How very sad...

Senator John McCain is a miserable shell of his former self. He did, however, have the upstanding idea of barnstorming the country with his opponent in a series of town hall meetings and debates. Senator Barack Obama’s decision to turn down this offer cannot be reconciled with his inspirational speeches and ideals. The choice was pragmatic and cynical. It shortchanged the American public and further impoverished the national discourse. It was, sadly, purely political. Likewise, Obama’s choice to forego campaign financing, after tacitly committing to it, was cold, calculated politics as well: the advantage gained from more money outweighed the political loss of reneging on his prior commitment and values. Further, his coyness when confronted with the question of which of his programs will be scaled back or eliminated in the face of financial meltdown is either national fiscal suicidal or leap of faith that he can pull the wool over voters eyes until the first Tuesday in November. Neither of these choices sounds like change, and neither can easily be reconciled with the values and ideas that originally led me to support Obama. How very sad.