One Week Out, Who's Going to Win?

There's one week left for John McCain and Barack Obama to make their pleas to the American voting public. Who's leading, who's going to win, and what will be the reasons for the win and the loss? After all, somebody will win. With every winner in an election, or any game for that matter, there's a loser.

On paper, if you didn't know anything about American politics, you'd think John McCain would be a shoe-in and Barack Obama would be a long-shot. And I guess a year ago, that might have been the case.

Virtues of John McCain:

• Combat-tested
• Long-time pubic servant
• Navy veteran
• Tortured for years while POW in Vietnam. Survived.
• Co-author of McCain-Feingold bill, which became law

Drawbacks of Barack Obama

• Strange name. Barack Hussein Obama
• Very little national political experience
• Black
• "Associated with terrorists"

Now, you see I've stacked the deck in McCain's favor. Like I said, on paper, Senator McCain is eons ahead of Senator Obama. If Obama loses, it will be because of those detriments listed above. And if McCain loses, it will be because of those virtues listed above.

But that's on paper. Or in black and white bits or pixels.

Surprisingly, Barack Obama is leading in most polls, on both national polls and in the state polls. He's also ahead in most battleground states.

How will he lose? I'm not being flippant; I'm afraid the Democrats will find yet another way to lose. Will it be because Obama is a socialist, comparable to Karl Marx or Upton Sinclair? Or will it be because of the taxes he'll raise? Might it be because Obama is going to nationalize health care?

All of these "reasons" are bunk. Obama's tax plan is comparable, in effect, to McCain's. In fact, more people will benefit from Obama's plan than McCain's. Obama is no socialist. Hell, he's not even French! And finally, health care will not be nationalized. He just wants all of us to have the same choices as he gets as a senator. Why shouldn't you? Damn, remember, WE are Congress' employer! Why should the owners of business be given inferior choices in employment terms like salary, health care, and retirement plans?

Interestingly, Obama is more pro-America than John McCain. He wants to encourage American businesses to create American jobs! Imagine that! Country First! What a bunch of crap the McCain camp spews about this!

How will he do this? He'll give tax credits! Hot damn. Republican tax tactics being used by the Democrat. And the Black Democrat, no less. It really sucks when the "If you can't beat 'em crowd" joins 'em.

Nevertheless, it all boils down to whether McCain and the Squealer can tear Obama down enough to whittle away the lead Obama and Biden have (and, oh, please, don't let Biden talk any more).