Friday night debate

Like millions of Americans, I tuned into the debate Friday night between Senators McCain & Obama. I think the Presidential debates are so misnamed. They don't debate. All the do is tell their side of things, not attempt to prove why the other side is wrong. Oh, they do some of that, but if you've taken a debate class, as I have, what they did Friday night was NOT a debate.

I also think it's completely pointless to have debates. I would say the majority of Americans know or have a good idea WHO they are going to vote for come November. If you're undecided, well...my guess is that you have not been following what has been going on for the past year. Where the candidates stand is no secret. All that information has been hashed over and over for a year.

Since I a McCain "supporter," I naturally saw McCain as the winner just like Obama supporters saw Obama as the winner. (So, once again, the purpose of a debate? Persuade uniformed voters who've been in la-la land the past year? )

I've read some assessments of the debate and while I agree with some, it's all a matter of opinion, and that opinion is based on who you are supporting.

I do think McCain came across as condescending at times, but how could he not? Here he is, a SENIOR senator who has YEARS of service to his country and tons of experience, having to listen to some junior, and I mean really junior, senator who has done squat in his 3 years in the Senate, tell him he's wrong and all the "mistakes" he's made in the Senate. If you do nothing, it's hard not to make mistakes or vote the wrong way. Which is why I think Obama doesn't want to be in Washington to work on this bail out plan. He doesn't want vote the wrong way. (That's my take on it all).

I did not see this written in an follow-up columns on the debate, but I was getting annoyed with Obama constantly interrupting McCain. Talk about rude and not respecting someones time. Wait your turn, Messiah - sorry had to throw that in. Obama also gave some very haughty and arrogant looks over at McCain. Oohh...you could see Obama seething inside being slammed with facts that Obama had to twist to lessen the blow.

To me, the difference was so clear on liberal vs conservative - even though I don't see McCain as a true conservative.

I know it's impossible to get a straight answer out of a politician and I know politicians are great a mincing and changing the meaning of words, and while both sides did that, it was Obama who constantly was saying "let me tell you what I mean..." or "let me explain what I meant by that..." or "I didn't say that, let me tell you what I said...". When you are constantly doing this, to me, that indicates someone is changing their tune or trying to make what they said sound less stringent or less offensive.

It still boggles my mind that someone with hardly any experience thinks he can run for President - Obama. When he votes "present" simply to avoid making a decision, where does that show leadership? When he says "call me if you need me" in regards to the bail out plan in Washington, that tells me he thinks more of himself than he does his country. I would like to remind Senator Obama, you were elected a Senator from Illinois. You've not been elected President of the United States - yet. At least give the appearance that you are doing your job - the Senate job, and I'm not talking about flying in for one meeting. Get yourself on the Senate floor. You could really show leadership if you weren't so absorbed in running for President. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that McCain, who went back to DC to work on the bail out plan, DOES put country first.

Ok, I had to get that out. Back to the debate... It was completely pointless. Yeah, it's part of our history to have them, but I would REALLY love to see a REAL debate between these two with graphs, charts and lessons of history proving why what one candidate said is COMPLETELY wrong. That way, it could be proven that Conservatism is and always will be better for people than Liberalism, unless you're a slacker who wants everything done for you.

But until that day, every Presidential debate is just this is what I say and this is what you say...