Saturday, September 27, 2008

Round one to the sheriff

Putting on my objective hat, I think McCain won last night's debate by a nose. But maybe that's just because I found his performance so entertaining. I burst out laughing at his remark about Putin: "I looked into his eyes and saw three letters...K-G-B". What a great line! I thought Obama started out shakily, even looking a bit rattled at times, but he got stronger as the night wore on and came on strong at the end. I think Obama has a bit of a problem though trying to link McCain to Bush/the last 8 years/etc. because McCain truly isn't the typical Republican. He's right when he says he never won "Miss Congeniality" (shouldn't it be Mr.?) in the Senate. Remember a few short months ago the entire Republican political/media establishment was doing all it could to keep McCain from being the nominee. I suspect if McCain becomes President he'll tick off conservatives as often as he ticks off liberals.

One thing that drives me nuts is their ongoing debate over the Iraq war, because I think they're both partly right and partly wrong. McCain is absolutely right that the surge strategy of Gen. Petraeus is working, and to set a date certain for withdrawal of troops would risk losing the gains we've made. Yes, we must withdraw on our own terms with honor and victory -- "pyrrhic victory" though it may be. But Obama is right that the original decision to invade Iraq was a colossal blunder that distracted us from the front lines of the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I won't rehearse all the reasons given back in 2002 to go into Iraq, but I believe history has shown and will continue to show they were false and misleading. Worst of all, we didn't count the cost. Bush, Rumsfeld, et al. thought it would be quick and easy -- a tragic miscalculation in my view.

So Obama correctly says we shouldn't have grabbed hold of this particular tiger's tail in the first place, and McCain rightly says that once you've grabbed it you better hold on for dear life until the tiger's dead.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Steve,
Well said.

FWIW, you would do well in a line of work that paid you to write along the lines of what you do in your blog. I could see you doing something of the calibre of Challies (that noted Reformed blogger from Canada -- sure you've heard of him).

OK, so this is more than a compliment -- I am RIGHT!

Regardless, glad to know you in the blog world and maybe our paths will cross sometime. I have 3 siblings with families in the Hobe area so get there from time to time.

Blessings,
Randy

Stephen Ley said...

Thankyou, Randy. I have heard of and read Challies. That's quite a compliment to be compared to him!Blogging is a good outlet for me and if some folks enjoy it, then so much the better.
Let us know next time you're in Hobe Sound and we'll try to get together. We got together with my old classmate Jennifer Brown Olsen when she and John were down recently.

Have a blessed Lord's Day!