I'm not the only one who is lamenting what has become of this once exciting Presidential election. I mean it's still exciting - the first election since 1952 in which a sitting President or Vice President isn't running for election. But in the past week this campaign has focused barely on issues and almost entirely on personalities.
So in the interest of our children and our own sanity, allow me to offer this: STOP THE NONSENSE!
And by "nonsense" I mean talking about lipstick on pigs, and anything personal.
Hello? Are we teetering on a recession? And despite all this talk about how well the war is going -- the truth is that the situation in Iraq is a stalemate; has there really been a political settlement there? Our planet is warming, which is, as we've seen, warming the waters and that makes for stronger hurricanes. Millions are without health care, millions of others have inadequate educations, and millions more face a housing crisis.
Let's talk about that. Let's get this election back on track.
I know I'm not alone, and I know this is simplistic. But it does seem rather simple to me - talk about issues, and people will care. Talk about lipstick on pigs, and most people won't give a pig's lip about it. Tell us what you think in a 7online.com poll by clicking here.
Hopefully, Charlie Gibson, when he sits down with Sarah Palin tomorrow in Alaska for the first of several days of interviews, will help right this disturbing ship. No one's better than Charlie in these situations.
We'll have the latest on the campaign, tonight at 11, which includes Bill Clinton in town to speak at a 9-11 event, and the two Presidential candidates, and their running mates, will also be here for the 7th anniversary memorial of the terror attacks.
Speaking of which, Liz Cho and I will be anchoring our coverage of the memorial, beginning tomorrow morning at 8:25. It is always an emotional event - even for those who think they are "over" the trauma of that day, and for those who think broadcast TV stations should not cover the event wall-to-wall. It is a moving experience every year. And for the people whose loved ones were killed on Sept. 11, the pain is still real - very real.
We'll also have any breaking news of the night, plus Lee Goldberg's AccuWeather forecast, and Scott Clark with the night's sports. I hope you can join Liz Cho and me, tonight at 11.
BILL RITTER
