The presidential debate season comes to an end Wednesday evening at 9 AM EST at Hofstra University.  What can we expect from Senators Obama and McCain?

The previous debate demonstrated that this election is about style over substance.  See: http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/Senator-Obama-Rings-the-Bell-in-Belmont-Presidential-Debate.289235 .  But substance is crucial.  America is letting these candidates buy them on the cheap, exchanging votes for tickets to the latest political reality show, a media circus, a dramatic but shallow showing.

Come on, America!  Your blood-bought vote gives you the right to demand the best out of your leaders.  Don't sell American lives short.  Show America some love.  What is Senator Obama's platform?  The planks are still a bit fuzzy for me.  What strength does Senator McCain bring to American prominence outside of the foreign realm?  His ideas are not clear.

But America doesn't really care.  The political engine establishes a beauty king (and one day soon a beauty queen) rather than the man best equipped to be president.  Senator Obama excels as a result (but is he all image?).  Senator McCain counters by choosing Governor Palin (but has it worked or backfired?).

What We Will See

So show us your stuff, men.  You are on display in your Speedos, singing your songs, giving pre-determined responses to selected questions.  Enough of that shallow nonsensical rubbish.

Senator McCain must show America that he is the real deal Wednesday night.  Senator Obama has the chance to seal the deal.  Here is what we will see on our tubes.

Obama Will Coast

Senator Obama, who maintains a large lead in the polls, will try to coast, not misstep, stay away from doing something stupid.  He will trust in the current polls.  He will prop himself up with his tongue.  He will portray the same charisma without the fiber of true leadership ability.  I hope I am wrong.

Mccain Will Attack

Senator McCain will focus on his past record and his past service.  He will attack Senator Obama on his relationships, his inexperience, and his extremist support base.  I hope I am mistaken.

What We Would Like to See

Since the past debate, both candidates have continued to focus on the same sorry accusations that the other has already responded to.  America is weary from this long campaign.  The time is now to win this election, to establish once and for all that you are America's man.  Here is what America would like to see Wednesday night.

Obama Shows Himself a Leader Worthy of Our Trust

Senator Obama needs to demonstrate that he can lead, that he is truly and finally presidential material.

No more fancy foot work around the issues.  No more leaning on his meter wide but centimeter deep message.

Show us that you can lead.  Prove that you can take on world leaders.  Demonstrate a quiet resolve and sure confidence that you will make America great again.

I want a president who I can follow.  I have yet to feel that from Senator Obama.

Mccain Radicalizes His Soul and Proves Genuine

Senator McCain needs to capitalize on his strengths:  honor and experience.  He needs to prove to us that he is the real deal.  He must radicalize his soul before an inspecting homeland and take us deep within.

No more mudslinging.  Forget the maverick swan song.  Away with the attack dog persona.

Show us your heart.  Not your heart from Vietnam past.  Show us your heart today for America, for me, my children's future.  Show how your experiences sculpt your soul to chisel away at America's future destiny.

I want a president whose heart I can trust.  I have yet to feel that from Senator McCain.

A Heartfelt Call to Candor

So Senator McCain, show America that you love her. 

Senator Obama, show America that you can overcome your inexperience and overpower your past indiscretions, and can turn your charisma into a fountain of future blessing for the USA.

Gentlemen, this is your last chance to show us the right stuff.  Leave the bag of tricks at home.  America the Great is watching.  What are your true feelings for the American people?  Set aside the campaign tactics, the mudslinging, and the school yard bickering.  Give me a reason to cast my November 4 ballot in your favor.

Because the stakes are so high, this election has seemed more heated and contentious than ever. As I've more closely followed the election, I've been struck by the amount of hate and vitriol launched at the candidates and their running mates this election season. And it's made me wonder, exactly when did the cultural shift happen that made such cruelty and hate so acceptable in our mass culture?

Sometimes the hate takes a more subtle form, like school kids forming cliques, singling someone out for juvenile reasons, and ganging up on them. For example, making fun of a candidate's hair, dress, age or demeanor is a childish way of debasing them that seems all in good fun...but is it? Think of the onslaught of lampooning Sarah Palin has received in the media, especially Saturday Night Live. Are her detractors who attack her at such a personal level trying to have some good clean fun at her expense, or is the intent to spread hate? It's almost as if some people think Sarah Palin doesn't have any basic human rights at all.

