"Knock-Out Punch!"

As most of you know, I am a boxing fan, and have been for many decades. I appreciate the skill and courage it takes to stand “toe to toe” with an opponent until the “best man wins”. I also believe any fight can change in a split second by that famous “lucky punch” that defeats a prospective winner and sends him to the canvas in the final round.

Many years ago, I remember a heavyweight championship fight between “Big John Tate”, who was holding one of the title belts, and Mike “Hercules” Weaver. Tate was big for that period of boxing, weighing in at 232 lbs., while Weaver was about 217 lbs., but in excellent condition. Tate was a good boxer with a steady jab, but with no real knockout punch. Weaver had a spotty record, but did have a knockout punch. The fight was a virtual boxing lesson from Tate to Weaver, with Tate controlling the ring like Patton controlling a battlefield; Weaver couldn’t do much of anything. Back then, title fights were 15 rounds instead of today’s 12 round bouts; those last three rounds were referred to as “the championship rounds”, which separated the contenders from the champions. The 15^th round started with Tate moving well and Weaver chasing him with little success, until the final minute of the bout when Weaver threw a sledge-hammer right hand and Tate fell to the canvas like a lump of potatoes, and didn’t get up. One punch changed the outcome of the entire fight! One moment in the fight, one mistake, cost John Tate the World Championship. When you are fighting for the “Title”, you cannot afford to make a mistake or you end up looking at the ceiling unable to get back up!

Tonight we will see the “Championship Rounds” in the Presidential Debates. Incumbent President Barack Hussein Obama will square off in the last of three debates with his challenger, former Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney. In the first two meetings, Romney appeared to have an edge over Mr. Obama, and this had been reflected in most of the reputable polls. Romney has been on a steady rise ever since the first debate, which he won convincingly from Obama. Romney took a few “body blows” from Obama in the second debate, but left virtually unscathed, leaving some real damage to Obama.

This evening’s debate will deal with foreign policy, and I am sure Mr. Obama may be a little worried about the subject matter, as he has been dealing with a credibility crisis over the killings in Benghazi a month ago. He must also defend his “off the mike comments” to the President of Russia a few months ago. He also must defend his reduction of our Eastern European defense shield. His record of appeasement toward our enemies and a weakening of our defense of Israel will definitely play a role in this debate.

Mr. Romney has proven himself to be a formidable adversary, being totally prepared in the first two debates, and I’m sure he will come out swinging some heavy blows at Obama’s record. I believe he has been well schooled about every misstep and mistake Obama has made over the course of his tenure in office, and he will be waiting to deliver his “knockout blow”.

This final debate may decide the outcome of the upcoming election, and it may be a bloody outcome. Obama is caught in his corner and Romney just keeps on coming forward, throwing punch after punch. The question for tonight is: Will we see that punch that Obama won’t be able to get up from; will he be left on the canvas?