JOLLY DAYS

Obama/McCain

Barack Obama's appearance on Charlie Rose was such an oasis of sanity, of intelligence, you would never know that this was an age of swirling contentiousness. Obama exudes confidence and balance — you just feel he understands that politics is about dialogue and negotiation.

If Obama/Lieberman ran against McCain/Rice in 2008 the country couldn't lose. I don't agree with some of Obama's approach, nor for that matter, with much that McCain advocates. But trust is paramount right now: when was the last presidential election in which you felt a degree of cautious admiration for the candidates?