We’re in the bell lap in this marathon that has gone on way too long already. As an aside, I believe that one of the reasons we are choosing between the two candidates we have is due to the length of the campaign this election cycle. I think it is very likely that a shorter campaign could have given us two completely different presidential candidates.

But, we get to vote for what we have, not what we could have had.

I am part of the large majority of Americans who, in spite of all the hype and headlines, has not taken advantage of early voting. As I mentioned the other day, I like going to my local polling place on election day. There is something almost “ceremonial” about casting a ballot, and despite any real or perceived inconvenience it is something that I truly look forward to doing.

If the lines aren’t too long first thing tomorrow morning the process shouldn’t take very long at all. I am not one of the undecided voters and I won’t be making up my mind with the pencil in my hand.

President/Vice President — John McCain/Sarah Palin. I have laid out my reasons for supporting John McCain already. It is, to be honest, almost as much a vote against Barack Obama as it is for McCain. Almost. I am convinced that the policies of Barack “The One™” Hussein Obama would be detrimental to our country; Even those that could benefit me personally in the short term.

That alone would not be enough to convince me to vote for John McCain. While I am sure that I will not agree 100% with a President McCain, I will agree with him and his direction for our nation most of the time.

U.S. House (Fl-D12) — Adam Putnam. I have really grown to appreciate his psotions and his leadership. He was one of the leading voices in the house to take an “all of the above” approach to energy policy.

Here’s hoping for the best tomorrow. I’ll be doing my part. That’s all I have left that I can do.

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Choices, choices. What to do on a Wednesday night?

There was McCain/Obama debate III of course, but team Obamessiah had already told us how it would all turn out. Besides, my pre-debate assessment was the same as A.J. Strata’s:

To save myself time I am going to live blog the debate now and get it over with:

McCain wins most rounds, nation differs with me when polled.

Yup.

It didn’t matter that I didn’t watch, Bob Owens at Confederate Yankee summed it up well:

Senator Government: Spend, spend, spend.

Senator Blinky: You can’t spend your way into prosperity.

Now, will anyone looking for Hopeychange understand?

Instead of watching the debate I went the Good Lt. route. The Phillies are going to the World Series!

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Before the debate even ended the McCain campaign had put this out:

Nice.

I caught Barry O’s response to John McCain on the radio as I was coming home from work yesterday. Two things struck me. Of course quite a few people caught the “if you need me, call me” comment, but the thing that struck me was something he said earlier in his remarks.

I don’t know the exact chronology on this, so let’s assume his words are as pure and golden as The One himself. Prior to the Q&A he was talking about the joint release he wanted to make with McCain. He talked about some of the specifics of the plan he would like to see implemented and remarked that Sen. McCain had “adopted his position” on some of those things. Like I said, I don’t know who said what first, but I have a hard time believing that McCain made any decision on his position based on what The Obamessiah put forth. Even if he did, it still sounded as arrogant as anything I’ve heard fall from his lips, and that’s saying something.

My thoughts on yesterday’s events are that Senator McCain is honestly focused on finding a workable solution while his opponent is focused on finding a political opportunity. Your thoughts?

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It is great to get up in the morning and see a fine display of journalistic balance. </snark>

(Click for bigger view)

This is a view of my Google feed reader this morning in a folder I have labeled Elections. Sixteen headlines visible without scrolling, thirteen stories about the Obamessiah, one “Today on the presidential campaign trail”, and two on John McCain – one of those about the veterans group working against McCain.

So, here is journalistic balance — In A Nutshell:

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Good morning everyone and welcome to bRight & Early coverage of the race. No, not La Raza, the presidential race.

And here to do today’s play by play, bR&E special corespondents Darell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds.

Boogity Boogity Boogity! Let’s go racin’ boys!

Uh, DW. You can’t say “boys”. For two reasons, really. One, McCain hasn’t been a boy since Junior Johnson was running moonshine. Two, uh, well, Obama told me earlier this week down in the garage area that using the term “boys” was a distraction.

