What do Americans want to hear?

The town-hall style presidential debate last night wasn't the most interesting debate we've ever listened to, but it did raise a question in my mind. What is it that Americans want to hear from their president?

I thought McCain won the debate. It was the first time he gave some solid, detailed answers about his plans. He distanced himself from Bush and Obama. He set out a plan to help home owners with their mortgages, and he wasn't too silly. However, a CNN poll this morning said that Obama won the debate 52% to 30%. I was shocked the gap was that big, and then I realized the reason for this could be boiled down to the candidates responses and voters reactions to the following question.

Tom Brokaw asked the candidates this question - Is health care a right, a privilege or a responsibility?

McCain answered that it was a responsibility, and Obama answered that it was a right.

A FoxNews focus group said that that was the turning point in the debate for them. Until that point, a little more than half believed McCain was winning the debate - even as the topic up to that point was the economy. But, after the healthcare question, many in the focus group said Obama won that question and continued to win the rest of the debate.

Why? Why did McCain lose for saying it was a responsibility and that people should be given money to chose their own healthcare across state lines, and why did Obama win for saying it's a right and the government is going to provide everyone with health care coverage?

I think it's because Americans are changing. They want things done for them. The idea of small government - which allows the people to manage their lives is no longer appealing to many Americans. The idea of the government taking care of all the details is.

But, this didn't use to be the case. The pilgrims who crossed the ocean to come to a free America sacrificed almost everything they had to come to a country where they could live their lives the way they chose - not the way the Government chose for them.

Has it just become too hard to make the decisions ourselves? Have the insurance companies, banks, laywers, etc. made decision making so painful we'd rather not have the choice?