The Big Debates

For the first time in my life, I find myself in the position of an Independent. I suppose that makes me one of the people targeted in the debates. I keep hearing everyone say that this is the most important debate ever. To some extent, I think to myself that I have heard this same statement every four years since I have been able to vote. Of course, it's important to vote. Every election, particularly Presidential, is important for our country. And, it's true, I do feel this is the most important election of my lifetime, so far.

So, I have watched every debate(mostly thanks to a wonderful invention called the DVR). I admit I have never watched so many debates for one election, and, honestly, it has been painful at times. Debate #2 between the presidential candidates was by far the most boring. I thought the mediator in Debate #1 seemed the least partial towards either candidate; however, the mediator for the Vice Presidential Debate seemed the most partial, leaning toward the Obama/Biden camp. Debate #3 was the most personal and seemed to provide useful information. Here's my summary of each debate:

Pres. Debate #1- I thought it was annoying that Senator Obama kept referring to Senator McCain as John, which seemed a little disrespectful. And to make things worse, he called him the wrong name a few times (Tom and Jim). I thought it was funny that they both kept taking longer than the mediator wanted them to on certain issues.

Pres. Debate #2- Boring, boring, boring. The whole walking around thing was making me dizzy and distracted from who was talking. I didn't hear anything new, so I turned it off less than halfway through. I thought it was funny that the mediator had to chastise them several times for ignoring when he told them their time was up.

Pres. Debate #3- There were definitely personal attacks going on in this one. On the split screen, Obama mostly looked smug and snotty, like "I can't believe I have to answer questions like this." McCain blinked a lot and looked a little uncomfortable on camera. I thought it was funny that McCain told Obama he wasn't running against Bush and that, if he wanted to, he should have ran 4 years ago.

Vice Pres. Debate- Really, I thought this one was the best one of all. I am a fan of Sarah Palin. She's the one who entices me to consider McCain, who I think is a liberal Republican (almost a Democrat). Many people expected her to do poorly, but I thought she did a great job of expressing her stance on issues. I will say that towards the middle I kept hoping she'd stop going back to the energy issue, which thankfully she did. I did like that she made the point clear, though, because that is her biggest strength. Senator Biden generally looked stiff and condescending. I really thought he went in thinking Palin was weak & beneath him, like he'd win the debate without any effort. She proved him wrong

All in all, I'm still stuck without answers. Stuck between the thought of whether to vote for the best candidate or whether to vote for the lesser of two evils. Obama is so radical with his Socialist plans and outrageous budget spending that I would never vote for him (not to mention his many affiliations with crazies - William Ayers, ACORN, Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezco, Michelle Obama, just to name a few). I guess that makes McCain the lesser of two evils, by a small margin. Palin makes that margin a bigger, because she isn't tainted by the special interest groups and other political craziness in Washington DC.

However, I do wish they had let some of the candidates from the independent parties participate in the debates. I think it it crazy that we are being pushed into voting for one of two parties only. Especially, since both parties seem to be heading in the same direction, even if one is heading there at a slower pace. Where are the true believers in the constitution? That's the debate. I still haven't found the best candidate. That's my dilemma.