FLIP THE COIN

I didn't watch any of the Presidential debates. I didn't want to get depressed.

When I watch debates I become frustrated because of the way candidates avoid answering questions. The way they manipulate their answers.

Most people look at the personalities of the candidates and judge their performance based on how authentically they appear to be. We only know these men from what we see on television. Few of us have ever met either one of them.

So we end up voting for them based on how they look, not what they say. If they look like they can lead the nation and improve the standard of living for all of us, we vote for them. If they look tenuous or bossy we tend to reject them.

I have no idea as to how the American people will vote in two weeks. Polls are even and people’s opinions haven't budged much. Independents will be undecided until it's time to mark the ballot. There’s no indication that either man has a competent agenda that can cope with not only our domestic affairs but with our international ones as well. The world is more complex, more diversified than ever. The inevitable rise of China can't be debated. It's an issue we have to accept. It requires diplomats to make it up as they go along.

America is reluctant to accept change unless it becomes nervous about missing a wakeup call. It has a volatile electorate that’s easily swayed by the personality of the candidate. When that personality appears fragile, America begins to doubt the ability of the candidate to accomplish what’s needed to be done to fix the country's problems.

Who do we believe will do the best job? That’s a question that can't be answered. Right now the polls are even. That means that America is poised to flip a coin and accept the results. That’s too bad. The debates did nothing to add to their confidence in either man. That's why I didn't watch them. I knew I wouldn't like the results.