As Election Day nears, the polls show more Americans favoring Sen. Barack Obama. But not only is his message of change resonating with the voters, Americans are seeing just how ugly some elements of the Republican Party faithful can be. Only on Election Day will we know that Americans are really supporting a black candidate as they say they are.

Perhaps we would be better off now if Sen. John McCain had been president rather than Bush. But today, his military valor notwithstanding, McCain is an unappealing candidate who has run an uninspired campaign. Failing to distance himself from the Bush administration's toxic legacy tops the list. With nothing fresh to contribute, McCain has been dismissive of Obama's candidacy while distorting the Democrat's platform.

McCain may have sealed his defeat before the convention by making Gov. Sarah Palin his running mate. She may be perfect for Alaska, but as a national candidate she has proved herself incompetent. Even some Republicans admit Palin is lost in her world of rhetorical gobbledygook.

READER BONUS

Believe it or not, the term "gobbledygook" was coined in the late 1930s by none other than the late U.S. Rep. Fontaine Maury Maverick, a Texas Democrat and relative of Matthew Fontaine Maury, the brilliant oceanographer and Fredericksburg-area native. I kid you not.

Richard Amrhine is a writer and editor with The Free Lance-Star.