Dana - thankfully you are in GB and not here, ya commie! j/k - you make some very valid points and they were definitely part of my decision making process.

Bruce - McCain has 30 years compared to Obama. Personally though, I want a leader who can assess a situation and make logical, thoughtful and intuitive decisions. Someone who is well respected and has made tough decisions in the past. Someone who has had to endure both personal and political hardships and has extensive leadership experience. Unfortunately, both of these candidates only have parts of what I want philosophically and politically. They both have some things that I like and some things that I don't.

Griff - I agree - that "hothead" tag weighed into my decision as well, as did they voting present, but ot actually voting. A leader has to lead and make decisions. Right or wrong, A true leader must make a choice.

Here's an example of how McCain reacts under pressure:

McCain was almost killed on July 29, 1967, when he was near the center of the USS Forrestal fire. He escaped from his burning jet and was trying to help another pilot escape when a bomb exploded. McCain was struck in the legs and chest by fragments. The ensuing fire killed 134 sailors and took 24 hours to control.

Hell I'm 64, with lots of experience, and make bad decisions every day. :lol2:

But does our president need to be the man best suited to dive into a fire and save people, or the man best suited to help direct others in putting it out faster and prevent more fires from happening?

And some of us still respect what you say -

Hmm, not sure. Can I just vote "present"?;)

Bottom line is that it probably matters not who is the president because the people who actually deal with these problems will deal with it as they always have. Professionally.

Yeah, no reason to stop reading to the children. ;)

Goat stories are fun and exciting.

:lol2:

Yeah, maybe the question should be is which candidate can best pick a competant group of advisors who will act for the benefit of the nation and not some partisan idelogy.

That has nothing to do with my statement. And if you think for one minute that any president does not pick a group of advisors who will not act on partisan idelogy then you do not understand politics.

Easy answer. Neither one - Whoever wins, their cabinet will be filled with political choices, not necessarily those who will work for the benefit of Americans. That being said, I think its a good thing to clean house every so often. Shake things up a bit.

Apparently Madeline Albright agreed and confirmed what Biden said: Obama will be tested and this is just a matter of fact in Int'l Relations.

It that why China captured our spy plane right after Bush took office?