Maybe we can only see the real signs of the apocalypse after the fact. While most of us accepted Paul Newman’s passing with the usual homilies (he lived a good long life, after all) it seems now that his death may have heralded the end of the world as we know it. What’s happened since September 27? Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Bros, Goldman, AIG, and oops here come the four horsemen…

For Newman was nothing if not cool. I remember going to see Cool Hand Luke with my mother and little brother and sister when I was probably 13. Leaving the theater in Sacramento I felt so transformed, so drawn to that vision of a swinging ne’er-do-well that I lurked in the shadows beside my mother’s car, pretending I was ten years older than I was until my little sister blew the mood by yelling, “Hey, look it’s Cool Hand Luke!”

Newman was cool before then, of course, but most remarkably he remained that way to the end. Not just because of the low-key roles he chose (or had scripted for him) but for the way he lived his life: quietly, with the woman he loved, giving all the money from his food business to charity, putting his money where his mouth was in politics too — he was a mensch. He didn’t go all squirrelly in the face of death like Steve McQueen (who tried to fight his cancer with coffee enemas and prayer) or Brando (who we loved for his eccentricities but you can’t really say anyone who puts on two hundred pounds is cool). In fact he barely got around to mentioning it…

Now the world is flipping. Internationally brokers seem to be driving off the cliff together as in some insane game of chicken. Roman candles like James Cramer are telling everyone to sell everything. Things have gotten so bad at McCain-Palin rallies that JMC actually had to tell his supporters that Obama is an honorable man and not to be feared — and was booed for his troubles. Where, my friends, is the cool?

Well, if you watched the last presidential debate you saw it. Obama may be untried, he made be playing his cards too close to his vest for some and not getting riled up enough for others. But what I see is someone who is trying to run out the clock, sure, but who is also sending a signal as the stars fall from the sky that this is how you deal with crises: Stay cool. He’s like one of those great quarterbacks (Joe Montana?) who could pick his man out in a maelstrom and hit from all the way downfield. 

Hey, let’s give him the ball!