Saturday, September 27, 2008

The McCain-Obama Debate: Speaking of Shallow Impressions

In the previous thread somebody copied a comment from Babalú where it was alleged that John McCain was running for president because of "personal ambition" whereas Barack Obama was "running under the impression that he is the best man with the best ideas." Of course, Obama's impressions of himself don't concern us in the least. Is he supposed to hold a low opinion of himself or his ideas? The problem, rather, is that he holds an exalted opinion of both. Obama is not so much ambitious as presumptuous. That anyone with his credentials, or, rather, lack of credentials, should undertake to run for the presidency of the United States on the strength of being a community organizer, a protégé of Bill Ayers and a cog in the Chicago machine (precisely his qualifications for the Senate) is the ne plus ultra of presumption even by the standards of American politics.

I much prefer McCain's ambition regardless of what adjective is attached to it. Ambition is not a sin or character flaw. It is merely a desire to test one's mettle, to rise above one's circumstances and to succeed. It is not the negation of altruism but its complement. Unambitious men are altruistic to no effect. If you can't realize your own dreams then you will never be able to realize anybody else's.

I had hoped for a stronger performance by McCain and a weaker performance by Obama, but, overall, I am satisfied that McCain emerged the victor in their first debate. It sickens me to hear the Babalunians claiming that because Obama is younger and taller than McCain or supposedly better looking that these factors tipped the balance in Obama's favor during the debate. If we are going to be superficial then at least let us be honest. Would you prefer a doctor who looked like McCain or one who looked like Obama? If the race were among splinters, I think most people would pick Obama. But if you are going to entrust your country's future to somebody, I have to believe that you will be at least as careful with it as with your liver. A shallow evaluation, perhaps; but more substantial than one based on mere physical appearance.

Every man's face is a map of his life: McCain's shows the torments that he has had to endure in the course of his. Obama, who at 47 looks 23, has a face that reflects the fact his life thus far has consisted of undeserved preferment after undeserved preferment. Not because he's young but because there is nothing else to commend him except his youth -- which is the least impressive of commendations when coupled, as in his case, with inexperience -- Barack Obama declined McCain's offer of debating him not three but ten times. Why? Because it is Barack Obama who is afraid to stand on the same platform as John McCain, and for good reason.


POSTSCRIPT:

I was going to post this last night before the debate but didn't get the chance:

It will be fun tonight. We will get to see if Barack Obama has memorized enough answers to enough questions, or whether he shall be forced to improvise an answer or two. Since he speaks in sentence fragments, and his untutored opinions have all the eloquence and spontaneity of a "man in the street" interview, Americans will get to see for themselves that they are in danger of electing an anchorman with a movable teleprompter as president. Certainly, we would all be better off if his talents (such as they are) had taken him in that direction.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of what my grandfather once said about castro: "hubiese sido mejor que fuese solamente un charlatan de feria".

Fantomas said...

Lederman card Round 1

Obama 10
Mc Cain 9

Fantomas said...

you do not have to believe me , that's ok by me

Fantomas said...

Mansuelo how about Paul Newman... You have not said a word about the Legend

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

Trespatines was a legend.

Fantomas said...

Entonces Paul Newman fue un actor mediocre according to your analisis

Fantomas said...

Y Batista, was he a Legend Mansuelo
?

Ms Calabaza said...

"tres patines was a legend" ~ made me laugh out loud!

Ms Calabaza said...

"I had hoped for a stronger performance by McCain and a weaker performance by Obama, but, overall, I am satisfied that McCain emerged the victor in their first debate."

~ my sentiments exactly.
MaT:
what are your feeling on Sarah Palin?

Fantomas said...

my sentiments exactly.
MaT:
what are your feeling on Sarah Palin?

Calabazza , Sarah se desinfla, como todo en la vida, lo que sube tiene que bajar, that's the American Way

Corporate greed...We are paying for it now

Fantomas said...

May the best candidate win in Nov

We should follow the winner regardless who that person is

Right Mansuelo

si es Obama we NEED TO SUPPORT HIM fully , SI ES MC CAIN TAMBIEN fully ...

Anonymous said...

She is a whore, as is her daughter.

Have you read the latest National Enquirer?

But that's Alaska. Did you know Wasilla is the meth capitol of Alaska? 43 labs busted over the past year. They fuck around up there a lot. It has to do with the boredom of living in a place where it's dark half the year.

Vana, why don't you answer the question: Why is the McCain campaign hiding her?

Anonymous said...

SARAH PALIN LOVER REVEALED!
In a world exclusive The NATIONAL ENQUIRER names GOP VP Candidate Sarah Palin's secret lover!

No less than three members of the man’s family including one by sworn affidavit have claimed that Sarah Palin engaged in an extramarital affair with hus­band Todd’s former business partner, Brad Hanson.

These sources have named Hanson as Palin’s secret love, and say their affair nearly wrecked both their marriages.

Hanson owned a snowmobile dealership with Palin’s husband Todd, who immediately dissolved the partnership after he heard stories about the affair, which occurred around 1996, according to the sources. At the time, Palin was mayor of Wasilla.

Palin has vehemently de­nied cheating on her hus­band, and Hanson insisted to The NATIONAL ENQUIRER that he was never romantically in­volved with the 44-year-old Republican vice presiden­tial candidate.

However, Hanson family insider, Jim Burdett, has gone on the record and passed a rigorous polygraph test, revealing de­tails of the affair to The NATIONAL ENQUIRER in a world exclusive interview.

Burdett is a former brother-in-law of Hanson’s estranged wife Carolyn's brother, Craig Batton, and still speaks with many family members.

“I’ve known about Brad having had an affair for a long time, but it wasn’t until just recently that I learned his affair was with Sarah Palin,” Burdett told The NATIONAL ENQUIRER.

“Sarah was elected mayor of Wasilla, Brad became a city council member in the nearby town of Palmer, and they started an affair.

“Todd found out about the affair and was so mad he broke up their partnership at the snowmobile dealership,” Burdett claimed.

Another source, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, provided The NATIONAL ENQUIRER with a sworn affidavit attesting to the Palin-Hanson story.

“Todd was away on business a lot and Sarah felt lonely. Brad was a good listener, and Sarah talked to him at length. Eventually, she real­ized she was falling in love with him,” one insider divulged.

“When Todd got back from one of his trips, Sarah told him that she had begun to have feelings for Brad.”

For the full story and exclusive details of the shocking allegations of Sarah Palin’s affair pick up the latest issue of the NATIONAL ENQUIRER!

Vana said...

So what all politicians fornicate!!!

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

anonymous:

If you are such a strong believer in the veracity of the National Enquirer, then I suppose you must also believe its stories about Obama's alleged homosexuality.

Vana said...

Anon 4:55

You have perfectly described Bill Clinton.

Sharpshooter said...

Anonymous of 8:31pm
you seem very familiar with the homosexual tendencies and the approprate names for them. Maybe you are describing yourself, your father and your bothers.