A good example of this is the columnist who wrote that Sarah Palin's baby has Down syndrome because she didn't give her child the proper prenatal care. That's as detestable as the rumors that Sarah Palin's teenage daughter is actually the biological mother of the baby. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to rumors and hateful remarks about Sarah Palin and her family.

To me, such attacks seem to go far beyond political differences, and can often be dehumanizing. I get the impression that disagreeing with a candidate's views isn't enough anymore for some people; there's a desire to destroy or denigrate that person as well. It's as if a standard is starting to emerge in America: if you disagree with a politician, then anything goes, as far as degrading, hateful personal attacks.

I recently saw a news story about “when mean girls grow up.”And I listened to a story about how “mean girls” in high school (and in particular the ring leaders called “queen bees”) often grow up to persecute and inflict cruelty on other women. This can happen in a lot of different situations, like daycare, an office, where there are power structures and cliques of women. I felt pretty disheartened listening to that, hearing the stories of how women inflict cruelty on other women.

I'm sad to say, it's really become culturally acceptable to do that. It happens when people are angry or insecure or ignorant, or want to feel especially powerful, for lots of reasons. It's not just the women; men behave badly in these ways, too. It feels like it's everywhere right now, a mass intolerance that alarms me. It seems these days that simple disagreement, with boundaries, isn't enough.

So inflicting hate and abuse is happening at all levels in society. It occurs on a private level in the day to day interactions that spread fear and hate. And it can be seen on a national level like we are witnessing with the hate mongering during this year's presidential elections. Have we become a kinder, gentler, more evolved society, or are we going in the other direction?

I've noticed how some people in our society have to destroy or humiliate the object of their dislike, like they don't even have a right to personally exist if they are somehow different, or present an opposing view. It seems to me like it wasn't always this way, and that this condoned hate is an emerging cultural phenomenon of our times.

This was really brought home to me by Sandra Bernhard, who, in my opinion made a shocking and inexcusable statement. She said that Sarah Palin should be gang raped. I was stunned when I heard that statement; I'd always liked Sandra Bernhard as an actor and comedian. But not anymore: I'll never watch Sandra Bernhard's work again. It's the only way I have of saying this kind of hate is scary and not acceptable to me. (I have to give kudos to the women's shelter that dropped Bernhard as a headliner at their benefit because she made these hateful remarks about Sarah Palin.)

If you don't like a candidate or their running mate, vote for the other candidate and their VP pick. It's as simple as that. You can disagree or even dislike them, but they are human beings. It's a political race, and a contest. But as citizens, we are taking things way too far into degrading, dehumanizing personal attacks and things like threats against the well being of our political candidates.

How did we devolve so as a people? That's the question I frequently ask myself during election season. I for one will remember election 2008 for its extreme quality and all the negativity. I'm sickened by Sandra Bernhard's mean spirited personal attack against Sarah Palin. I hope if other people are sickened also they will wake up and want something better. Then we may see a shift away from this emerging culture of hate, towards something more positive for our great country.

That is right I am not going to vote. I know that at this point most people are quite angry at me right now. You assume apathy or ignorance. Maybe you just think that I just want to rebel or that I am just plain stupid. But before you jump to conclusions let me state my case. 

The reasons I am not voting:

1. I will not compromise my belief system in order to choose one candidate over the other. For example I am pro-life, now don't assume that I am an ignorant bible thumping fool. I by this I mean I am an anti-war, anti-death penalty, pacifist who also feels that abortion is wrong. I am also an anti- capitalist, and an anti-individualist, of which both candidates are. I am for the reduction of poverty and the elimination of the enormous gap between the rich and the poor. I against the removal of our civil rights and believe that gay marriage is not an issue that the government should be involved in. Overall I am very democratic so you might wonder why I don't just ignore abortion and vote Obama. Let me tell you.
   
