If discussion of how many heads of state can be named or the size of the venue for an acceptance speech helps anyone really reach any conclusions regarding the candidates, I'd be disappointed in this group. I know that kind of banter doesn't help me decide.

How about this for something more meaningful to debate...

In the past eight years the federal treasury has moved from a balanced budget to annual spending exceeding revenues so dramatically that a deficit of almost $10 trillion dollars has resulted. The U.S. has become the largest debtor nation in the world by a significant measure. John McCain says he will continue the fiscal policies of the past eight years and has made further tax cuts an important plank in his campaign platform. Barack Obama on the other hand has presented a variety of campaign proposals without clearly delineating how they would be paid for. Adoption of such proposals would also further increase the deficit. Some financial experts have opined that neither candidate can fulfill their campaign promises without further increases in the deficit and that either dramatic spending cuts or significant increases in tax revenues will be necessary to begin to reduce the deficit.

Which candidate appears the more likely to begin the process of the necessary fiscal discipline needed to return the sorely needed balance to the costs of the federal government? Which one should we entrust to resolve the U.S. fiscal crisis for the next four years?