Maybe I'm just mentally caving under the pressure of being surrounded by Republicans, but I think John McCain is making some good points in these debates. It seemed to me like he was answering the questions more directly than Barack Obama early on Tuesday night. However his breathing was audibly labored, as though he was really nervous, probably realizing he needed this debate to close up double-digit leads in Obama's favor. That heavy breathing just made me think of his health, though, and that if he konked out we would get the president of the Wasilla PTA as our new Commander-in-Chief. Sorry, John, but it's a no sale!

As the debate wore on Obama scored big-time on the Iraq issue, which was supposed to be McCain's turf. The retired naval petty commander seemed to respond more favorably to Obama's answer about defending Israel than he did to McCain's.

Both candidates made fools out of themselves at times. Obama reminded me of Georgia gubernatorial candidate Guy Milner in a debate years ago on WSB where he insisted on continuing with an answer after moderator John Pruitt told him his time was up*. At another point McCain looked like a lowbrow idiot when Obama was saying, "He has this idea that I'm just green, wet-behind-the-ears, up here spouting off...," and McCain said, "Yes, thank you." That was the kind of corny thing I would've said, thinking I was being funny, that would've turned the crowd on me. John McCain is supposed to be smarter than that.

I'm a simple-minded guy, and my theory is that the guys who've been in charge for eight years all had R's by their names, and the past eight years have blown, so I'm not interested in hearing from any more people with R's behind their names.

* The Libertarian candidate that year was former restaurateur Jack Cashin. I was impressed and invited him up to Cartersville for an interview, and he accepted. I thought I had the world by the tail back then. I guess I did.