Simple Man Politics

Like a lot of you I watched the 2nd Presidential debate last night and like a lot of you I still have some questions left unanswered by the candidates and I am still greatly concerned. I didn't see a clear winner in the debate either and I was surprised that the town hall style format was anything but a town hall. There was no spontaneity between the candidates and the audience. Every time one of the candidates even started to break loose Tom Brokaw reined them in trying to adhere to the time constraints that the candidates had agreed to which for his part is understandable as it wasn't really a town hall meeting in the first place. As a result I came up with these observations of the candidates.

I thought Barack Obama acquitted himself well. He responded directly to the audience and the people who asked the questions there in particular attempting to make that connection and I think he was successful. He was a little more specific about his economic policy, energy policy and health care policy. While I don't agree with his ideas and as usual he was less than truthful i would have to say that if this debate was judged solely on performance he won it no contest.

I think John McCain was right on target with his plans for the American people. I was particularly impressed with his position on the economy except for his idea of having the government buy up all those bad mortgages as an addition to the bailout when there is already funds in the bailout for doing exactly that. I also think he is wrong to offer 5000 dollar tax credit to find health care coverage and then tax it on the employers end. He was right about which party was responsible for this mortgage crisis and I think he should have went into more detail about Obamas associations with people like Franklin Raines and James Johnson his economic advisors. I think Barack Obamas character and relationships with controversial figures are very important and legitimate targets for the McCain campaign. I think he blew Obama away on foreign policy and national security issues as well. So if this debate were to be judged totally on substance I think that McCain won.

Well there you have it the Presidential debate in a nutshell and I can only conclude that there was no clear winner although I think that the audience was a little more liberal and on Obamas side and that Obama was clearly the person who abused the time constraints the most. I think it is all going to come down to the next and last debate and if John McCAin expects to win he had better nail Obamas hide to the barn door and go after all of his past associations with the people who have most influenced him like Wright, Ayers, Phleger, al-Monsour, and Louis Farrakhan because if he doesn't he will lose. As for Obama if he just keeps doing what he has been doing which is just coasting and not screw up the White House is his.

Have a great day and I will be back tomorrow CIAO4NOW!!!!!