Presidential Debate

On October 2, 2012 The Washington Post published a commentary titled “A prime-time chance for candidates to discuss the future”, written by their editorial board.  I believe the authors are adequately credible because they each specialize in different areas of politics within the Washington Post.  Their intended audience is voting Americans, viewers of the presidential debate, and those interested in the realm of this election.

The commentary claims that “the 2012 presidential election has been about the past.” “…we hope the candidates will devote more attention to the future: specifically, to what they hope to accomplish over the next four years.”  It argues that the recent presidential debate was hardly informative in establishing what each candidate would do if he was elected for president.  I have to say I completely agree. As an undecided voter I was looking at this debate as an opportunity to see more defined plan or path each candidate would take if elected, but I don’t feel that I got that at all.

The article argues that President Obama had nothing hopeful to offer the unemployed, or how he’d persuade Congress to move the nation from mounting debt, and how we will overcome failure. And Mr. Romney was not much different, promising to get the economy growing again, and reducing tax rates, and reduce government spending.  But how?  Well, we don’t know.  It seems they both have a magic solution they won’t share. 

Though I do think these topics are not cut and dry easy things to explain in a short debate, I believe it is their obligation to tell us their solutions to some of the major problems we face today. Yes you need to cut spending, but what will you cut?  A couple programs aren't going to cut it. I think their fear of losing votes limits what they tell us.  But this is our right to know.  Maybe if candidates started being open and honest about their true thoughts and solutions we would get more done. We would, in a sense, know what to expect when they take office, and not be surprised by the broken promises.  I say tell us the truth, not what you think we want to hear.