Debate Round 2: the price of Government

Last night was Round 2 and no damage was done. Both candidates stuck to talking points. The only thing different was they occasionally strolled over towards the questioner. I did notice little lines on the floor, was that a zone of personal space? Does the ghost of Al Gore live on in these debates?
The conventional wisdom was that McCain needed a game changer and, if he did, he did not get it last night. After he came roaring out of the convention, I am left to wonder where the campaign is going. His big announcement last night was that he was going to spend $300 billion to buy up home mortgages. A noble idea perhaps, but how do you turn around and paint your opponent as a big spender when you opened up the federal treasury first?
He went out of his way to mention his friendships with Joe Lieberman and Ted Kennedy. People who like Ted Kennedy are not voting for John McCain. Joe Lieberman is not too popular with many Democrats and if you believe what you hear, the Republican Party was going to revolt if McCain tried to make him his running mate. So, what do you gain by touting your relationship with them?
Obama was more of the same. Lots of eloquence, lots of promises and a good fitting suit. He is never forced to explain anything or address the inconsistencies in his votes and his proposals. try it and you hear "that's the old politics".
So what should McCain have done or said? What follows is one person's humble and not very valuable, opinion on what a McCain closing statement should be:

"My fellow Americans, these are times like we have never seen before. Two wars and a financial system in turmoil. September 11 represented failures of government to protect us. Katrina represented failures of government to assist those in need. The financial meltdown represents a failure of government to ensure that Wall Street played by the rules. Three massive failures of government.
My opponent wants to blame a single party, a single President or even a single Senator from Arizona for these failures, but he is wrong. These are failures of our government as an insitution stretching across administrations and to both sides of the aisle. It is a world where lobbyists wrote the bills and unions strong armed the votes. The American people were expected to simply pay the tab.
My opponent's answer to these massive failures in government is: let's make the government bigger. Let's create more agencies. Let's let lobbyists and unions craft more bills. Let expand the tax code. Let's continue to feed this monster we call government and "hope" it "changes".
My friends, enough is enough. Government does not need to be bigger to work better. We need to reduce government spending. We need to prioritize. DNA studies on bears and overhead projectors for museums in Chicago will not be on that list of priorities. What will be on that list are programs that protect the American people from those that would do us harm; programs that are there to assist when disasters strike; programs that ensure Wall Street plays by the rules.
We tried the bargain with big government and we paid handsomely for it, yet the war on poverty did not end poverty, the department of energy has not brought us energy independence and the department of education has spent more money while more kids fail to graduate from high school or, if they do, cannot read at grade level. To all of this my opponent says, let's spend more. Trust us to get it right this time. What has government done to earn your trust and more importantly, more of your money?
Only when government is forced to live like the rest of us, will it work for us. Every day you have to prove yourselves to your boss, your family and your community. Shouldn't government have to do the same? This is supposed to be government of the people, by the people and for the people. It is time to say enough is enough. Government must live within its means, reduce its size and prove it can work for the American people. As President that is what I will demand. As voters that is what you should expect."

McCain has not articulated what I feel is a clear "government is the problem" argument. Ronald Reagan made that argument in 1980 and he was right. Unfortunately subsequent Administrations mislead themselves into believing they could control and grow government.

Right now John McCain is feeling a lot more like Bob Dole 1996: hero, good man, would be a good President, but likely will not get that chance. Maybe he can summon the ghost of Reagan in these last weeks. John McCain needs Reagan voters because he is never going to get Kennedy or Lieberman voters. Time to sound the call Senator McCain or plan on spending Inauguration Day sitting in the cheap seats.