It's Over

Last night's second presidential debate proved that the presidential election is over.

To his credit, Senator John McCain has decided to accept an honorable defeat at the hands of Senator Barack Obama instead of the ignominy of losing the mud-slinging contest being urged on him by his advisors.

Like Roger Federer losing in five sets to Rafal Nadal in this year's Wimbledon championship, for McCain it is better to keep your head up high and come back to play another day. This year may mark McCain's last chance to become president, but he can emulate Senator Edward Kennedy in continuing to serve his country with distinction and honor as a senior U.S. senator.

With a barrage of polls this week indicating that the voting public - especially in key battleground states - is moving steadily to Obama's side of the ledger, McCain could have come out swinging and throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Obama. As Obama seized the upper hand on the economic issues, McCain's advisors told him this was his only chance. Governor Sarah Palin had been holding a dress rehearsal for McCain with lines smearing Obama, like "he's palling around with terrorist who would target their own country."

For his part, Obama declared that he would not throw the first punch, but he would counterpunch. He warned McCain that if he threw the "guilt by association" mud ball at him, McCain would get the "Keating Five" mud ball splattered all over his face. McCain wisely backed down.

In fairness to John McCain, he is up against an extraordinary opponent who is far better organized and calmer in a crisis, and who has a better grasp of complex subjects like the economic mess we are in. Just as Senator Hillary Clinton learned in the primaries, it is extremely difficult to compete simultaneously with Obama's unwavering strategy and his unrelenting organization on the ground.

The current economic crisis hasn't helped McCain's case either. Americans are deeply worried about their financial futures and angry about having to bail out Wall Street. Yet all McCain can offer is the trimming of a few earmarks. During the recent near-panic in the credit markets, Obama has proven himself to be a very good listener and a good learner. He has steadily supported those in charge of taking action to avoid even deeper problems, without trying to attract attention or credit for himself.

In retrospect, McCain would be in a more competitive position today had he chosen former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney as his running mate. Romney was a successful businessman and leader of one of the nation's largest states who has a keen grasp of economics and financial markets. Like Palin, Romney is a social conservative.

But like the fighter pilot of his earlier years, McCain opted for a diversionary tactic in selecting Palin, in spite of having met her only once at a governors conference. With that impulsive move, he simultaneously wiped out his experience advantage over Obama and his credibility to address the economic crisis.

No doubt this seemingly endless campaign will take a few more twists and turns before election day. With a hungry media waiting for any morsel that can be turned into a prime time story, the candidates will probably toss a few bones their way.

But none of this will change the outcome of the election. On November 4th, Barack Obama will be elected our next president, with more than 350 votes in the electoral college.

When he takes office in January, Senator Obama will inherit a country with massive economic problems, a failing health care system, an incoherent energy policy, and a declining public education system while being entangled in two wars. Obama will need all the wisdom, listening skills, and thoughtful advisors he can find.

Bill George is the author of best-selling books True North and Authentic Leadership, has been named one of "Top 25 Business Leaders of the Past 25 Years" by PBS, and was CEO and Chairman of Medtronic from 1991 until 2001.

Comments

[Ojamas]

Make sure you're registered. Vote for change! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKJqdNOXKfE

[irishgawdess]

For a man who thinks the only way out of Iraq is with an American military "Victory", McCain isn't likely to just drop this election and give it to Obama. He will go down fighting, spitting, biting, scratching, and race-baiting... did I forget lying?

I wish it were over now, believe me.

[egal]

I'm sorry, but I can't figure out where you're getting your information. Where, when, and how has McCain opted for anything honorable, let alone decided to accept his obvious defeat, and the same question goes for him NOT going down in an ignominable (one-way) mud-slinging fight?

I don't think refraining from rehashing his disproven smears at the debate itself in any manner frees him from the onus of letting his campaign wallow in the gutters throughout the preceding days. If anything, it shows some measure of his mind/emotions--whether a smidgeon of shame or practiality--but there was nothing honorable or noble in his parroted lies and retconned self-history.

[gadfly55]

Agreed, but the actual millions of voters are required to present themselves, be allowed to vote, have their votes accurately counted, the electoral votes assigned accordingly, and then the inauguration, at which time we can breathe again, and get down to real business. Create a Federal Bank system guaranteed by government and controlled by government for small businesses and individual citizens earning less than $250,000.

