Cattivo wrote:

It's just becoming one now, as the economy has become center stage and it looks even more so like Obama won't be able to fund the programs he's proposed.

This is a ridiculous point to make. The economy has been a disaster since before Lehman, Freddie, and Fannie collapsed. And McCain had stayed out of the economic spotlight (even using the laughable stunt of "suspending his campaign" so that he wouldn't have to answer questions) until recently because of the fact that he pushed for deregulation HARD until the last minute, when it was apparent that the market was being manipulated by mortgage companies and nearing disaster.

The bill to regulate Fannie and Freddie was written by Dick Lugar; he put McCain's name on the bill 1 YEAR after it was introduced as a favor to McCain so that John could save face when the crisis would inevitably hit.

Hell, McCain already had attack ads made before the bill even passed; one for if the bill failed which would blame Obama and one that would bash Obama if it passed with too much pork attached.

Let's face facts and get back on the VP debate topic: Palin made a point to tell everyone in America that she wasn't going to follow the flow of the debate. She evaded a ton of questions, instead, she opted to "answer" those questions in follow-ups to other, unrelated questions in the form of quips and one-liners.

I just want to put out there that I don't hate McCain. While I am wholeheartedly endorsing Obama for president, I understand that there are people out there who fundamentally believe in the Republican platform and want to see McCain in office as much as I want to see Obama in office. The distinction of this thread is on the VPs; specifically the debate, but naturally the focus shifts to which one is a better fit for the office, and that's fine.

I honestly believe it's a no-brainer; Palin is nowhere near ready to lead this country if she had to. She reads off a teleprompter or note card well, she can recite information with charm, and she can disarm you with winks, "darns", and "golly gees". Does anyone really think that if (god forbid) McCain shuffles off this mortal coil that anyone in the world would respect "President Palin"? Hell no.

I get that some people want someone "like them" to be in the office (and Palin's continued insistence that she's just like "Joe Six-Pack" belabors this point) but the 2nd highest office in the land, and the 1st highest office as well for that matter, should be going to people who are smart, intellectually curious, have ideas that they are willing to implement whether or not the viewpoint is popular, are willing to back off if those ideas don't work, and are able to work with people whose ideologies don't necessarily mesh with their own. I don't want someone who had never met a world leader until last week, didn't own a passport until last year, has zero credibility when it comes to the most important issues of our time (the economy, terrorism, foreign relations, healthcare) and who said herself a few months ago on national TV that there's no way she'd take the VP position.

If you're shifting back and forth between McCain and Obama and you're still undecided, then the fact that McCain picked someone like Palin for purely political and aesthetic reasons should sway you towards the Obama/Biden ticket.