Get to the Point Candidates

One of the biggest complaints of the first presidential debate was that the candidates did not give enough specificity. Last night’s debate held at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, proved to give audiences more of the same vague, political rhetoric that did not offer tangible solutions. Although the candidates met in a town hall format, which actually, according to Adam Nagourney of the NY Times, “produced an often stifled encounter,” they did not answer the audience’s questions with personal, specific answers, relying on the same “straightjacket of talking points” as Tom Curry, national affairs writer of MSNBC phrases it. Instead of addressing how their own plan would benefit the economy without putting burdening it with more tax cuts, lost profits, and sacrifices the American people would have to make, McCain and Obama pointed fingers at the other, talking of the other’s role in this current financial crisis. Both candidates offered very different explanations as to why America is in the state it’s in.
This debate does not appear to be momentous for either candidate as the public continues to favor Obama in his 4.9% lead in the national polls. However McCain and Obama need to step up and offer the country leadership, straight-forward answers, and clear plans if either of them is to restore confidence in the American public.