2. As I predicted last spring,(you can ask my girlfriend) Obama will, as is happening now, morph into a politically correct version of his former self. The Obama we knew last spring is no longer as evidenced by his support of this "Bush- brainchild" bailout. The Obama we once heralded as one who will bring about change is being swallowed by Washington and its aversion for real change. You will see as I saw last spring that Obama will not be any different than any other President. Sure he will do this or that and will look different or sound different than other Presidents but the change that is really needed, the change he spoke of early in his campaign will not be able to be accomplished. While some of this is Obama's fault some of it is also Congress' fault. Which brings me to point number three.
   
3. Congress. I don't think people in this country realize how much Congress does, or doesn't do I should say. I believe that too much evidence is put on electing the President and not enough on Congress. Congress is filled with partisanship, greed, and the only concern being reelection. Congress has been bought out by lobbyists and focus groups, by what is best for them and the state they represent. Gone are the days when Congress cared about the nation, we are in a time of individualism and it is destroying our nation. 

While these are three legitimate reasons for why I am not voting, it really comes down to the fact that I am just sick of it all. All the politics, the greed, the self-aggrandizement, the smear campaigns, the lies, everything. I no longer want to be a part of this sick and depraved machine that we once called Presidential elections. I have had enough. Have you? 

No longer is our great process a true process. The era of twenty-four hour news has ruined our method. Once the issues have been covered over and over and once again, there is space between commercials to be filled still, so let's look at what our potential first ladies are wearing and what those choices say about them. Let's fill the space between Coca-Cola and Geico with an in depth analysis of how our candidates put their pants on, “It may not be one leg at a time. Tune in at eleven for details.”.

I remember being an average elementary student learning all about the history of the United States and learning about the hard choices made by the people through the vessel that was their elected leaders. I had a certain pride in saying the pledge of allegiance once. Now I am an average thirty-year-old man. I like my group of friends have participated in every election I have been able and I, as my friends feel smaller and smaller with every passing presidential term.

Recently during a phone conversation with one of my more intelligent friends after we had shot back and forth a dissection of issues, after we listened to each other , had every fact we knew examined and had a good laugh that if the government were listening in on the right conversations more change would happen than doors being knocked in for “protection from terrorists”, my friend made it very clear that she would be leaving the country with her husband if the seat of the commander in chief remained in the hands of the Republican party. I was shaken by this notion but not shocked. Her faith in the system and our nation is faltering just like my own faith, just like other members of the population. Just not enough of the population.

This particular race for President is so shadowed by sensationalism and the flash of the media scrambling for not only influence in the election but for ratings, that a true election by the people has become impossible. Frankly, I am worried for the future. I am as worried about us as Americans being manipulated by flash and charisma as I am about energy, economical stability and health care. There is so much lipstick on the pit-bull that it care barely be identified as a junkyard dog. There is so much “Hope” that we can no longer see that we are just crossing our fingers and wishing for change. We may as well be throwing coins into a well.

If and when my friend leaves the country with her husband, a loss in the nation will occur. It will not however be felt as it should. A very small portion of honest tax paying citizens will be gone and a large portion of intelligent voters will have made their way out of the three-ring circus. Fear is my motivation for voting on November 4 th, not patriotic duty. I fear that I will never feel the same pride in our country that I did as a child. I fear I will have indifference during the national anthem, that I will feel nothing for my home and that you too will feel the same.

• Democrat
• Republican
• Libertarian
• Green
• Constitution
• Marijuana
• Communist
•  Anarchist

And that’s just off the top of my head. If I remember correctly, there are at least 50 different national political parties in America today.

There are at least 4 of these “3rd parties” with a presidential candidate on the ballot in a minimum of 48 states. Why doesn’t the media cover these candidates?

This seems to me like there’s a media bias toward the two parties in power.

These two parties have failed us horribly for the past 8 years. Not the Democrats. Not the Republicans. Not Bush. Both parties. The entire government has failed. Our national debt makes Paris Hilton look thrifty, and our economic crisis is threatening to put us all on the streets. Both major candidates are promising “change”.

What changes can we expect?

McCain has suggested a spending “freeze” on all but the most essential of programs. What are McCain’s essential programs?

I watched the insult to the American people that they called a “debate” last night. The only essential program that McCain even bothered to name?

