Joe Who? McCain flashes New Gimmick, Obama Wins

Oh no, not another gimmick! Halfway through this debate, I was ready to call John McCain the winner but alas it was not too be. Somehow, he got side-tracked by his new gimmick of the day, "Joe the Plumber," the guy who said Obama scared him because if he bought the business that he has been working for all of these years, he would make over $250,000 a year which qualifies him for tax increases under Obama's plan and he felt he should be able to keep more of the money he will earn. Heck, Republicans think this and they keep the taxes low for those who make the most as usual. Obama proposes more tax cuts for the middle class instead, noble yes, doable? probably not.

Nevertheless, McCain did not seal the deal in the 2nd half, leaving Obama to make his declarations with relative calm and ease. Even the Fox News people are waxing philosophical on how Obama was unflappable, how he detailed his plans, how he spoke directly to the American people, how he said the middle class deserved a tax break, how he diffused the criticism of Bill Ayers, how McCain failed to trump him on the abortion issue...and so on.

I am not sure I expected much from this debate other than to hear more about the new economic plans that were unveiled this week. They were barely mentioned and definitely not answered; well, broadly I suppose but not specifically. McCain once again takes the cake for his sweeping "I know how to fix it" non-specific solutions to America's ailments which caused him to fail the 2nd half of the debate; Obama continued with specifics throughout and out-explained McCain on McCain's own policies. Oh Well.

If I go back to my response regarding debate #2 on Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 2nd Presidential Debate Leans Obama, I can basically write the same review so why re-invent the wheel. Obama won for the same reasons he won last time. Another thought is that McCain still thinks he can win with the same nastiness and shallow assessment that George Bush unleased on him in 2000. Well, George Bush used it again in 2004. It took a dose of economic reality for Americans to wake up to the truth of deceptive politics. They don't like it right now, so much. Of course, this does not mean that they can't be deceived again. It will all come around, again.

Presidential Debate #3: Truth or Smear?

Tomorrow, the 3rd and final Presidential Debate will take place at Hofstra University, one of Long Island's premier institutions of higher learning. Once again Americans will have high hopes of hearing a meaningful discussion about the issues. After all, both Obama and McCain have introduced brand new addenda to their economic plans this week and we want to hear about them. Also, the debate has been painted as McCain's last attempt to shine given that recent polls show an increase in Obama's lead.

McCain, fresh off his pandering-to-the-base tour, has offered up yet more gems of economic inconsistency touting benefits that still tilt toward reducing the tax burden of our wealthier denizens. He has also hinted that he will bring up Obama's connections to Bill Ayers. Does he not realize that Obama's lead has increased exponentially since those attacks began? Well, Obama did say that he was surprised that McCain did not bring up those negativisms to his face during the last debate and now, McCain the man seems compelled to respond. This is the conclusion we all would make, I suppose, if we were coming off the same tour as McCain; egged on by his narrow-minded rabid fans.

McCain seems to have forgotten that he has plenty of guilt by association skeletons in his closet too so he may want to leave that stuff on the redneck trail where it belongs. Moreover, he had better be mindful that he will be in a blue state tomorrow with actual thinking people who will not respond to anti-intellectual cheap shots, or will they?

Obama also has plenty of explaining to do because I swear the man is on democratic liberal crack unveiling reams of spending plans to help everybody. I don't know how he expects the taxpayers to pony-up that kind of dough now that we have guaranteed all the bank deposits in the world. After all, that $500,000,000,000 deficit that has already been projected for the 2009 U.S. budget is definitely double by now.

Irrational exuberance has now taken over the U.S. government; the national debt clock in Times Square has run out of digits but somehow we have unlimited funds to guarantee the world financial markets and give tax breaks to poor Tom, healthcare-less Dick and jobless Harry. All hands are out and less money is supposed to come in? I hope these candidates find some financial rectitude and tell it like it is tomorrow.