The Presidential Debate

The Presidential Debate and reaching across the isle.

I have, like I suspect we all have, a diverse group of friends.  We all have our different takes on politics - left, right and center.   But we came together last night watching the Presidential Debate.  We found ourselves in the rather rare situation of all agreeing on something - that we need Obama's style, if not his politics, in the Whitehouse.

For an hour and a half last night Senator Obama did what he said he would do - he reached across the isle, in this case the stage, and presented himself and the country with an example of how politics can be run.  He looked directly at Senator McCain on numerous occasions, told him when he agreed with him, told him when he thought he was right on an issue, and when he disagreed he did so firmly and respectfully.

McCain, despite telling us that he would reach out across the isle, and end one of the most rancorous, divisive political times in our history, didn't.  And, if I'm not mistaken, he didn't look at Obama once.  Not once.  In his stance, attitude and actions embodied the kind of disrespectful, argumentative, non-presidential attitudes that we've had for the past eight years.

The American public, and the world, has seen enough of partisan, self-centered, stand alone, politics to last us a lifetime.  This country is in trouble - politically, financially, and morally.  We need to work together, with each other and with the world to reestablish this country as the once respected example of a Democracy that it once was, and we can't do that if we don't at least look at each other.