What I find interesting in watching the two candidates debate is how when Obama talks, he discuses the country. How he will help the country and what he wants to do for the country.
When McCain speaks; he speaks about what he has done for the country. How he has suffered for this country. He talks about how his family has served the country.
At no time during any of the debates or his convention speech has he ever spoken about how he is going to help the country.
In a campaign that's theme is "Country First", John McCain has shown that he cares very little for the country and more about his own blind ambitions. This is no more apparent than in the closing statements by the two candidates at the end of tonights final debate.
While Senator Obama spoke about lifting America up and bringing us through these tough economic times, Senator McCain spoke about his family serving for three generations. Senator Obama spoke in broad themes about the greatness of this country, yet Senator McCain spoke about what he has done for this country. I am not trying to take away anything from Senator McCain, but just becuase you serve in the military does not mean that a person should be President.
I think one of the things that help King George get elected (aside from the Supreme Court) was the fact that he always talked about what a great nation this was and how he wanted to make it greater. He never spoke about what his family has done for the country. He did not put his family on a pedistal. King George, when running for his first term was humble. Senator McCain has been anything but humble throughout this entire process.
Senator Obama, on the other hand, has treated this entire campaign the way it should be treated, with great respect and dignity. He puts the country first and him second. As he said tonight, "I can take three more weeks of your abuse, but the country cannot take four more years of failed policies." He didn't even take the bait about Ayers and Acorn. Obama is truely putting the country first.
Finally, I would like to say that all elections that I can remember, the winning candidates are the ones who show a grand design for the nation. Not that I agree with Reagan or Bush, but they were able to show what this is the greatest nation in the world and we are the leaders in the world. To quote President Reagan, America is that, "shinging city on a hill." That is what Americans want. It is what we crave. We want to believe in something larger than ourselves and when our leaders give us that vision, we grasp on to it.
The problem that McCain has had is that he has no vision for this country. He is running because he feels it is his turn. He has done his time in the Senate and now he should be President. Deep down, I believe that Americans can see that. And, American's do not want a President who is so egocentric that he can only see his own ambition.