things that the candidates themselves are loath to say - and there is a reason they let other people do this sort of talking for them.”

Between the media's thirst for sensational headlines and the presidential surrogates misquoting, misstating, and generally twisting the opponent's words into a political pretzel, we end up with a lot of words with little useful meaning. All too often political campaigns end up being to quote Shakespeare "full of sound and fury; signifying nothing."

Senator McCain Doesn't Know the Price of Gas

According to the Huffington post and several other sources a reporter from the Orange County register asked Senator McCain what was the price of gas. The senator replied that he didn't know and it was some time since he actually pumped his own gas. The purpose here is not to take a pot shot at Senator McCain. Rather, the real issue is that so many of our leaders are out of touch with the day-to-day realities with which we must all contend. Does Senator Obama fill up his gas tank? Likely not. He's under heavy Secret Service protection and these agents and others drive him around. But before he became a candidate, did he do this? Does Senator Clinton go shopping at the grocery store and know the price of a gallon of milk? I don't know, but these things are very important if you say that as president of the United States you are going to work hard for the people of this country. Talking to the people about these problems isn't enough to gain a full understanding of what people are concerned about. Perhaps it should be mandatory for the presidential candidates to go shopping at the grocery stores, pump their own gas, and actually pay their own bills.

McCain 2005: Give Gitmo Detainees A Trial Or Release Them!

Despite John McCain's outrage last week that the Supreme Court ordered Gitmo detainees know why they were being held, or released -- Political Base has stumbled upon a McCain appearance on Meet the Press in 2005 where he argued they deserved trials, going so far as to say "if it means releasing some of them, you'll have to release them." Shameless.

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Senator McCain 100% Lobbyist Free

The headline of this post, which is painfully ironic, is about a United States senator who for some time presented himself as a reformer, and stated that he fought for greater transparency regarding the official activities of lobbyists and the disclosure of how candidates and campaigns are funded. An article in ABC news on January 29, 2008, stated "McCain has 59 lobbyists raising money for his campaign, more than any of the other presidential candidates, according to the latest finding from government watchdog group Public Citizen."

The story only gets worse from here. In widely publicized recent news the American public has learned about the so-called "Enron loophole" which exempts energy speculators who make trades electronically from US regulation. Recent testimony before a Senate committee revealed that unregulated energy speculation accounts for between 20% to 25% of the jump in oil prices.

Wendy Gramm, wife of former Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, joined Enron's board after chairing the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission, where she issued regulations that legalized the type of electricity trading that helped Enron make millions in illegal profits. In 2000, then Senator, Gramm helped pass legislation which made the Enron Loophole permanent. Phil Gramm is now a lobbyist for UBS, a Swiss banking Corporation. Mr. Gramm is Senator McCain's campaign chair and economic adviser.

The list of lobbyists working for Senator McCain is quite lengthy. One egregious example cited by the Daily News are "John Green, the senator's chief liaison to Congress, and Wayne Berman, his national finance co-chairman, billed more than $720,000 in lobbying fees from 2005 through last year to Ameriquest Mortgage through their lobbying firm." With lobbyists working for Senator McCain in senior positions who are tied to the run-up in energy prices and the housing crisis how can Senator McCain make objective decisions regarding two of the most critical issues facing this country.

Senator McCain Overwhelms Senator Obama in First Debate

In a surprising development, Senator McCain clearly won the first presidential debate over Senator Obama. McCain was on top of his game and had all the facts at his fingertips. He spoke clearly and articulately without pausing, and never once hesitated in responding to the questions asked. On the other hand, Obama time and again seemed at a loss for words, mumbled on more than a few occasions, and scratched his head as if puzzled by very direct questions.

Senator McCain presented a well articulated concise and plan for the phased pullout of American soldiers from Iraq and assured the nation that we would be not involved in any long-term commitment there beyond a few critical divisions and an Air Force Base. Senator Obama's response left much to be desired, when he said, "We gotta get the hell out of there," and refused to elaborate on his plans when pressed by Tim Russert.

It was on economic issues that Senator McCain shined brightest. He presented a new five point plan for economic recovery that would reduce the deficit in half within four years and still be able to give increased tax cuts to all Americans. He seemed to have an answer for every critique his plan and had clearly mastered the economic problems and the need for specific solutions on a timely basis. Senator Obama seemed out a loss when asked about his economic plan and continually asked to have the questions repeated. This was clearly a tactic to avoid answering critical questions that all Americans have a vital interest in. It was most embarrassing for Senator Obama.

Lastly, Senator McCain looked at the camera and all Americans and said, "I'm the man to lead you for the next four years and I promise I will implement my entire campaign platform within two years." When Senator Obama questioned him on that, McCain looked him in the eye until Senator Obama was forced to turn away in embarrassment. Senator Obama had some difficulty in finding the camera, and when he did so he resorted to index cards to talk to the national audience. In a nutshell, the whole evening was an embarrassment for Senator Obama and a clear triumph for Senator McCain, most likely our next president.

McCain and His Merry Men

Unlike the fictional Robin Hood of yore, Senator McCain intends to continue the tradition started by President Bush, of making the rich richer. While no one has accused the Republican Party of stealing from the poor to give to the rich, neither has anyone ever accused the Republican Party of taking anything from the rich and giving it to the poor. Even though he initially opposed the Bush tax cuts, Senator McCain now supports them. This will certainly help Senator McCain in his efforts to reach out to the working men and women of America who can barely make ends meet and don't have adequate health insurance or any health insurance at all. No doubt he can explain this in the 500 words or more.

Robin Hood, as depicted by Hollywood, wore green tights and hung out with a band of "Merry Men." An actor by the name of Errol Flynn, set the standard for portraying Robin Hood in the movies, and also set other standards with women of all ages. Excuse me, back to the Republican Party. It is against conservative Republican principles for men to wear green tights, and you hardly ever see a group of high-ranking Republicans with their arms around each other with smiling faces. Perhaps if we could get a group shot of them on a visit to Guantánamo we could see them in a more festive mood. Cheap shot? Hardly! Those that live by the sword tend to get skewered by the sword.