Town Meeting Debate Disappoints

Last night's debate settled little, at lesat in my mind. I was hoping one candidate or the other would really step up, be bold, and give us a real vision. I did not feel that either did that. Obama clearly is the more visionary candidate, but he still needs to be more precise in what he says he will & can do. McCain, a wonderful man, continues to disappoint to a greater extent. He said many times last night something to the effect of "I know how to fix that" but never elaborated on how he would do "that" regarding whatever the issue being discussed. It was frustrating sitting there, feeling like screaming at the candidates "Will you give me something I can work with here?" Unfortunately, both reverted to the politics of old with shots at each other, distorting each other's record, slanting every statement about each other as far as they could, and constantly saying little that gave us reason to feel more secure about the future.

I know our future will be fine. Things do work out, even if painfully slow in the process. However, I want to have leadership that makes us feel really good about that future. I think Obama comes closer to making people feel that way, but I still ask him to become clearer in the program he will put together. Come up with a name that we can latch onto to for your program. Whether one agreed with FDR or LBJ or Nixon, they had their New Deal, Great Society, and Silent Majority, respectively, that when mentioned, everyone knew what their program was. We still do not have that clarity (as much as it was) from either McCain or Obama. And I am not optimistic that we will any time before November 4.

Last night Senator McCain came across as resentful toward Senator Obama. His already infamous "that one" reference may be one of the major campaign/debate slips of the tongue in our history (although from what I have read, it was not a 'slip'). And Senator Obama needed to come on with greater clarity and precision. It was not the best debate I have ever seen and left me asking for more. Not more of the same, but more optimism and more clarity.