Kennedy, Nixon, Obama, McCain

I had the unique (and I say unique because who wasn't in front of the tv last night?) opportunity to listen to the debate on A.M. radio last night because I was driving home from my class. I felt a nostalgic connection to the days of old, and wondered if I would get a different feel for the two candidates, much like the radio audience differed from the television audience in their opinion of Kennedy and Nixon.

Sure enough I got a very unique feel (helped, probably, by my neutral stance towards both candidates).

The voice of McCain sounds absolutely ancient. I could barely hear him, he sounded like an old, tired grandpa who just ate a huge meal and is trying not to fall asleep by telling stories in a soft voice about how things were when the family had one TV and 3 channels (two during rain).
The voice of Obama sounds like someone tired of talking to stupid people. Starting every answer with "Look, ..." makes him sound like he's talking down to people, like we're all too ignorant to understand the issues completely; we need a dumbed-down summary.

The part where Obama refused to answer the medicare question so he could go after McCain on taxes I found unusually grating. If your opponent has raised your ire enough that you are abandoning the pre-agreed debate format...that means your opponent is beating you.

I also thought the first hour of the debate sound like this:
"My opponent loves special interests"
"Well my opponent loves special interests even more"
"Well my opponent loves special interests times infinity"
"Well my opponent love special interests times infinity plus one"
"Well my opponent loves special interests infinity times infinity plus infinity. Ha!"

I kept waiting for someone to say something exceptionally stupid, and McCain finally did. McCain argued we should "look at record, not rhetoric" and chided Obama for voting for tax increases. Then later on a question about climate change, McCain promised that he's for fixing the environment (through vague, broad changes that let's face it, will never come to fruition) and Obama pounced, point to McCain's desire to look at record not rhetoric and pointed out McCain voting against carbon emission controls 26 times. Nice move, Obama.

Anyway, overall I got a strong impression (that I hadn't really felt before) that Mr. Obama is very, very smart.
I got the impression that Mr. McCain was very old, but that was not something new to me.

If both these candidates have (and make no mistake, they have) taken money and advice from special interest crooks, and they both have good and bad ideas, and they both supported the bailout, and they both want more regulation, etc etc...
...all things being equal, my vote will probably go to the man with the higher IQ.