The First Debate: Iraq or Afghanistan, and No Solution for the Economy

Both candidates perpetrate illogical thinking and irrational ideas for how to handle the issue of Iran.

It’s perfectly fine to point to the number of centrifuges that Iran has, but it is fundamentally incorrect to do so without informing the people that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty gives Iran the right to develop centrifuges for nuclear power.

The discussion on Iran degenerated into talk about how to or how not to talk with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the leader of Iran. Lehrer should have stepped in and stopped this before the discussion became trivial.

Where was the challenge of this talk about Iran without discussing Israel’s role in all of this?

When considering that question, Obama, McCain, and Lehrer failed because the Guardian from the UK reported today that Bush told Israel the U.S. would not attack Iran for certain reasons.

That’s big news. Lehrer should have asked about that development.

Where was the discussion about Latin America and what we are doing to destabilize Bolivia and Venezuela?

Or how about the destabilization of Pakistan? The remarks on Pakistan were entirely atrocious and an affront to the people of Pakistan.

At least both admitted torture should not be part of U.S. policy.

In closing, neither did well in this debate. Neither really appeared to care about the American people. Both were doing a fine job of posturing to be the next commander-in-chief.

But this nation does not need another commander-in-chief. This nation needs a kindly leader with a track record of challenging the conventional and putting forth policies to fundamentally change the systems in America.

I look to the group of third party options as options for filling the void being created by the two leading presidential candidates.

I suggest to those who are unhappy with the current bipartisan consensus to bailout Wall Street that you be your own media and seek out information on the third party candidates.

I suggest that you take your unhappiness and channel it into passionate letters to the editor, calls to your representatives and senators, calls to Obama’s and McCain’s campaign, and rallies outside of campaign headquarters and local media affiliates nationwide.

I suggest that you do more than watch the post-debate coverage tonight.

This nation demands more from Americans. Politics is not a spectator sport.

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