In an interview on TV this morning, a panel was discussing how the presidential campaign has become nothing more than a backward-looking, mean-spirited, tit-for-tat exchange of criticisms between the candidates. Both the conservative and liberal members of the panel berated the idea that the electorate would be forced to decide who to vote for without either candidate ever laying out his view, his plan, for addressing the issues facing the country. With the massive fiscal problems facing the country, healthcare problems, a failing education system, an infrastructure that is aging and falling apart, unaffordable entitlement programs, fragile foreign policy, even the takeover of our government by special interests--none of that is being addressed by either candidate. No plans are set forth, discussed or debated. No detail of the very general campaign statements is ever provided, never demanded by the public. Only denouncements and personal criticism of the candidates for each other.

One of the panelists, Carl Bernstein of the Washington Post, opined that the campaign is unlikely to change because the candidates are simply appealing to the "lowest common denominator" among the electorate. They both are feeding the public the meaningless, backward-looking, word parsing, number manipulating, misleading messages that the public apparently wants to hear. It's pretty clear that the electorate, both the political base voters left and right, as well as the small percentage that's undecided, are willing to permit the candidates to continue this bloviating, vitriolic diatribe.

I would propose that this forum not become "the lowest common denominator". There's nothing wrong with supporting one candidate or the other. But to continue personal attacks, backward-looking criticism, or simply repeating the same narrow, planless, often inaccurate, misleading statements made by partisan politicians or partisan media does none of us any good in understanding the issues and what our realistic choices are for addressing them.

I for one will refuse to be part of the lowest common denominator. I hope this forum can rise above that level as well.