OBAMA SURVIVES McCAIN'S ALL-OUT BLITZ

I have to apologize by bringing politics on this site. Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain played their third and final debate on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at Hofstra University in New York. To stay in the context of this site, I'll use use a football analogy to analyze the presidential gabfest.

McCain, feeling a need to change the tide late in the political game, applied heavy pressure on Obama in the first 30 minutes of the debate and may have occasionally forced the Illinois senator to scramble. But as the debate wore on McCain's hard-charging style slowed and the Arizona senator looked frustrated and exasperated. You could say the 72-year-old war veteran appeared to have run out of foreign oil.

In contrast, Obama stuck to the game plan and weathered all of McCain's attacks like a seasoned veteran. He absorbed some hits early but was able to regain his balance and complete his points. For someone who is supposed to lack experience in this election, Obama showed the American people that he can stand toe-to-toe with the more savvy McCain.

McCain did score points on aggressiveness, a fact not lost on the Republican base. But why did he take so long to go on the attack? Where was this in the first two debates?

Obama may not be everyone's choice to be President of the United States and, for all intents and purposes, he may very well have some serious flaws. But find me a politician who doesn't have flaws. John F. Kennedy was questioned about his youth and lack of experience when he ran for president and I think he answered those questions fairly quickly.

At worst, Obama can't be as bad as George W. Bush. At best, he could be comparable to Bill Clinton. Obama shares the same views most people have when it comes to today's world. His policies on the economy, healthcare and foreign affairs are far more realistic than McCain's. McCain is selling an idea that still does not detach from the government of the last eight years.

Nobody likes to pay taxes. Not even Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. But in order to get this country out of the ditch, those who can afford to pay taxes may have to sacrifice their trip to the Cayman Islands or the Virgin Islands and fork over a few dollars to help the middle class.

McCain claims he won't raise taxes but where is he going to get the money to pay for all his reforms? George W. Bush didn't raise taxes but he borrowed so much money that we now need to come up with new numerical symbol. What comes after trillion?

And how come John McCain can easily pull his campaign out of the state of Michigan but he won't pull out of Iraq? Hmmm. McCain simply refuses to give up on a war that was solely based on an agenda. We can argue day and night about the war in Iraq but the bottom line for me is, the United States of America, the country that stands for freedom and democracy, invaded a country and stripped them of their livelihood. For what? Because Muslims are bad people and they needed to be sent to the principal's office? Because we needed to "let off some nuclear steam" on the heels of 9/11? Whatever the reason may be, it wasn't enough to start a war that has cost this country billions of dollars and thousands of lives.

Somehow I don't think a country the size of Iraq is powerful enough to terrorize a country the size of the United States. It may put a dent on it, but it won't be enough to sink it.

Terrorism is not the one anchor sinking the United States. Two things that are sinking this country are greed and corruption. Not weapons of mass destruction. Not fear of another country attacking us. Not global warming.

Greed and corruption!

Greed destroyed the housing market. Greed killed the financial market and sent the Gordon Gekko's of the world into the unemployment line. Corruption in the government led to the abomination of FEMA. So far, during the George W. Bush administration, we lost two towers in New York, the city of New Orleans and Wall Street. Dude is like the Grim Reaper. Whenever I see him on TV, I punch my hanging chad.

Whoever wins the presidency on Nov. 4, he better bring a large broom to the White House to clean up all the mess. If not, he can always send someone else to do the job for $40.