Do I really hate/love John McCain but love/hate Barack Obama?

I hate/love John McCain, but I love/hate Barack Obama!

This is what being spectator of a war between nations or religious factions might be about--loving your own nation or religious faction/denomination and hating the enemy (a.k.a. any other). Recently though, I find myself seeing people rooting for Barack Obama and others rooting for John McCain in the same way Sunni and Shiite Muslims have been going about their business in the Middle East for as long as I can remember.

And yes, I lived there for almost a decade and see the similarities all too well!

We have allowed America to be divided into two opposing hate-factions.

Jesus Christ taught us differently. He said that we are to

Love John McCain!

and

Love Barack Obama!

Perhaps I am naïve, but I think we should be more Christlike when discussing politics.

John McCain is an honorable American who served his country as a Naval Airman and has since served his country in the US Senate; he would make a great president.

Barack Obama is an honorable American who rose up on his own and achieved the American Dream, making his way through Harvard returning to his community and becoming a US Senator. He too would make a great president.

I'm sure people will not agree with both of those statements, however, these are two good men who I think deep in their hearts want the best for this country.

We (not those of us on TV, but regular voters) need to sit down and talk about candidates and issues. It's not always fun, but it is important.

When we divide ourselves into Republican and Democratic camps we lose what we need to have and that is a middle ground and a true discussion of the issues and the candidates.

Last night's debate and (even more so) this evening's Alfred E. Smith Dinner in New York during which both John McCain and Barack Obama joked with and jibed one another in good-natured humor was what I needed.

Yeh, I'll still have a favorite on November 4th, but I'll also congratulate the winner on November 5th.