Well, John McCain missed a lot of opportunities at the beginning of the debate, but he ended very, very strong.  His last three answers were strong, and his final answer was superb.  That answer made the difference between them very clear… during the last question, Barack Obama only talked about himself while John McCain talked about the country and how he hoped to work on behalf of the greater good.

Like the surge, John McCain ended with a winner… but I don’t know if it was enough.

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Here are a couple answers I wish I heard.

On Health Care.

The federal government oversaw Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and you see how well that went.  Government oversight (or lack thereof) of Fannie and Freddie was the catalyst that brought our economy to its knees, causing a complete collapse of our financial system, freezing the credit markets and a precipitating a $2 Trillion loss in American pension funds.  Do you really want the same people managing your health care?  You can not afford people using your health care for political purposes or personal power.  Your home may have lost its value because of government interference… what would they do to your health?

On Sacrifice.

First, all Americans need to tighten their belts.  Its not popular for a politician to tell you that, but I have always promised to be honest and tell you the truth.  I empathize with the struggles you are going through, we all are facing tough times.  But its not just tightening your belt, we have to get back to the ideals and values of our parents.  Americans need to remember the importance of personal responsibility.  We don’t need to go out and buy things we don’t need and put them on credit.  We don’t need to buy a $300,000 home if we only need or can afford one half that size.  Americans need to remember once again to live within their means.

That being said, I also don’t want to downplay the real suffering in this country.  Many people are hurting through no fault of their own.  So I am asking all of us to pitch in and help.  If you are doing ok and you know someone down the street is struggling, lend them a hand.  Whether through your church, through a charity, or on your own… now more than ever it is important to practice the Golden Rule and a few random acts of kindness.  You can be much more effective at reaching out to people where it is needed the most than the federal government ever could.  Please lend a hand.

And if you are a young, able bodied man or woman who wants a good job and great education, consider volunteering for our Armed Services.  The fine troops at home and abroad have been fighting for our country for a long time and they need some relief and back-up in their efforts.  Military service offers a great opportunity, it changed my life and afforded me more discipline and experience than I could have learned anywhere else.  It would be a great way for you to get involved and serve the greater good.

Earmarks.

Barack Obama wants to downplay earmarks, but my friends I believe that is a mistake.  The real cost of earmarks to the American taxpayer is not the $18 Billion they cost every year, but the hundreds of billions of dollars in legislation that gets passed because earmarks bought the votes.  Make no mistake about it, the true cost of earmarks are hundreds of billions of dollars and have a direct and devastating effect on our budget deficit and outrageous Washington spending.  That is why I have always refused to ask for earmarks in legislation and why I have fought them for my career.  I will not be bribed for my vote and nor should anyone else on Capitol Hill.

Cutting Spending.

Barack Obama says that a spending freeze would be like taking a hatchet to a problem that requires a scalpel.  I beg to differ.  We just passed a $700 Billion rescue package and are facing over $10 Trillion in federal debt.  My friends, combating spending on that level does indeed require a hatchet… there is not a scalpel big enough to fix this mess.

If you look at your credit card statements and realize you have too much debt, what do you do?  You don’t have the Treasury Department at your disposal to print more money, and you certainly can’t vote yourself a raise.  You have to look around at where you are spending your money and find places where you can create efficiencies, cut back and save.  You have to pay down that debt, otherwise you will never be able to get ahead.

That is exactly what our government needs to do.  We have to make some tough choices.  Some programs, even some good programs will have to be cut.  Some efficiencies will have to be found.  Its going to be tough, but if you have to do it in your home, there’s no reason why the federal government shouldn’t do it in the people’s house.  And I tell you the first place I would start.  Americans are losing jobs and wages are flat or have even fallen.  As a symbol of unity to the American people, I will ask Congress to cut the salary of every elected federal official by 10%.  Will that make a big difference to us?  Probably not… but its not fair for your budgets to be shrinking and us not to feel the pain with you.  We are all in this together, and we all must work together to climb our way out.