Vote For Obama McCain!!

As the presidential race revs up, the rhetoric is hitting a fever-pitch. Watching the debate last night, I was struck by how familiar it seemed. Rather than a frank debate about the merits and ideals of the candidates, it was like all the other debates I’ve seen the last 30 years - a boxing match where they try to look for openings to get in their jabs in an effort to gain ground and that ethereal sound bite that will outlast the election. “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy..” And that from the loser of a vice-presidential debate – have we learned nothing?

It’s not that I’m surprised; it’s just that they say the same thing so often, and then act like the difference between them is some earth shattering, global snuffing, galactic disturbance. I loved the way they got all worked up about Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. “Senator Obama said he’d bomb Pakistan” “No John, I said I’d be willing to back up our demands”. Or words to that effect. Come on – the middle east is f’d up and we’re right in the thick of it. Our next president will try to protect Israel, stabilize the Arab world and put band aids on scabby global feelings that GW has been scraping at for almost 8 years. And either candidate will likely improve the situation – or not – but not because of the differences between them.

And the economy? Tell it like it is – we all got greedy and took as much as we could take while the taken’ was good. Government didn’t do it to us and government won’t fix it. Each of us has to fix it and it will all get much better if we do two things: save more, spend less. There! All fixed!! (I’m not preaching – I’m one of the dopes). You know why our parent’s generation didn’t ever have a mortgage interest-only loan? No one would give it to them!! LOL! Seriously, we live in a free market economy and society where there will always be options available to us that are not necessarily in our best interest to partake in. We know this on lots of levels but forget it on others at times. We don’t eat Twinkies every meal, but we leveraged our future to buy that million dollar home. Which is more stooopid?

This election has been rare for me in that I think either candidate will be good for our country. Which is why it is disappointing for me to see where the dialogue has gone. Sifting through the chaff to glean a little insight into these two Americans is difficult, and becoming more difficult every day. I’m going to go back to an old interviewing axiom: “the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” So it is time to dig in to their pasts, and pretty much ignore the rest of this election - because they are in “I need votes” mode and they say and spin every question to land back on their “platform”.

Obama Platform – “I’m fresh and new and young and sort of black”.

McCain Platform – “I’m a hero and really experienced and tow-the-line but buck-the-system and I am not THAT old”.

Who cares?

Are you honest? I think “yes” to both. Will you always try to do the right thing, even if a hot intern shows up in your office with a box of cubans? Gaad I hope so!!! ("Hot" is a stretch - "willing" maybe.) I'm over-simplifying, as there are numerous things I need to think about before November - what kind of court appointments would these guys make? What kind of cabinet do I think they'll put together? How will they work with congress? But in general, most topics could use a little simplifying.

So I guess I’ll sit back and enjoy the very best thing about an election year: Saturday Night Live! “Obama wants universal health care. Really? Healthcare for the entire universe? Even Osama bin Laden!? No way. No how. No-bama.” Har har!! SNL is roughly 10 times funnier during a presidential race. And now John Stuart and Steven Colbert get their cuts in too.

I have no idea who I’m voting for. But for once, think I win either way.