Final Debate

As someone who follows politics, I never before considered that a Presidential debate would make me think of watching a baseball game. I loathe baseball. It ranks down there with watching golf matches and slightly above listening to a Celine Dion performance. Still, last night's debate actually triggered a thought about the Yanks and the Sox. With a race so close, I viewed two men driven by opinion polls (despite Bush's protestations otherwise), appealing to their respective base, and being concerned about not committing that always to be feared gaffe.

To be sure, if you were a Kerry fan you came away feeling good about your candidate. Likewise for Bush fans. The campaigns have largely given up preaching to the oft-lauded, mythical creature known as the swing voter in part because the polls can't tell them what these people want. Instead, they are running get-out-the-vote messages for their committed supporters. Last night's boring debate was a clear indication of this. Meanwhile, I was forced to ponder three things: first, are these two pitiful guys really the best we've got for the job? Second, how did we come to having such narrow, boring, un-inspiring campaigns and candidates back to back? And, third, was Pedro Martinez bent over the Yankee's bench, ball gag in his mouth while sluggers took turns with the paddle?

You gotta admit, that last thought was more entertaining than the debate last night, or even, the election as a whole.