Third Debate: McCain Swings and Misses

Wednesday night's third and final presidential debate at Hofstra University in New York was the last and best chance for Republican John McCain to revive his dying dream to become president.

So it was no surprise that the Arizona senator came out swinging for the fences – and at his Democratic opponent Barack Obama – saying Obama pals around with a domestic terrorist, employed a community organization using shady tactics to register voters, and stood by in silence as a supporter hurled racial invectives at the Republican campaign. ...

Obama, however, answered each thrust with the trademark intellect, steadiness, and cool that will likely propel him to the White House. A New York Times/CBS poll showed Obama taking a 53-39 percent lead Tuesday.

McCain had to walk a tightrope last night, forcefully pointing at Obama's perceived inexperience but not being too negative while doing it. And while he scored little points here and there, he did little to change the game.
He made his most pointed attempt to distance himself from President George W. Bush when he angrily told Obama "If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago."

McCain also forced Obama to a defensive position, raising his connections to William Ayers and the ACORN community activist group. But it's not as though Obama didn't know those attacks were coming, since both McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin have been making those statements at rallies in recent weeks.

While there were a few minor sparks last night, they never turned into the brushfire of debate many people wanted to see between the candidates.

In fact, for such a history-making election, the entire debate season has been lackluster. The first contest got some Obama supporters riled when McCain made repeated and annoying references to the Illinois senator "not understanding" the complexities of being president.

The second debate was devoid of any sparks. That was confirmed for me when my mother, a staunch Obama supporter, sheepishly admitted to me that she fell asleep on the contest.

So in the absence of fireworks, Obama's deep grasp of the facts and unflappability will win out as the most enduring legacy of the 2008 presidential debate season.

But for a country at the lead of a global economic panic and on a day that saw the Dow Industrial Average suffer its second worst one-day drop, wouldn't it have been nice to hear some honesty from the candidates about how bad things really are.

As a nation, we don't save enough. We borrow about a quarter trillion dollars from foreign governments. The country simply can't afford to pass out health care coverage to all Americans, as the candidates suggest, without massive tax increases FOR EVERYONE.

And the tax cuts as promised by both candidates won't reduce our deficit – less money in the government till from taxes will only prolong the problem.

But that kind of honesty doesn't lead to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
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