Pod Person or Orator in Chief?

I’ve been thinking a bit more about the debate, and the candidates.

I am haunted by this sense that I am not seeing the real John McCain. It seems instead that John has been kidnapped and replaced by some kind of pod person. There is no straight talk express. All we get is some kind of loop recording of the words “Maverick” and “Reformer” as though just saying the words makes them true. I believe that there is more to McCain than what we are seeing and hearing. I suspect that he is listening to his staff way too much, rather than simply being John McCain. He seems to afraid to just let it fly, but that’s what people want and expect from a Maverick. People could forgive him excesses of rhetoric if we felt that they were authentic. It wouldn’t matter so much if they weren’t polite or proper or politically correct, as long as they pointed to what McCain really thinks and will really do.

The trouble is, if McCain wins the presidency, I don’t know if it will be the real John McCain, or the pod person.

On the other hand, I am just a little bothered by how much I am starting to like Barak Obama. I am fully aware that I am a man easily swayed by eloquence. I admire physical poise and clarity of speech when talking to groups. I do believe that a leader, certainly the President, absolutely should be capable of delivering a solid speech. It does not have to be flowery, but a certain amount of oratory, in a style suitable to the candidates personality is a good thing.

I have heard several people complain that Obama is an empty suit. I did not see that last night. I saw more hot air coming out of McCain, while Obama keep driving things back toward the question, the thread of the discussion. I don’t want to like him, but Obama is charming me. This bothers me because I think that McCain is right that government should do less for people and people should do more for themselves. I’m not sure McCain’s policies will help people do more for themselves, but I’m afraid that Obama will move government toward doing things it ought not. The irony of course, is that under a so-called conservative administration, government is now breaking entirely new ground in terms of interference.

The trouble is that if Obama wins the presidency I don’t know if he can accomplish any of what he says he will do, and I’m not sure if it will work.

I know some of you out there would love to set me straight. I invite all three of you to comment.