"But Phil, I did my best!"

Debate Prologue

Senator Barack Obama said, essentially, Senator McCain’s campaign lacks ideas, a plan and time! Hence, the shout to kill Senator Barack Obama at a recent Governor Palin rally, the reason to sling epithets and slurs is an attempt to win at any cost. Is that cost making country first or is that cost making Senator McCain first?

The Debate

Senator McCain needed to knock Senator Obama out of the ring, but he didn’t! Sure, last night, there was not much that we have not heard before. But I think, according to Senator McCain, “that one, Senator Obama” presented himself more presidential and didn’t permit Senator McCain to misrepresent his position on health care and foreign affairs. God bless him, the Arizona senator did the best he could to connect with the electorate, but his best just wasn’t good enough last night. He latched onto the retired naval CPO who asked the question about the security of Israel. Senator McCain got so excited I thought he was going to ask him out for a date after the debate.

As I stated before, I still feel a generational/personality difference between the two senators. This difference is manifested in how they interact with each other and their positions they’ve taken. For example, Senator Obama has been more conciliatory and complimentary when his opponent says something that he agrees with in these debates. Where as Senator McCain is recalcitrant. Also, in the first debate, Senator McCain failed to make eye contact with Senator Obama. I cite these finer observations because it is important when interacting with those that do not agree with you. To have these interpersonal skills can bring adversaries to your side or at the least, find common ground. Senator McCain quoted President Theodore Roosevelt, “speak softly and carry a big stick”. There is not much about Senator McCain that leads me to believe that the senator is prepared to talk, constructively, with our adversaries.

Debate Epilogue

When I view events such as the debates, I tend to go back and forth between CNN, MSNBC, FNC and CSPAN. It never ceases to amaze me how polling outcomes are vastly different between the “news services”. It appeared, again, that we were looking at entirely different events. The conventional thought is that voters gravitate to the news service that most supports their political views.

However, what must be obvious to us all, as of this writing, is that Senator McCain is down in the polls and is in the proverbial “kitchen sink” attack mode. I have doubts about the senator’s ability to change his fate by only making a case of Senator Obama’s pass relationships in light of his own questionable relationships and the all-consuming economic crisis we find ourselves in.