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The Gloves Did Go Off!!
The Final U.S. Presidential Debate concluded earlier tonight. John McCain went out on the attack. I think it was quite a debate. I knew that Bob Schieffer would get it done. He got it done!!!
I found the debate to be substantive. In my view, both men presented their views in a spirited fashion. I saw John McCain the Fighter Pilot. He repeated went after Senator Obama. Between the speech Senator McCain made on Monday, his "whip his you know what" comment to his campaign staff and the energy he seems to be shown, he is going all out. Whether it is enough, it remains to be seen. But, Senator Obama kept his cool and reinforced the central themes of the message. The question is whether this was the knockout punch John McCain needed to have to emerge from the doldrums. I did not believe it to be so.
The pundits or (commentariats as Gordon Brown calls 'em) will be at it and are continuing as we speak. The BBC is right now continuing the analysis. Right now, they have a Republican Hack, Michael Duncan, talking to the BBC correspondence in the "spin room". It was simply sickening. All they want to talk about is Chicago. Yet, all the associations Senator McCain has had is off limits. It would have been interesting if Senator McCain's 70th Birthday Party in Montegero and Rick Davis' association with the Russian Oligrach would have been brought up. But, the focus was on the issues--thanks to Bob Schieffer. I think the difference were quite stark. I have had profound disagreements with Senator McCain on a number of fronts. For instance, I am especially questioning the viability of Senator McCain's healthcare plan and his plan to give families a $ 5,000 refundable tax credit. What he does not address is how the difference is to be paid. What he does not address is the issue of pre-existing condition and the portability of insurance. What he does not address is the exclusions that would ultimately result. There are many such inconsistencies that I view as central to how the future is going to hold.
Not withstanding the discussions, I wanted to address a specific matter Senator McCain brought regarding Iraq and went to attack Senator Biden. Senator McCain claimed that Iraq is coming together. The fact is that Iraq has in fact has been split in three and the government survives in name only. As for the vote against the first Iraq war, I regard Joe Biden's vote as a vote of consciousness. I was glad to see that both men understood that to secure America's future, they ought to focus on two key areas: education and energy independence. Senator McCain also spoke up for Governor Palin. Governor Palin has sure excited the base. Senator McCain did try and damp down the rhetoric. But, the nastiness which has been unleashed by Governor Palin's rhetoric was wrong. Senator McCain played the victim. I found that disappointing.
Senator Obama stayed cool and above the fray throughout the debate. That is I found to be consistent throughout the three debates. In my view, they both made their case. Not withstanding the diversion of Ayers, ACORN and Joe the Plumber, I see the final line as being drawn. The die is cast. I view the election as crucial. I am worried about our economic future. The Dow lost 7% today. Markets are falling all around the world as we speak. Recessionary fears are real. What will happen now? Whomever wins, they will have a profound challenge that I view as the biggest challenge since the founding of the American Republic over 230 years ago.
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It is tough not to panic......
An Aide to Senator McCain claimed that Blackberry was a miracle that Senator McCain helped create. When I first read about this, I laughed. I guess the co-founders of Research In Motion had nothing to do with it. Senator McCain was ridiculed by Senator Obama for not being able to even write an e-mail. I found that a bit over the top. Therefore, it seems to me that his technological vision is not as "advanced" as one might lead to believe.
When I read about this statement, I was reminded of how Al Gore was ridiculed when he was "accused" of inventing the interent. The truth was that accoding to Vint Cerf, the father of the Interent, Al Gore played a leading role in creating the ground work for the eventual mass adoption of the interent while in Congress. I suppose Al Gore is used to that kind of ridicule. He is now the subject of ridicule by many for talking about what others simply ignored up to now. This is a testamony he made before the Congress in 2007
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Should we celebrate or wait???
The price of Brett Crude in London has fallen below $ 100. Although this is great news, it still does not address the undelying structural challenges we face in terms of a declning availability of supply and ever increasing demand. Demand has fallen because people are not using as much anymore. It is still good news and hope that such a short term decline will not cause us to lose sight of the big picture. We have to get off the carbon binge and get off it now!!!
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Do they take us for fools?
This Sunday's Meet the Press had the Governor of Minnesota on. The stance that the Governor of Minnesota has taken is exactly the reason I will not even consider voting for McCain-Palin. The Governor of Minnesota attacked Senator Obama for his experience and views. What he fails to tell the country is that Senator Obama has run a national campaign for almost 20 months. The 50-state campaign he has run is an example of leadership and executive management that shows judgement and vision. His pick of Joe Biden is a master stroke. It shows that he is not afraid of dissent.
I have already written about the interesting character Governor Palin is. She has a common background. But, so does Joe Biden and Barack Obama. She has apparently made a difference in Alaska. But, the office of Vice President has changed and changed considerably. Senator McCain, in my view, made a profound mistake because he did not truly understand the evolution of the power of the office of the Vice President. Although Governor Palin has an expertise in energy, the expertise in energy to me is quite short sighted and is frankly totally irresponsible in terms of pushing for drilling. Also, Senator McCain has to realize his age. I have never, ever held that against him and will not do so. But, unfortuantely, when I hear 32 year olds dying of heart attacks I have to bring the judgement of the Senator into account in this regard. As for Hillary Supporters moving over, I say to Governor Palin: dream on
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I just saw an update that John McCain may be traveling to Missisipi to assess hurricane readiness. I hope it is not a political move. If it is, shame on John McCain and the Republicans. This is not the time to be playing politics. If it was the other way around, the Republicans and their Amen crowd in talk radio would be crying foul. The best thing for all candidates to do is to stay out of the way, let the authorities do what they need to do and be united in their after-action response.
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A little humor will never hurt.....
Campaigns are serious business. Campaigns are a chance to debate and reflect upon the future. As I was reviewing my daily analysis, I thought some humor was in order. Senator McCain's visit to the oil rig prompted a response from the Democrats. I I have commented on the idiocy of this push by Senator McCain. I did get a kick out of the ad,though:
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Who is he trying to fool?
Senator McCain visited a Oil Rig Tuesday. I am sure he had a great time. During the visit, he criticized Senator Obama for not supporting offshore oil drilling. The argument is so idiotic, it is not even funny. Senator McCain did note that he wanted to after everything to transform energy. But, the relentless push for offshore oil drilling continues unabatted. The conservatives are continuing their push. Newt Gingrich just sent out a commentary (distributed through Human Events) blasting the stance of those who are opposed. The problem is that the idea that somehow offshore oil drilling is going to help solve our long-term energy need is simply foolish, idiotic and beyond reason. There may be oil out there or they may not. Do we want to take the risk to the environment for a potential short term gain? I wonder.
As I reflected upon today's Senator McCain Photo Op, I thought as to what exactly the oil companies are truly thinking. They are breaking all kinds of profit recrods. But, they have to figure out a way to transform their businesses to avoid the predicament of becoming irrelevant. If what is going on in Venezuela and Russia is any indication, they have to see the writing on the wall. They ought to simply go beyond slogans and truly working to transform their companies. The question is will they have the courage to do it? Will our political leaders have the courage to force them to do it
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Mike Pouraryan
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