It's very sad that all the liberal posters criticize McCain for his lack of oratory skills. Yes, Obama has him beat hands down when it comes to reading a teleprompter but what exactly has Obama done in his life to merit the Presidency? McCain has worked with Kennedy on immigration, on campaign finance reform with another Democrat, and has helped passed legislation for workers, healthcare, the economy, and has an environmental policy even Al Gore praised.

When you strip away the rhetoric and the flowing words delivered eloquently, Obama is an empty suit. The Democratic party had a candidate of substance in Hillary Clinton but people of color voted only for a candidate only because of his color and she lost a close campaign. Obama had to choose a running mate with thirty six years in the Senate in order to inflate his totally empty record.

It's nice to say, in inspiring words, all the things you're going to do for our country but it's nicer still to vote for someone who has actually done something and has a track record to prove it. McCain may be a dull speaker but he is legions ahead of Obama in the experience necessary to run our country. The Presidency is not the place for on the job training.

Americans want change, and McSame is not substantially different from Bush on major issues like taxation, the economy, and Iraq.

That's why Sen. Obama is going to win in November. McSame may keep it close, but that's the best he's going to be able to do.

Obama has an intricate knowledge of law, technology, civil economics, and governance. McCain was shot down and married an heiress who paid his way into the senate. He's simply ignorant to the massive issues facing the country, and way to willing to pander to the far right. I'd love to see what McCain 2000-2004 would have to say about McCain 2006-present. I'm sure he'd be well at odds with himself.

mjkoch, I don't think experience is the subject. All of the experience in the world is useless if your stance on the issues differs from most of the posters. This isn't about experience....it is about differences in platform issues. McCain looses, no matter how great a guy he is, no matter his war hero status (which everyone applauds), he is standing on the wrong side on the issues.

You know, everytime I hear a republican deride Obama for being an eloquent speaker, I think back to the days when I was a teenager in the 1980s. Back then, republicans used to practically was orgasmic over Reagan's (the Great Communicator) speaking skills. Back, being an eloquent speaker was considered an important virtue of being president.

Reagan, btw, had even less foreign policy experience (that is to say, none) when he took office than Obama has today.

McCain now says he would vote against the immigration bill he introduced. Voted twice against Bush tax cuts, but now vows to extend them with disastrous results for our budget. His environmental stance has been relatively good for a republican, but the mantra of drill here drill now and selecting Palin show a dangerous willingness to sacrifice the environment for votes (and where was he for the 8 votes this year on alternative energies?).

So, where is McCain's record, particularly considering how long he has had? Given all his experience, why can't he lay out how he plans on "reforming" washington?

Experience always wins?

By your logic, the ideal president of the United States would be......Robert Byrd.

Senatorial experience does not equate with Executive experience, Byrd loses.

McCain would be a better orator if he had full motion with his arms, he is handicapped because he can't raise his arms to his shoulder!

It was painful to watch him try to raise his arms in victory during his speech.

I respect and trust John McCain.

Well, then McCain has zero executive experience, too.

Bush, on the other hand, had more than all four of this year's candidates combined and he's been a disaster. Executive experience is not a guarantee.

Oh, and thanks for reminding us that McCain was a POW. No one had mentioned that in last five minutes and I had forgotten.

If the last several elections have taught us anything it is that we elect a POTUS based on vision, not experience. It is difficult to argue that a Kerry administration would not have been an improvement on the Bush years. However, Kerry ran as the not Bush while Bush ran on a platform of keeping America safe.

John McCain is running as the Unbama.

Now there is a threshold for commander in chief. Obama may not be as experienced in foriegn policy matters as John McCain, but he's certainly passed that threshold for a majority of Americans. In addition, Joe Biden provides a great resource as an advisor and a reassuring presence should anything happen to Obama.

John McCain has also passed this threshold. Sarah Palin is an unknown. Until she sits down and answers some of these serious questions about her record, she will continue to be an anchor to the McCain canidacy.

Just how does his experience as a POW qualify him for POTUS?

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Noun, verb, POW

Waitaminute! Are you saying that McCain was a POW? I didn't know that.

You'd think he'd talk about that once and a while.

Experience is exactly the problem with John McCain. His experience lies in supporting outmoded ways of thinking in a time when the U.S. faces some very serious problems that were caused by that same outmoded thinking.

Because of his experience, I trust McCain to keep us stuck in the past, stuck in Iraq, stuck in dependence on foreign oil, stuck in economic rescession, stuck in the culture wars, stuck in a cycle of environmental degredation, stuck in an ever expanding deficit and stuck with social inequality and a declining middle class.

Can Obama deliver on his lofty promises? I don't know, but at least his promises are lofty. McCain would almost certainly keep his promise to let America sink even further into the quicksand of Bush's failed policies, but it's a promise I really don't want to give him a chance to keep.