THE TWEAK SHOW

Since securing the nominations of their respective parties, John McCain and Barack Obama have move from their opposing right and left sides, toward each other. They are each approaching center. They both understand that winning the party nomination called for extremes. McCain with the hard-line conservative, stand behind the President, kind of rhetoric won the Republican nomination. Obama, the black liberal with tolerance and ending the war as his sword, wore down Hillary Clinton and secured the delegates necessary for victory.

Now they will begin to sound more like each other when they campaign, with only a few differences becoming focal points to demonstrate their opposing philosophies. As we will hear only of those few, repeatedly broadcast to pain our senses, we will assume that they differ on every issue.

In one example McCain has urges an "all of the above" strategy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. So does Barack Obama when he talks about an "all hands on deck" approach. Neither man has come up with the plan that actually meets that sound bite, but both are saying the same thing in different ways.

McCain, early in his campaign to secure the nomination stated that Iraq could be years of struggle (often quoted by others as 100 years) with our troops involved, to solve the problem. Obama promised an immediate withdrawal of the troops if he became President. Now that they are the candidates for President, each says that withdrawal can not happen immediately and will take as long as 18 months to complete.

Yes, these differences are narrowing -- though it's difficult to tell amid the rhetorical salvos each side is firing at the other. Unlike many environmentalists, Obama hasn't ruled out increased use of nuclear power and last week he praised a proposal from a bipartisan "gang of 10" senators that could open to offshore drilling as much as 200 million additional acres in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic coast. McCain, meanwhile, has edged somewhat closer to Democrats on alternatives. In the Senate, McCain often opposed tax subsidies for renewable sources like wind and solar. But he's proposed some in his energy plan.

What have the real issues coming to the forefront between these two candidates? If recent events is any indication, Obama’s suggestion of proper tire inflation was first ridiculed then accepted by the McCain camp as a fuel saver.

Then there is the issue of the race card. Complaints by both camps toward the other of bringing up the race card, because the issue was raised so subtly that nobody but “experts” noticed. It was supposed to be a non-issue, as agreed by both candidates. The experts then explained to the public what we were seeing, as we all missed it, because it was that subtle. Apparently the “experts” didn’t realize that race has been an issue since day one. Not day one between Obama and McCain, but day one between Obama and Clinton. To deny the obvious is to ignore the truth, which speaks poorly for the candidates, the media, and ourselves.
Neither candidate has given us plans or shown us how they will succeed at anything they promis. They continue to meet on the middle ground and circle each other like children in a schoolyard ready to fight. They circle and talk tough, but neither can get to fighting. Twins don’t fight.

Personally, I feel better knowing that when I vote I am making the correct choice. I can vote for either man and will get the same man in office. What’s nice is that this year I get a choice of colors.

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