So, here we are, just over two weeks from election day, and things are tightening up in the polls. I have to admit that this presidential race has been way too long (twenty months). I hope they don't start the next election cycle next year. They need to keep it focused on the election year itself.
It has been an unusual race this time. I think thanks to both McCain and Obama, the culture wars are on the sidelines. Not much has been made of this in the media, and that is such a relief. Especially when you consider the gay marriage votes coming up in California and Mass. This leaves us free to focus more on the economy. Or in McCain's case, anything from Bill Ayers to Joe the Plumber. For all the talk about tactics versus strategy, McCain keeps changing his tactics with the wind (suspending his campaign, attack ads, Joe) without really having any strategy. I only hope he maintains this lack of strategy until November 4th.
I watched John and Barack at the Al Smith Memorial Dinner in NYC last Thursday. McCain was clearly the winner there, being both funny and touching. When he started talking about Barack's place in history, etc. he had me tearing up. That is the classy John McCain I remember from years past. The one who spoke from his heart and did what he really thought was right. If that man had been visible during the debates, the race would be much tighter now.
Barack did a good job too, he just didn't knock it out of the park like McCain did. And this was all in front of a group of Manhattan Democrats. It was nice to see a different side of both of them.
If Senator Obama does win, to me anyway, it will be a sign that the country has turned a corner. That the years of racism and division are going to be behind us, and that we can look to a brighter future where we can all work together to become one America again.
