Obama vs McCain: Leadership In a Storm

I must say I'm impressed with the way Obama conducted his press conference this morning. He looked collected, not at all elitist, and his tone more reassuring. I happen to agree with most of what he said, albeit the devil is still in the details, but that's not what Obama's strength is. It's about the bigger picture.



Then you have John McCain, who lashed out at Christopher Cox yesterday (and maybe deservedly so a little) and said he would fire him, or revised later, "the FEC chairman should resign." FEC chairman? What does he have to do with the stock market?

Then McCain declared that our government shouldn't be in the business of bail outs, even though he supports the privatization of Social Security accounts. (I guess he got the memos from the WSJ and David Brooks). McCain also tried to throw animal parts at Obama, blaming him for the crisis and lobbyists (that McCain has 83 of working for his campaign), but I don't think it will stick.

McCain's an angry warrior, but commander in chief means more than just troops and battlefields engaging the enemy. You have to know who your enemies and allies are. Additionally, it means strategic positioning, both domestic and abroad--done prudently and soberly. McCain's desperate rhetoric jumped the shark today, and I think he cannot exercise leadership clearly in a storm.