Halfway through the first presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama, it became apparent that Obama had a competitive edge over McCain. Despite my political leanings, I found myself drawn to the warmer personage of Obama and annoyed with McCain's mannerisms. Although the consensus is that no clear victor emerged from the carefully managed duologue, and lamentably for the press, there were not any juicy sound bites or major gaffes, I believe McCain lost the event.

Clearly, Obama boned up on foreign policy and economics and as usual, he was a personable speaker. McCain was crotchety, even more so than usual, and drew far too much on his distant past to really score under present circumstances. Jim Lehrer tried unsuccessfully to exploit the five-minute "draw your guns and fire!" segments, but his patronizing instructions to the candidates to talk directly to each other, as though they were at a couple's retreat weekend, just made me nauseous.

During the debate, I shouted at the television like a lunatic as though McCain might actually hear me. This silliness caused my three dogs to fling themselves against the back door in case I was vociferously offering them bones, but it did nothing to affect any political outcomes. With many a sigh, I rolled my eyes, twice at least, and watched McCain lose ground.

If McCain is, the left likes to paint him, a crusty old curmudgeon, then Obama is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crust cut off - nice, neat and perhaps tasty, but I like a little fiber in my political diet. The question of McCain's competence to lead is not what is currently holding him back in the polls. It is his strict adherence to the safety of his laurels that is restraining his campaign.

McCain's life experience, his intense dedication to the service of this country, and the weight of the nation's eyes are heavy stuff, but in order to gain certain hearts, minds and "chads," the man needs to step out of his political confines and lighten up. Both candidates have a solid base of voters. However, it is the independents and undecided who, at this point, will determine who wins this election. McCain, whether he likes it or not, needs to woo them and as Obama has shown, a little razzle-dazzle goes a long way.

At the same time, McCain needs to dismiss Obama rather than react defensively to him. As the elder statesman, McCain can effectively wield the weapon of experience, pat Obama on the back for a good effort and then send him to perhaps the University of California at Berkeley, where his socialistic utopian ideas would sit well in a first-year philosophy class.

The adage that politics is dirty business is true, yet it usually refers to what happens behind closed doors. Between now and November, what happens on stage may be much more influential. Uninformed voters don't really care that McCain has visited every country that ends in 'stan, that he was politically active during Reagan's SDI era (which to them probably sounds more like a sexually transmitted disease than a defense program) or that he is bipartisan although the word might get him a misguided "bi-five." Fans of the television show "Scrubs" will understand that last reference.

The younger, uninformed voters are influenced by how cool, fly and sick the candidate is. I had to get an urban dictionary to make that statement, but I think the meaning is clear. In other words, McCain needs to up his "hipness" quotient. Edgy is in and, right now, the word that better defines McCain is staid.

To increase his chances of success in November, McCain must be more willing to play the political popularity game while still holding fast to his well-respected principles. He needs to draw the eye, to produce a laugh based on something fresh, be anything but boring. He should take advantage of his maverick reputation, lose his temper just a wee bit and verbally bite Obama when he is vulnerable. Similarly, the next time Sarah Palin is challenged about her beauty pageant days, she ought to say, "You know what fellas? Hold my tiara and watch this!"

The two candidates need to flip-flop. Obama, no longer able to ride the crest of his glorious oratories of hope and the support of the Hollywood elite, needs to get serious. If his studious air at this last debate is any indication, he is now fully motivated to find ways to back up his words - even if it means redefining the "change" that he exhorted his followers to believe in. McCain on the other hand ought to work on getting some fainting in the aisles, hit the tanning machine, host "Saturday Night Live" and convince some folks that he, not Obama, may be the one they have been waiting for.