For the second time, presidential hopefuls Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama went head to head over the issues in a debate.And again, both candidates did a poor job of giving voters the information they need to make an informed decision about who the next leader of our country will be.
When they were not busy attacking each other, they were hard at work bending – sometimes breaking – the truth to better fit their political need at the moment.
One poll Wednesday pointed to Obama as the winner of this latest round of political sparring, but we question whether either candidate really came out on top Tuesday night.
From Obama overstating the Iraqi government’s financial reserve by tens of billions of dollars to McCain distorting how his and his opponent’s medical insurance plans would work, neither candidate seemed to be able to tell Americans how their proposals really would affect us.
And while both men were quick to place blame for the problems facing the United States, neither seemed to be willing to be pinned down on the details of how to actually address them.
In fact, the only place where we can see both candidates were continually factually correct is when they were saying the other was wrong.
And that’s not what this country needs right now.
Given the scope of the issues facing the United States, both domestically and around the world, we need leaders who can look beyond politics and who are willing to work with both parties to find solutions.
We know it’s possible to do — but we only see this spirit of cooperation in times of real emergencies, like during the recent financial meltdown or in the days after Sept. 11, 2001.
If McCain and Obama want the American people to trust them with the highest office in the nation, they need to give us concrete answers to the questions put before them, stop tap-dancing around the truth, and show us they can put the welfare of the nation ahead of their own political aspirations.
If Tuesday’s debate is any indication, neither candidate has reached that point yet.
