Keep Your Eye on the Ball

I have tried to be unbiased in my views of the McCain and Obama campaigns for President. The reason for this is my philosophy that one must listen to both sides to make an informed voting decision. This philosophy, though, is being tested with McCain's latest strategy.
It seems that McCain, realizing the popularity of Obama, has recently broken his agreement with his opponent, as well as the American people, to focus on the issues without disrespecting his opponent. In his attempt to discredit Obama through selective and incomplete quotes, McCain has begun to sarcastically mock his opponent's suggestion for Americans to keep their vehicle tires properly inflated to maximize fuel mileage. According to a recent Time magazine article, appropriately entitled 'A whole New McCain,' he is reported as saying "My opponent doesn't want to drill ... He wants to inflate your tires." He has even been passing out tire gages in his attempt to discredit Obama as out of touch politician.
The problem here is, though, that proper tire inflation, especially when we consider the millions of vehicles driven everyday in America, is an appropriate strategy to increase gas mileage and lower our oil consumption, period. Yet, McCain, supposedly wishing to make Obama look silly, or to keep the oil corporation's profits at their current record breaking pace [you decide], continues to run television ads about Obama's celebrity status, thus, his inability to understand or relate to the problem that the less affluent American voter has affording health care or fuel for their car. And, as history has shown time and again, it is far easier to win an election by discrediting an opponent than it is to win on the merits of one's proposed solutions for a problem. So much for the informed voter.
I think that the McCain camp realizes that the only way to keep in this race is to make people, whether they are poor or rich, fear a new direction that entails abandoning policies that prioritize big business before the collective good of the American people. I believe that many people, who previously touted the obvious immediate benefits of the "trickle-down" philosophy during, and since, the Reagan years, have noticed the shrinking of the benefits trickling down from the success of America's biggest corporations, such as the oil companies. Many people understand that new drilling is only a short term fix that will not make any positive difference at the pump until about 2012, and, even then, it won't last long.
So, whatever direction you are leaning in the debate on new oil drilling, please keep in mind the tactics used by political candidates. Try to objectively focus on the issues, not the sarcasm or suaveness of our next President. It is the only way to keep McCain, Obama, and the media focussed on presenting solutions for our environmental, financial, and social problems.