McCain Wins Tonight's Debate

Somebody should notify Barack Obama not to bother showing up tonight. McCain already won it, interestingly enough, before he even decided to participate. This was an actual ad placed in the Wall Street Journal online. This, of course, after he flirted with not attending because of the economic peril our country faces...even though, by McCain's own admission "the fundamentals of our economy are strong," and, according to his chief financial advisor (whose deregulation policies precipitated the crisis), "the recession is in [American's] heads."

"Mission Accomplished" anybody?

Thanks to Crooks and Liars and the Huffington Post.

The Debates

It is kind of fitting that tonight's debate will be on the anniversary of the first televised U.S. presidential debate in history. Tonight the world will see Barack Obama and John McCain stand side by side, go talking point against talking point (there won't be any real debate, only rehearsed spectacle), and, if history serves as a reliable guide, Obama will be the victor. Not only because he can actually articulate his positions, whereas McCain is quickly giving way to senility, but because, well...McCain LOOKS OLD. In the 1960 debate between Nixon and Kennedy, those who watched the debate on television gave the win to Kennedy, while those who listened via radio gave it to Nixon--the difference being the visual component. Kennedy looked vivacious--Nixon, haggard. While I am confident in Obama's ability to win on merit, we can always count on the superficiality of television (hence why Kucinich was never considered a serious contender) to ensure a victory for him.