I bet if you think for a second, you can name it.

Was it energy? Education? Social Security? The economy?

No.

It was defense.

Mr. I-don’t-care-if-we-spend-1,000-years-in-Iraq would fund Mr. Bush’s cock-fight with his father before he’s invest in the economic future of an imploding country. Oh, he mentions Veteran Affairs too, which means when the health care system collapses you’re screwed, but his military buddies are okay.

Also, he’s not very good at prioritizing. Of the 3 issues McCain and Obama were asked about, McCain thinks he can attack all 3 head on, at once.

True enough, this is what we as Americans want to hear. But it’s totally impossible.

Obama advocates a staged, responsible step-down in Iraq. The good news ends there. Our troops will be turned around and sent to Afghanistan to fight our “War on Terror”. At least that makes slightly more sense than Iraq.

He wants to regulate… everything. Health care, economy, everything.

Obama is probably a police state in pretty wrapping paper, and that’s where my opinion on him ends.

The title of this article is “Republicrat”, implying that there is no difference between the two. I really don’t see the difference between an illegal war in Iraq, and an illegal war in Afghanistan. I don’t see the difference between the fear mongering “vote for me or die” militant McCain, or the “vote for me or rot in debt” regulator Obama. They even agree that everyone else is wrong.

You want to see change? You want government spending down? You want less government and more power? More freedom and less government sponsored electronic terrorism?

Vote for Change.

Vote Libertarian. Green. Constitution. Independent.

Write Congress. Call Congress. Quit going to work. Quit buying gas. Quit paying taxes. Go off the grid. Hack the DoD, hack the vote. And make it obvious.

Disobey.

Find a law and find a reason it’s illegal. Then break it. Get arrested.

Then make a scene. Make a scene during the arrest. Resist, run, flee. Then get caught. Make a scene in jail, make a scene in court, make a scene on the news. Do or say SOMETHING.

It then, would not seem, to be so unusual that, with things going as they are, at the present time, Senator McCain would try to pull out all the stops and not only throw the kitchen sink, but the bathroom commode at the Obama campaign. One of McCain's aides, reportedly said, sometime ago, that the election was not going to be about issues. This was before the stock market, lost trillions of dollars in value. Also, before multiple companies either filed for bankruptcy or merged into other, more healthy companies. The FDIC and the Federal Reserve, were working together to give loans of billions of dollars to other companies. These things occurred, after the statement was made. The economy went downhill, with the freeze-up of credit, in the banking system, when banks decided to cease overnight lending to each other and to consumers, and the stock market continued to go south. The next statement that reportedly came out of the McCain campaign, was that they had to turn the page on the economic problems, facing the country.

Talk about a disconnect, people were beginning to open their statements, of their 401K retirement accounts, and trying not to faint, after seeing the huge reduction in value, in such a short time. Ten thousand homes, being foreclosed on per day, throughout the country, Florida and California, being some of the worse states. The housing market problem, of declining values along with the sub-prime mortgage loan problem, crossed over the seas to the European and Asian markets, it is now a global problem. With all of these things making it seem as though, there is no solution in sight, causing a sort of panic in the public. It would seem as if, a person running for the presidency, of the United States would want to address the economic woes of the country, and the people. Not the McCain campaign, the next thing that the campaign stated, was that they had to talk about, something other than the economy, because if they talked about the economy, they would lose. Ergo, all the garbage, that Governor Palin has been espousing, at her tremendous rallies. Such as the William Ayers story, a man who was a weatherman , who bombed Federal buildings, and killed a man, it is said that he was unrepentant.

At the time this happened, Senator Obama was eight years old. After Mr. Ayers came out of prison, he supposedly rehabilitated himself and became a Professor at a University. During this period, Obama met him and they united in working to establish schools, in conjunction with theAnnenburg Center. Governor Palin puts out the falsity that, Senator Obama was “ “palling” around with Bill Ayers, a domestic terrorist. This, along with other insinuating, inferences, that Obama is a a scary figure, who the people should not trust. Senator McCain is trying his hardest, along with his “barracuda”, Governor Palin, to cast Senator Obama in an unflattering light.

