McTurity Level

Is it me or is John McCain creepy? Watching last night's final presidential debate, I wanted to focus on what the candidates put forth as their policies. Instead, I became distracted by the body language and mannerisms of the Republican on stage.

Not only was he strangely emotional during the debate, he seemed to be ready to explode at any moment, nervously glancing around the room often as if he were desperately looking for support in the crowd. Occasionally while Senator Obama spoke, McCain would interrupt with laughter, snorts or heavy sighs. I watched the debate on CNN, one of the networks employing a split-screen format. This is where it really became interesting - McCain, twice by my account, actually slid back into second grade behavior and rolled his eyes. Was he unaware that we were watching his reactions to Obama's answers?

Lets be fair - Obama is a politician. He didn't sell me on many of his answers. No politician seems to answer questions directly - maybe here and there - but in general, the Illinois Senator is hard pressed when asked to be specific about his policies. In reality, no politician can be specific because they all know, as do we, that there is no way to tell if their policies or plans will work until they are tested in real time.

The system and its problems have become so complex, anyone who tells you they know anything for sure is lying - and this is what John McCain does. He constantly says that he can fix it - he can win the war - he can find Osama Bin Laden - he can do it all - but never tells us how. His twitchy aggression and rhetoric, with a dash of the occasional reptilian-like darting of his pointy tongue - illustrate a larger problem that is rarely addressed in the press - is John McCain mentally stable? Or is his lack of maturity a separate red flag that the American people should heed?

My message to John McCain is this - I agree with some of your plans and I would say I even prefer some to Senator Obama's. However, Sir, your failing is not so much in your record (although Obama does have an excellent point about your decidedly un-maveric voting in line with President Bush over the last eight years), but more in the very un-presidential way in which your present yourself. You seemed irritated and emotional last night, you were rude and immature and made untrue accusations (a nice way of saying, "You lied"). Given the frightening state of the union, I am afraid we need a steadier hand.