There was a time when I really admired John McCain. I distinctly remember him standing up to the “swiftboaters,” telling President Bush that they were way out of line, and that Bush should direct his supporters to stop these attacks. Of course Mr. Bush did not do so, in my opinion, to his undying shame.

During the early months of the campaign, I continued to think that McCain was basically an honorable guy. So when did things change for me? It was when Senator Obama made his tour of the Middle-East and Europe.

You will recall that Obama considered making a visit to a military hospital in Germany, but canceled his visit when then the military brass voiced their concern that the visit could wind up being perceived as political, which was against policy. Nobody wants injured veterans to be “used” for political purposes. The McCain camp criticized him roundly for canceling the visit, calling Obama unpatriotic and stating that McCain would never miss an opportunity to visit the troops. And there was a very powerful commercial put out almost immediately that really tore into Obama.

Then came the leak…to me the first and most devastating insight into the Republican strategy for the campaign. It turned out that there were actually two commercials written and produced. One was critical of Obama for NOT visiting the troops. There was a second one however, which had been intended to be critical of Obama if he had actually visited the troops, accusing him of using them for political purposes.

So here’s the point. the Republicans were going to criticize Obama no matter what he did. I realized that they were not just critical of specific positions; they were happy to criticize him for anything! The point was to destroy Obama’s reputation, his character. The plan was simply to criticize and create anger and outrage. It seems to be a failed strategy.

May it rest in peace.

I watched Colin Powell endorse Barak Obama Sunday morning, and I actually cried. After so many weeks of listening to the same old vile attacks by the Republican outrage machine, I had actually given up completely on the idea that a Republican could show even the slightest signs of decency, much less demonstrate any understanding of how this country is SUPPOSED to work.

I was pleased that he came out for Obama, his reasons well considered and compelling. Most of all, I was proud when he pointed out so poignantly that it is wrong to label Obama as a Muslim, inferring that being a Muslim is evil. It is not enough to merely refute such allegations by saying that he is really a good Christian. In our country, it is WRONG to demonize any American simply because of his religious beliefs.

We are ALL Americans. We are ALL equal, when we disagree, we should be considered and treated as a loyal opposition, not as enemies of the state.

So when Republicans fret and wring their hands, wondering what has gone wrong, perhaps they should consider that a majority of the American people, particularly young people,think that the thinly veiled religious and racial attacks devised by the Republican outrage mongers is not merely wrong. Most Americans find these practices and beliefs repulsive, hateful and obscene.

A new generation of Americans will hopefully take the reins in November. Hopefully, they will abandon the politics of ignorance, hate and division. Like children acting badly, it is time to give the Republicans a “time out.” As they build for the future, perhaps they can leave the old Nixonian model behind and find a message to once again make us proud.

I listened to the talking heads after last night’s final presidential debate. I was stunned by their comments. Many of them indicated that Obama seemed off, disengaged. They also uniformly felt that McCain seemed to be the aggressor, and gushed that it was his best performance and finest moment. What were they watching?

I saw a nervous, fidgety old guy who seemed incredibly uncomfortable in the auditorium, in his seat and in his own skin. He appeared angry…constantly searching for opportunities to insert his dozen or so prefabricated talking points and zingers, most of which were awkwardly placed into the conversation.

His comments were largely empty. He said he could balance the budget in his first term, but had no specifics on how he arrived at that conclusion except for, “I know how to do it.” His remarks on health care were off the mark, as were most of his tax ideas and his remarks about the preparedness of Sarah Palin to assume the presidency.

He made it seem that Obama had all the negative campaigning coming to him, because he declined McCain’s invitation to a series of town hall meetings. He vented his hurt about the remarks of Rep. Lewis’ accusing him of “sowing seeds of hatred” and blamed Obama for not rebuking Rep. Lewis (but Obama had distanced himself from certain aspects of those remarks, saying they were not correct). McCain dwelled on the William Ayers connection as Obama effortlessly turned the issue aside…you could just feel McCain’s support fading.

I hope it’s over soon. Perhaps McCain will grasp the inevitable and go out with grace. I doubt Sarah Palin EVER will. We need to end the politics of feigned outrage. We need to resurrect the idea of the loyal opposition. We can all be Americans, even if we have differernt ideas and different politcal persuasions.

Just when you think it cannot get any worse, the McCain campaign comes through and leads the way to new lows.

One thing is sure. Sarah Palin, who should not be too cocky about her role in national politics, based on her recent performances in giving interviews and in the debate. None the less, she seems to have NO RESERVATIONS about going on the attack and spewing vile and even incendiary comments about Barak Obama. But, in a way, I expected it. What else can she offer but shamelessness. If she had any real integrity, she’d would have declined the nomination or already stepped down. She is empty, and everyone knows it, but her. Or maybe dragging the political discourse of the nation into the gutter is her way of being patriotic. Or maybe it’s her way of showing her Christian values.

How people like this can call themselves Christians boggles the mind. But who could have thought that after all these months,  Cindy McCain would become a vociferous cog in the Republican lie machine, or maybe it’s the Republican outrage machine. That’s what it produces, not truth, not fact, just outrage.

She claimed Obama sent a chill down her spine for not voting for a troop funding bill (it did not contain a timetable that he had insisted on), but she omitted to say that her husband voted no a similar bill, because it DID contain a timetable. Not to mention the fact that John McCain is one of the primary reasons that we erroneously sent her son there in the first place. I guess she doesn’t care that Obama’s intent was to do the right thing but to perhaps bring her son home, too.

Cheap lies and half-truths. This is the McCain strategy. Dishonorable, which is why the Senator doesn’t stoop himself. He let’s the women get dirty.

I listen to all the Repulican talking heads complimenting Ms. Palin on doing such a great job in the Vice-Presidential debate, and I wonder why they lie to themselves. They couldn’t be serious…

Sure she is perky, charming, very photogenic (even beautiful), but if she were to be required to assume the office of the President, she would have to contend with the very brightest, most shrewd and sophisticated thinkers in the world. She would have to contend with Vladimir Putin, with his vast background in espionage, counter-intelligence and national security. SHE IS SIMPLY OUT OF HER LEAGUE.

She reminds me so much of George Bush, who was also out of his league. I remember thinking from the very outset, that Bush would be “managed” by a board of executives, whose will and ideas he would serve. We cannot risk this again. For me, Sarah Palin is enough of a reason to vote for Barak Obama. First because she is not ready and may forever be lacking the insight and sophistication needed to be President, and secondly because John McCain knew, or should have known that fact.

“Joe Six-Pack” may be a great guy; he might be the buddy we all want to hang out with, but a great President of the United States of America must be more. He or she she be the absolutely exceptional individual we can muster. The stakes are always that high.