I watched the debate last night and I thought John McCain did a good job. I hate to admit it because I think we are ready for a change. So I kept thinking, why is it then that I would not vote for him? He is reasonable, understands the issues and has truly bucked the system. So why?

Then I though of Senator Obama. He looked and sounded presidential. He has a strong command of the issues but more than that, he was able to communicate his thoughts. He was inspiring and respectable. He listed to McCain. He sat still when McCain spoke. Then it hit me: McCain is not a negotiator.

So who cares? That is when it dawned on me that the next president of the United States will have to build, or rebuild, or repair many bridges. We face daunting problems that call for, not only bipartisanship, but global cooperation. Climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation and the economy are global problems that require worldwide participation in finding solutions. McCain's idea of a league of democracies is doomed to fail because it excludes many with whom we disagree.

Our domestic economic crisis has shown that we have some serious work ahead to fundamentally change the structures of finance in our country. Clearly, now we understand that the Government will step in to save these giant institutions so we must regulate them to limit our risk. We need Barak Obama to lead us through these dark times. We need someone who can sit with world leaders as well as leaders of Congress. Someone who can build consensus, who can inspire people to action. Watching the debate, it is not that I can better see Obama in this role, it is that I can't see John McCain in it.

John McCain strikes me as the kid who will take his marbles somewhere else if he does not get his way and we simply can't afford four more years. John McCain brags about how he is not liked by his own party and this points to an uncompromising vetoer that would exacerbate the gridlock in Washington. We need someone who can negotiate and compromise. But consider this, if something were to happen to this 72 year old cancer survivor, try to picture Governor Palin presiding over the White House and sitting across the table from Putin or Pelosi to find common ground and move treaties or legislation forward. I just don't see it as clearly as one sees Russia from Alaska.