Last of Our Kind

I recently witnessed the epitome of leadership, the epitome of reason, and the epitome of success. At last night’s debate Senator Barack Obama appeared cool, calm, and collected. He did not take any of the bait that John McCain gave him. He did not act like a young inexperienced debater. He looked like… well; he looked like the incumbent making the challenger look silly.

We could sit here and go through each segment point by point. We could mention (again) the eye rolling and the obvious distain McCain has for Obama. We could sit here and talk about what everyone knows; Senator Barack Obama won three straight Presidential Debates, and a majority of undecided and Independents agree. Or we can move on and talk about the bigger picture.

However, it was obvious from the start that John McCain was out to get Obama. He came out swinging and I’m sure there were people who thought that he was doing well. However, then John McCain started to get old (no pun intended). He started to sound like the same man we have seen at all of these debates and all of these speeches.

Now before any McCain supporter jumps on me by saying that Obama says the same things over and over again, let me assure you, I know that. I know that Barack Obama has the same stump speech points that he rolls out whenever he can.

However, here is the difference. Obama’s points are ways to bring change to this country. They are not ways to keep Americans down. They are not policies of the past, but hope for the future. Barack Obama’s policies are ways to help the middle-class (whom John McCain still has not mentioned in any of the debates) live better, fuller lives. It is through these policies that Barack Obama represents so much more than John McCain. I am not surprised by the margins Obama is winning now. He is no longer a candidate, he is (and has been for some time) a movement. He is a movement towards something that John McCain can not even see because he has been in Washington for such a long time.

John McCain is frustrated. I understand that. He is losing. He is now going to say and do anything he can to win. He has no other option. So, my friends do not be surprised when McCain ups the dirty politicking. It is all he has left. There are 18 days until Election Day. Trust me we have not seen the worst of the Republican smear machine. They are like a wounded animal backed into a corner. They are afraid, and they will attack.

All we can do is act like the leader we want. We have to rise above the shameless commercials and speeches Senator McCain is approving. We have to remain cool, calm, and collected. We have to remain the epitome of leadership, of reason, and the epitome of success.

To his credit, John McCain got it right when he said:

“Americans are hurting right now, and they're angry. They're hurting, and they're angry. They're innocent victims of greed and excess on Wall Street and as well as Washington, D.C. And they're angry, and they have every reason to be angry. And they want this country to go in a new direction.”

But does John McCain really believe that he is direction we want to go in?

Right now there seems to be only one way to answer that…