Why I am not a politician (and another book recommendation!)

I was at rehearsal during the debate tonight.
... also during what turned out to be the final game of the NLCS.

I am, however, breaking with tradition, and watching the re-run of the debate in its entirety.

Senator Obama passed up a good number of opportunities to get nasty - in his polite way.
Instead, he continually sought to bring the discussion "back to basics" (an erstwhile slogan of the Fortune 100 company for which I once worked).

In doing so, he accepted the premise of a delightful not-so-little book: Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion, by Jay Heinrichs.
[Note: this book is in print, and available from Amazon at the link above!]

The premise? That the point of debate and argument is not to score points, but to get people to do what you want them to!
On this criterion, it seems to me that Sen. Obama 'won' - presenting himself as a "Presidential" presidential candidate, and perhaps convincing at least some of the "undecideds" to vote for him on 4 November.

Me? I would have gone for scoring points!... again: "Why I am not a politician!"

Please - regardless of your political preferences: VOTE!!!