[JustLynn]

DO NOT become overly confident and let your gaurd down...they already stole one election and there are already stories of more and more new registrations being challenged in many of the swing states...we are not unaware of their dirty tactics and need to keep calling and campaigning ....be watchful also for waht may happen afterwards if it is even remotely close...votes will be challenged and the election will be protested...

[McChimp]

too many red states are becoming tossups for the election to be rigged

VA, NC, IN, FL, OH, CO, NV,

McCain's going to have to concede at least two of those states, Obama's grassroots power is way too powerful for McCain's established ground connections

[tlgeiger62]

And now we're hearing about supposedly erroneous voter purges in key states. IT AIN"T OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER. Don't count your chickens, etc.

[AnotherTry]

They stole two elections, not one.

[irishgawdess]

Another post of HuffPo has this to say about voter problems:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/08/voter-purges-in-6-states_n_133175.html

"Tens of thousands of eligible voters in at least six swing states have been removed from the rolls or have been blocked from registering in ways that appear to violate federal law, according to a review of state records and Social Security data by The New York Times.

The actions do not seem to be coordinated by one party or the other, nor do they appear to be the result of election officials intentionally breaking rules, but are apparently the result of mistakes in the handling of the registrations and voter files as the states tried to comply with a 2002 federal law, intended to overhaul the way elections are run.

Still, because Democrats have been more aggressive at registering new voters this year, according to state election officials, any heightened screening of new applications may affect their party's supporters disproportionately. The screening and trimming of voter registration lists in the six states -- Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and North Carolina -- could also result in problems at the polls on Election Day: people who have been removed from the rolls are likely to show up only to be challenged by political party officials or election workers, resulting in confusion, long lines and heated tempers."

Con't reading here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/us/politics/09voting.html?hp

[neocon666]

In the words of Yogi Berra, "It ain't over till' it's over."

[Shiral]

My Thoughts exactly. The signs are hopeful, I admit. But remember Truman holding up that newspaper stating that Dewey Defeats Truman? A lot of things can still happen. I don't buy that McCain has given up. Not yet, he hasn't!

We can party on 11/5/08 But keep working, phoning, volunteering, donating until then!

Let's wait until the hatching to count our chickens.

[LibertiBelle]

yeah its over till they pull another fast one like in 2004...keep the guard up and don't assume anything.

Bush has accomplished what their goal was so now that "No Banker left behind" has been enacted it does not matter who is President.

The Banks now run the country

[Danigirl65]

It's not over until the last vote is counted AND YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!

If your state has early voting, vote early and volunteer to take voters to the polls on November 4th - that's what I am doing. I'm not taking any chances on people not being able to get to the polls.

Have a voting party - whatever it takes. This one matters more than any election in my voting life (I'm 42) and we all need to make our voices heard.

[Gardinia]

Please do not say it is over. The press was wrong before. Keep the energy going. The Rethugs are ruthless when they are losing. They will still play the fear card especially on the senior citizens. Remember bush and his alert lights.
James Carver been wrong before.

[kellygrrrl]

It's NOT over

It's only just begun

[changeishere08]

Get out and vote and don't stop until Nov. 5th. Donate. Volunteer. Encourage others to vote.

[mijumom]

What of McCain's assertion that there will be "fireworks" in the "last 72 hours of the election?

[anopenmind]

Excellent article - James Carville said he thought the race was over too!

Still a lot of work to do and we need to Get the Vote Out but it is looking good!!

[rock2casbah]

Great article.
Only 2 huge disagreements. If McCain had of tried throwing a guilt by association ball, Obama would have been obliged to drop some truth bombs, and contrary to what you believe, the bombs would be alot more destructive than just Keating, believe me. McCain know who was the alpha dog and who would do it too. While the audience cheered because of McCain's dirty tactics throughout this campaign and especially intense and hateful over the last couple of days.

2. Romney wouldn't have won over the only base he has left and that is the fundies. They would have violently turned against him, There are not enough simple Repubs otherwise to energize the race with just adding Romney. Who is an unknown entity for most people as much as Palin ism besides his religious background. Romney comes off as the consummate phony politiician.

McCain would have been behind and he would have stayed with Romney and forget Lieberman with the Repubs. The only thing wrong with pandering to such an intolerant religious base is that they can and will come back to haunt you and they are fickle.

[McFlipFlop]

Hear, hear!