Watching the Debate

First presidential debate tonight is winding down. My impression: Barack Obama is very smart, has studied well, was quite prepared on the topics, as a good student would be prepared for a test. Senator McCain is equally prepared on the topics but brings to the platform a clear, much more clear, understanding of the issues based on experience, not just life experience but experience as a lawmaker who is much less affected by public opinion than by what he knows, by personal observation, to be true.

That experience, which can be equally defined as "wisdom," is the difference that should make the difference for those undecided voters when choosing between the two candidates. This world moves much too fast for a student to become the spokesperson for the most powerful and important nation on earth. Instead, the wise, experienced man has the characteristics of the leader that this country needs.

If I had any doubt before (though I didn't), I have none now.

She's a Winner!

Wow! I stayed up and watched Sarah Palin's speech last night then went to sleep with a big grin on my face. I said she was going to knock it out of the park, and I was right. I didn't say that the bases would be loaded, but they certainly were; Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani did a great job warming up the crowd. Since when have you seen even a convention center full of Republicans so happy?! Ronald Reagan has to be smiling down from heaven.

I've heard some commentary this morning and, naturally, it's all either on one end of the spectrum or the other, nothing in between. I suppose the ones on the negative end have to say something, but you'd think they could be more creative than calling her statements lies as some have. Of course those on the positive end just couldn't be happier. In fact, I made sure I had the radio on to hear Rush Limbaugh's opening words this morning; he said he didn't want it to end, didn't want Sarah's speech to end, didn't want Rudy Giuliani's speech to end. We knew he'd be excited, but the language needs more superlatives to describe his elation over the speech and everything surrounding it. He even mentioned little daughter Piper's loving gesture of wetting her hand (she licked her whole palm, folks, and it was adorable) and smoothing down her baby brother's hair. Speech writers can't invent "real people" gestures like that, and don't underestimate the importance of those things.

There's much more to say, but I'm still grinning so wide I can barely see to type, so for now I'm just going to savor the lingering positive vibes of the moment and look forward to the weeks to come. John McCain, no matter what happens now, you picked a winner.

Get Back on Topic, Already!

Sarah Palin is going to knock it out of the park tonight with her speech, I just know it. Think it will shut up the critics? Golly, I hope so. The Palin family issues talk dominating the press the past few days is already old, old, old and just plain wrong, wrong, wrong.

Hopefully they'll get back on topic soon; we only have two months (and a day) of election talk to go. How about discussing an issue a day, a real one. I like that idea.