I am seriously thinking of NOT watching tonight's vice-presidential debate

"What?" some of you may think when you read this header, "you live for this sort of stuff!"  

Yes, I have been a close follower of the electoral process for the past 12 months but this campaign took a nasty turn over the past two weeks.  

To recap: at one point during the primaries I voiced that if Sen. Hillary Clinton did not win the nomination I would consider voting for John McCain. At that time I was not convinced that Obama was the right choice, a stance I am publicly happy to renounce.  

Look - I'm no fool; I expected that each side would take digs at the other pointing out why their adversary should not be elected for the position. And I even welcomed that possibility because when one side points out their perceived flaw of the opposing candidate, they may actually be opening a door of clarity to undecided voters that the intended flaw may actually be a strength in their eyes. (Example - some may cite Obama's short stint in Washington as a weakness, but others may interpret this as proof that he is not influenced or tainted with Washington corruption and is in fact a fresh face with fresh ideas.)  

Even after McCain gave his acceptance speech I was willing to admit that if he won the election I thought he could do a passable job - despite his VP selection.  

Then McCain began to show his true colors. He used Karl Rove-ian tactics, such as using irrelevant matters like the "pig-in-a-lipstick" farce as a distraction to the hollowness of his campaign. He began to spout bold-faced lies even though his own video-taped testimonies were being broadcast.  

Three weeks ago the economy began to tank - and his poor judgment began to show. It started when he announced after the Lehman Brothers failure that the "fundamentals of the economy are strong", then declaring that he was supposedly suspending his campaign before flying to Washington to take credit for work on the bailout bill he didn't do, used theatrics such as threatening to not participate in the first presidential debate, and finally this past Monday the piece-de-resistance: taking credit for the passing of the bailout bill BEFORE it was voted on in the house and subsequently defeated.  

By this time my former passiveness at accepting that if he won may be tolerable had turned into sheer anger and disgust at the IRRESPONSIBILITY OF THIS MAN with his campaign.  

The main reason I am such a strong and vocal supporter of Barack Obama is because I've noticed positive traits in him that speaks volumes about him as a person. He learns from his mistakes and grows from it. He also does not make rash, knee-jerk decisions: Example: when tapes of the irrational Rev Jeremiah Wright surfaced, Obama gave Rev Wright the benefit of the doubt and stood by the pastor and chose not throw him under the bus just to save face despite pressure and criticism from the public to do so. When Rev Wright made waves again, Obama then criticized him and said Rev Wright should be mindful of his words. When the (by this time) notorious reverend made headlines a third time - Obama then publically cut all ties with him.  

This past weekend the pundits declared that Obama failed to use personal experiences to relate to voters and could have been seen as cold and aloof during the presidential debate. Yesterday, in a speech at a rally in Lacrosse, Wisconsin, Obama used a referenced to his mother's battle with cancer to relate to his listeners the need of a better health care system.  

Obama listens to sound criticism and uses it to temper his judgment, not cloud his decisions. And I really do believe that he wants to effect change for a better America.  

John McCain had a duty to run a campaign for the betterment of this country and he has made it VERY CLEAR that he is only running for his own personal gain.  

Right now John McCain campaign is only grandstanding, and it is now apparent that he chose Gov Sarah Palin only as a gimmick to bring life back to his campaign and NOT because she is qualified for the office of vice president. Clips of her interview with Katie Couric of CBS shows this is someone NOT familiar with any, ANY, of the issues important to this country. Even die-hard conservatives in the Republican Party are calling for her to step down from the ticket.  

Palin's only strength is to make mean sarcastic barbs at her enemies while avoiding a outright answer. To me she is the epitome of the perceived worst of women's traits: catty, scornful, smile-in-you-face-as-she-stabs-you-in-the-back. This to me is extremely offensive as NONE of the women I know and treasure are anything like that - and I see her as an insult to them.  

I'm not sure I can sit through 90 minutes of Palin's shrill, grating voice as she either dodges factual answers through nasty jabs at Sen. Obama or Sen. Joe Biden (who by-the way, has a reputation for saying the wrong things at the wrong time), or as she smiles and makes a smart ass remark that will cause me to face the dis-heartening truth: those actions appeals to the ignorant residents of small towns such as Bumfuck, Alabama or Redneck Trailer Park, Mississippi. They see this as a strength, not a weakness.  

Maybe this evening I'll watch "Ironman" instead and wait for the the TV journalists to provide a recap of the debate, a task they are currently salivating in anticipation for.

OR...maybe I could down a 2-liter bottle of red-wine AND watch the debate; I'll be too numb and drunk to care.