I'm not really afraid of John McCain, but I wanted to offer a counter viewpoint to that of my colleague, Peter Mallory. I believe McCain is sincere and his experience for the presidency is not in question. But what really bothers me about McCain is that he really doesn't stand for anything, except for campaign finance reform. He touts himself as the outsider -- the maverick -- but his record in Washington really does mirror that of George W. Bush. Obama says his candidacy is about "change" and that is what this country sorely needs. Let's face it; even if McCain pulls the upset Tuesday, he's going to butt heads with the likes of liberal Democrats Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barney Frank. Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama carries great weight because it shows Obama's partisan appeal. Working with the other side will ease the political gridlock of Capitol Hill.
Powell, the former secretary of state under Bush is not the only Republican to come out in support of Obama. So, too, did former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld, citing Obama's "judgment" as the foundation for his support.
McCain's military service to our country in Vietnam is unparalleled. He's a war hero. But he's also a war monger. He is so tied to Bush's war in Iraq that has resulted not only in billions each month and at the sacrifice where it is really needed and that's in Afghanistan and along the Pakistani border.
We should have gone after Bin Laden who was responsible for 9/11. Going into Iraq was Gorge W.'s homage to his father George Herbert Walker Bush who didn't take out Saddam Hussein when he had the chance. You remember the elder Bush: "Read my lips. No new taxes."
So what does he do? He raises taxes and Bill Clinton, the Arkansas outsider gets elected.
Say what you will about Clinton, but he was a strong and effective president. Even greater was Ronald Reagan. The Iranians put the hostages on a plane as he was being sworn into office. They knew better. Carter and Ford were weak, Nixon was a paranoid crook and Johnson was indecisive. John F. Kennedy had the greatest potential, but his life was cut short by assassination.
Obama reminds me a lot of Jack Kennedy -- young, exuberant, full of life and energized.
Obama overcame the might of Hillary Clinton and her 18 million supporters. McCain, like others before him -- Bob Dole, John Kerry, George McGovern -- were throw-away candidates.
Mitt Romney would have been fr superior a challenger, but the media was so fixated on Rudy Guiliani. The former New York City mayor fizzled as fast as his challenge of Hillary for the senate and Romney never got his due. McCain, to his credit, was a survivor, once again. His surprise choice of Sarah Palin energized the Republican base and she'll be ready in 2012 to make a run.
The conservatives didn't want McCain from day 1, and while Palin has energized that base, the crossover of disgruntled Hillary supporters has not materialized for McCain with his choice of the Alaskan governor.
McCain's newest slogan is "Joe the Plumber," but he hasn't clearly defined how his economic policies will differ from the man he supported 90 percent of the time -- George W. Bush.
What we really need is a strong economic plan and an exit strategy out of Iraq. The surge worked. Great! But now what, John McCain?