DUH-Bate

There's a part of me that knew I should have blogged about the debate immediately following it last night. But 5AM comes way too early in the morning and hey, I'm nursing a cold as well. Pass me a tissue please. Talking heads have stolen my thunder and the magic of "sleeping on it" has allowed my blood pressure to return to normal. Well...most of the way.

Sara really sums up a lot of my thoughts. By Sara...I'm referring to my wife Sara....and not our folksy friend Sarah Palin. You can read her posting here. Her words are much more eloquent than mine. We often joke that we share a brain. Hers just allows her to articulate what's inside much better than mine.

There was clearly a winner last night. For those who can't see it, I can attribute that to one of three things:

(1) We're all pre-wired and tune it to a particular frequency. Similar to a cordless phone, when you pick up the right frequency...things are heard loud and clear. The rest is just noise. Distraction. Candidates attempt to emit a frequency that resonates with the masses. They transmit a message that flows freely thru your wiring or one that finds dead ends.

(2) You're a hard-core party line supporter. You hate the other ticket just because they are a so-called Democrat or Republican. You don't listen to the substance and particularly the reasons behind decisions. They are THEM. You hate THEM. You shout slogans like high school chants. You grab your pitch fork and torch, marching off to string up all dissenters. You paint these individuals with the scarlet letter of the 21st century....unpatriotic.

(3) You're freaking blind!

People are talking. They say Sarah Palin didn't do as bad as they thought she might do. They attempt to rescue her like a fallen soldier. I must admit, when Palin was announced as McCain's running mate, I was curious to find out more about her and see how well she would do. Her coming out speech was awesome. Everything since can best be categorized as a skipping record. For those young enough not to remember vinyl...click here.

She's simply not presidential material. This isn't an exam. You can't memorize bits and pieces of material, string them all together (in an ugly, disjointed way I might add) and think that makes you qualified. Answer questions. Provide detail. Step off the script. Even her Alaskan accent feels forced to me at this point. Very robotic and just plain awful! McCain...you truly picked a winner! That was sarcasm people.

I'm 35. This will be the 1st presidential race that I'll be voting in. I, admittingly, have lived in a bubble. I felt insulated from the political spectrum and have always been content that way. Times have changed. My wife Sara has challenged me to think...and act. Hell...Sarah Palin has challenged me to do the same...mostly out of fear. The state of the economy is abismal. We have a mountain of debt. I'm a Dad now. These are critical times. I can't sit back anymore and just let things happen and hope they work out for the best. Time to get off my arse.

There is a stark difference between these 2 campaigns. As an Independent, I believe the Democrat party brings the best promise for our country's future. Regardless if you agree with me or not...I hope you get out and vote. Don't be like me. Don't wait. Exercise your right....one that I've taken for granted for too many years.