Is McCain ready to implode?

I’m getting addicted to reading political news coverage. It’s fascinating and scary at the same time to watch what is happening. It’s truly amazing to see the McCain/Palin campaign implode, and it is frightening to see that McCain is still even with Obama in polls. It can only be a matter of time before that starts to change. I’ve never quite understood why anyone would want to vote Republican, but now it’s even harder to comprehend. Each day brings new damaging revelations. Palin is emerging not only as a person who’s ignorant of anything that doesn’t involve moose or hockey, but also as a shrewd politician who governs by secrecy, favoritism, and lack of willingness to listen to critics. Sounds eerily familiar to George W. Bush. And poor McCain, I actually feel sorry for him. At one point he was known for his honesty and integrity, but he has given up every shred of that in order to become “electable,” and he doesn’t look like he’s enjoying his new persona at all.

It’s interesting to see how McCain and Obama are responding to the current financial crisis. McCain comes out with rash statements that are meant to sound decisive but turn out to be hotheaded, and he has to backtrack and change his mind on a daily basis. Obama, on the other hand, chooses to step back and review the current situation and discuss the options with financial advisors before he will announce specific plans for dealing with the crisis.

Who would you rather want to be president? Someone who favors rash decisions that turn out to be wrong? Or someone who wants to absorb and understand the facts and discuss options and scenarios with knowledgeable people before reaching any conclusions? That should be an easy choice. Of course a president must be decisive, but a president should also be levelheaded and capable of making rational, intelligent, and carefully deliberated decisions. The ability to think before acting is a mark of wisdom. So is the willingness to listen to people who disagree with you.

Oh, and by the way, with all the Republican chatter about “tax-and-spend” Democrats, it’s worth noting that a simple statistical analysis of economic conditions from 1959 to 2007 shows that under Democratic presidents, the economy does better on every important measure. Taxes are lower, government spending is lower, unemployment is lower, inflation is lower, budget deficit is lower (or surplus is higher) and the economy is growing at a faster rate. Again, it should be an easy choice.