It appears that the people have more pressing issues, on their minds, like who will fix the problems that are apparent in the marketplace, who is going to provide a viable health care program, who will create new jobs and fix the energy problem? These and more are on the minds of most Americans, not the fact that when Obama was eight years old, somebody did something vile, that Obama had nothing, what-so-ever to do with. Then there comes a news report, that at sometime in the past, Senator McCain, attended a rally, where a woman, who had shot a doctor, who performed abortions, was being praised for her action, by the other attendants. He never left the rally, or condemned the action. So why don't we all just, talk about what can be done to solve the problems that exist, which are taking a toll on the American people, and leave the other stuff to the soap operas?

Senator McCain has a tough job ahead of him, and he would do very well to concentrate on developing sound policies, to take us into the future, and provide some new ideas, that will address some of the current problems. He should stop wasting time, trying to destroy Senator Obama's character, and show the country, how he is going to lead us through the twenty-first century, without being so angry. There is only so much more time on the clock. The country is watching and listening, to see what he will be offering.

The final debate will be held next week in New York, at Hofstra College. Senator Obama and Senator Biden, have won all of the debates held thus far, according to the polls, and the people who were watching. It appears that the long game is almost over. One last thing, the report on Governor Palin's, possible abuse of power will be released on Friday, October 10, if there is a decision that she was wrong, in firing the Commissioner, and faces indictment, there could be a possibility, that Senator McCain would have to chose another running mate. But, the Republicans, always on top of things, have the ability to squash things which would not be favorable to a desired outcome, like elections.

Barack Obama

Information on His Life

Many people know that Obama's vice-president choice is Joe Biden.

Anyway, every time that Obama gets up on that podium to talk about his campaign, you will always notice a sign that says "Change We Can Believe In". Usually, if you notice, he will also talk about hope and unity, which has attracted many young voters in record numbers. That and also charismatic speaking combined with optimism, that is... Most people also thought that his running mate would be Hillary Clinton, also.

He was born on August 4, 1961 in Hawaii to a mother from Kansas and father from Kenya. He spent most of his childhood in Indonesia, but returned to Hawaii to take secondary school, living there with his mother's parents.

In the books that he writes, he tells about the difficulties of growing up biracial in the 1960s. He experienced "racism and felt lost at times."

After his childhood years, Obama studied political science at Columbia University, then worked as a community organizer in Chicago's housing projects.

Later, he attended law school at Harvard Law School, starting his life as a politician. He became a civil rights lawyer and professor. In 1996, he was elected to the Illinois Senate, OFFICIALLY starting his career. It went up higher from here: he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004. As everyone knows, if he wins the election, he will be the first African American President.

Issues

Energy

Provide short-term relief to American families facing pain at the pump, help create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future, within 10 years save more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined, put 1 million Plug-In Hybrid cars -- cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon -- on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America, ensure 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025, and implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

Taxes

Enact a windfall profits tax to provide a $1,000 Emergency Energy Rebate to American families, provide $50 billion to jumpstart the economy and prevent 1 million Americans from losing their jobs, provide a tax cut for working families, eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000, fight for fair trade, amend the North American Free Trade Agreement, reward companies that support American workers, create 5 million new green jobs, establish a credit card Bill of Rights, and a lot more.

Iraq

A responsible, phased withdrawal, judgment you can trust, encouraging political accommodation, surging diplomacy, preventing Humanitarian Crisis, and the Status-of-Forces-Agreement.

Health

Guaranteed eligibility, affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles, employer contribution, mandatory coverage of children, lowering costs through investment in electronic health information technology systems, lowering costs by increasing competition in the insurance and drug markets, advance the biomedical research field, fight AIDS worldwide, reduce risks of mercury pollution, protect our children from lead poisoning, and supporting Americans with disabilities.

Rights and Poverty

Guaranteed eligibility, affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles, employer contribution, mandatory coverage of children, lowering costs through investment in electronic health information technology systems, lowering costs by increasing competition in the insurance and drug markets, advance the biomedical research field, fight AIDS worldwide, reduce risks of mercury pollution, protect our children from lead poisoning, and supporting Americans with disabilities.