Well what am I supposed to say? Boogity Boogity Boogity! Let’s go racin’ gentlemen?

Well, no. Even though they’re the only two contenders left in the race, I’ve been told by the Clinton team that “gentleman” doesn’t cover all the gender possibilities, so we shouldn’t use it.

Well, Larry Mac. You got me hog tied.

Uh, Darrell, expressions like “hog tied” are offensive to our Muslim viewers.

Well I hope ya’ll are happy. You got me so wrapped up in all this PC garbage that the race has already started. And it looks like there’s some trouble down on the track.

You’re right, Daryl. A few of the drivers, er candidates, are having trouble maintaining race speed. Cynthia McKinney, Bob Barr, and Ralph Nader have all been rainbow flagged.

Rainbow Flagged??!? What are you talkin’ about you bald headed twerp?

Well, DW, we sure can’t say “black flagged” anymore. Be that as it may, let’s go to our pit reporter, Wendy Venturini.

Thanks, Larry, Darrell, and your other brother Daryl. I’ve always wanted to say that. Anyhow, I’ve just talked to Hillary Clinton who is, as you know, the new front tire changer on the Rezko Construction, Slick Willy Massage Parlor and Cigar Humidor, Hope and Change Prius. I have to tell you, there was something very “Marcy Park” about that last stop. Gentlemen.

Thank you, Wendy. We’ll have to see how that plays out.

They’ve waved the Al Gore green flag, and we are back to racin’. Larry, I gotta tell you, the McCain ‘58 Corvette is looking tight in the center, but real loose off.

You’re right Darrell. Just the time you think he’s got the car right he gets real loose. As a former crew chief I can tell you that a condition like that has to be fixed if he’s going to go to the winners circle. You know he’s lost some fans for that. Just about the time they get behind him, something like immigration reform or drilling in Anwar pushes him off to the left.

Yeah, yeah. We all know you used to be a crew chief. Give it a rest. Wait. There’s something happening in turn four! Let’s go to our track reporter John Roberts.

I’m not a track reporter. I’m the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Not you, that other John Roberts. Although, I can never tell the two of you apart.

I think you mean me. Darrell, Larry, it looks like Obama is into the wall. He may have had a right front tire go down. What do you see from up there?

You’re right. I looks like it went down just as he was getting in to turn four. It couldn’t have happened at a worse spot. I haven’t seen a turn to the right like this since Michael McDowell’s qualifying run at Texas.

You’re right Darrell. As a former crew chief I can tell you that they’re going to have to hold up this race. I would say they were going to red flag it, but we’ve been told by Obama’s spotter, Jeremiah Wright, that talking about Barack and Red at the same time is a distraction they’re just not going to allow.

It looks like it’s going to take some time for them to get the debris cleared off of the track. When we come back we’ll have a green, white…

Uh…

Now what?!?

It’s not a white flag any more. White tends to make some people think about surrender and that’s a distraction. And of course there’s that whole racist thing. Now it’s a Green, Code Pink Pink, Checkered finish.

You’ve gotta be $h!t!ng me! Well this has sure turned into one crap hole of a race. We’ll be back later.

You never got to my report on the shiver that runs up my leg when I see the Holy One race!

Shut up, Mancrush. We’re off the air. Besides, there’s lots of racin’ still left.

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Dennis Prager lays out a very good rationale for supporting John McCain.

My bottom line is this: The gulf between John McCain and conservatives is miniscule compared to the gulf between John McCain and Barack Obama. This is true regarding virtually every issue of significance to America. The America that a President Barack Obama would shape, with the help of a Democratic Congress and a liberal Supreme Court, would be very dissimilar from the America shaped by a President John McCain.

Let me sum it up – in a nutshell:

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At least that’s one way to look at this.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a socialist and fierce U.S. critic, warned on Tuesday that relations with Washington could worsen if Republican candidate John McCain wins this year’s presidential election.

McCain is absolutely correct when he “calls Chavez a dictator who wants to emulate retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro.” He left out thug and thief, but it’s a start.

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