ISSUE: The fall campaign

OUR VIEW: Assess candidates and make a choice in important election 

While Americans are celebrating the end of summer and observing the work ethic that is recognized on Labor Day, Sen. John McCain and his Republican Party is at work at the GOP national convention looking to reverse momentum gained by Democrats at their national showcase this past week.

 

Prior to the conventions, McCain and Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama were running nearly even in national polls. That is expected to pretty much be the result after both parties are through with their time in the national spotlight.

 

Traditionally, Labor Day has marked the beginning of the fall campaign, but not just the Republican convention and its dates are different this time around, this presidential campaign has been going on for two years or more. It seems so long ago that Democrats came to Orangeburg in April 2007 for the first national debate.

 

Post-convention opinion and reflection on the candidates and their parties will come a bit later this year, but some advice is in order for voters now that the candidates are in place and the battle lines have been drawn.

 

The League of Women voters advises people to digest the campaign with an eye on:

 

* Catchwords — Beware of empty phrases such as “law and order” and “American values,” phrases designed to trigger a knee-jerk reaction without committing the candidate to anything specific. Try to translate such buzzwords into what the candidate is really saying.

 

* Passing the blame — When one candidate accuses another candidate of being the cause of a major problem such as high unemployment or a high crime rate, check it out. Serious problems are rarely attributable to one party or one person.

 

* Evading real issues — Many candidates try to avoid giving direct answers to questions. It is not enough for a candidate to say, for instance, “I’ve always been concerned about the high cost of health care,” and leave it at that. Watch out for candidates who talk about benefits and never mention costs or how a policy can be implemented.

 

* Emotional appeals — Listen to a candidate’s appeals and arguments. Then decide if they are targeting your emotions alone. Is the candidate trying to make you angry or fearful enough to accept certain arguments without question? Learn to spot manipulative techniques.

 

* Rumor mongering — Watch out for unsubstantiated statement or innuendo.

 

* Promising the sky — There are promises that no one in elective office can fulfill and problems that are beyond the reach of political solutions. Public officials can accomplish realistic goals, but voters should not expect miracles and candidates should not promise them. When you hear promises, promises, consider how realistic those promises are.

 

No matter how you decide on a candidate, decide. This is an important election.

 

If you aren’t registered to vote, there’s still a month now to do so to be eligible to vote in the November election. If you are registered, make a commitment to vote.

 

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