McCain

Information on His Life

Also, you probably know his running mate is Palin:

He calls his campaign bus the "Straight Talk Ecpress". Looking at himself, he thinks he's a reformer who talks about whatever is on his mind, thinking that he is very tough. He flew fighter jets for the Navy, and he survived many years as a prisoner going to war.

McCain was born on August 29, 1936 in the Panama, where his father was serving the Navy. Most of his relatives were part of the Navy too, so McCain decided to do the same. He attened the U.S. Naval Academy, then becoming a pilot. During the Vietnam War, from 1957-1975, McCain flew 23 missions before he was shot down and taken prisoner, where he "learned the value of human rights", since he was tortured!

Amazingly, he remained with the Navy after that horrible experience! But soon enough, his political career began. He became an Arizona congressman in 1983, then serving in the U.S. House or U.S. Senate ever since.

He believes in tougher rules governing where you get campaign money. He wants to tighten security at the borders, and get more freedom for students to change schools, making it also harder for Congress to raise taxes. Unfortunately (or fortunately) he believes the troops to stay in Iraq until he deems the Iraqi government can run the country itself.

Issues

Energy

Independence on foreign oil. Proprosed Lexington Project, lowering prices of gas, having more offshore drilling, expanding nuclear power, clear coal technology, and advanced alternative energy sources.

Taxes

Experience robust economic growth, and reduction in the corporate tax rate, which deducts a single year investments in equipment, eliminating tax loopholes, doubling size of child exemption.

Iraq

End the war with victory. Thinks course of immediate withdrawal will draw us into war with greater sacrifices, put peace further out of reach, and Americans into harm's way. Also win war in Afghanistan by adding more troops and using counterinsurgency strategy, continuing to hunt down al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden.

Health

Health care will be more accessible to Americans. Reforms of the insurance market, choice of health care into the hands of American families, walk-in clinics instead of ER, paying for outcome in the treatment of disease, and competition in the prescription drug market.

Rights and Poverty

He will listen to any idea from anyone that is offered in good faith and intended to help solve our problems, not make them worse. He will seek the counsel of members of Congress from both parties in forming government policy before asking them to support it. He changes education, worker training, health care services, retiree support, public transportation, research and development stimulation, and new technology.

This bring us to the end of the guide. If you want to learn more about the candidates, visit www.barackobama.com/ and www.johnmccain.com/.

My personal reasons are what pertain to me and to my family. Now some of my issues are the same as every other American family. I want the best possible future for my son; I want job security for me and my husband; I do care about health insurance for the millions of Americans that do not have it, yet, how do we pay for it. But as for my personal reasons for voting this election, I hold no reserve in expressing them and I think others should admit that they are actually expressing the same. Or are they? Are people really being honest about their personal preferences in this election?

My son is 15 years old; I have a stepson age 16, a male cousin age 16 and another male cousin age 13. John McCain's philosophy on war is just not settling well in my spirit. I honor his service to this country along with his father's and his grandfather's service to this country. I also honor my uncle and my grandfather's service to this country along with other relatives as well; however, John McCain has a war mentality that I just cannot accept.

To John McCain war appears to be a natural state of being. Like it's really ok to be at war for years. It seems to be a family trait at least that is a part of his campaign. Now don't misunderstand me, I do think that it is pertinent that we win the war in Iraq; but really, how? That's another article but fight, war, then fight and war some more is not the way to do it.

Now don't get me wrong. It's not that I think my family is too good to fight for and honor this country. I'll get out there and fight if I had to. If I felt that this country's way of living and beliefs are in jeopardy, I would go off to war and expect them to do the same and defend this country. But this Iraqi war is under false pretense and it has not been worth the thousands and thousands of American and Iraqi lives that have been lost. How do you put an end to a war where the country's leader was killed and their way of living for centuries is being changed by a way of living that they did not ask for.

Barack Obama wants to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home and/or send them to Afghanistan and fight the Taliban who attacked and killed 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001. John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years if need be (his words, not mine). I don't think taking a chance on McCain is in my best interest. That's my selfish reason and we all have them. Before November 4th ask yourself, What personal reasons am I really voting for or against?