commentaries

Slow down the reporting on who is ahead today. That is the LAZY journalist. Tell us about what each has done and wants to do. Tell us about the hurdles each policy will face and just how big / small is the lever the president controls over the economy.

The campaign for the presidency is way too long. It seems to begin in the press with the inauguration. For the next four years all we hear about is the election. And, with the primaries and caucuses strong out for months we face a period of being bombarded with media both in terms of "coverage" and also in negative ads. Each slip or gaff is given way too much space with the substance of the candidate's total message lost. Millions of dollars are spent. The only good thing about it is that it provides employment for professional pols, pundits, and campaign workers. I think the whole process is terrible!

Yes, for the last 3 years all we have heard is "Make Obama a ONE term President". I guess that is all the GOP had for "goals" for their constituants -- not Jobs, etc. etc.

I'd personally want to hear both the candidates positions and also their gaffes. I think it's very important that the "ruler of the free world" has a strong ability in their choice of words. We wouldn't want to cause an international crisis over a poorly phrased comment. Saying Russia is "our number one geopolitical foe" might rally his neo-con followers, but it's a guaranteed approach to get more UN Security Council vetos on resolutions the world needs.

"Yes, for the last 3 years all we have heard is "Make Obama a ONE term President"."

I remember the Democrats in 2001 - 2004 trying to help Bush become a 2 term President. Boy, those were the days! Remember how excited they were to help him be re-elected and the parties they threw to celebrate his 2nd term! Wow, I miss the good old days.

"The campaign for the presidency is way too long". Agreed. Obama started it before he became a State Senator in Illinois and has never stopped.

skeetr: "I remember the Democrats in 2001 - 2004 trying to help Bush become a 2 term President." You never heard, within a month of Bush's inauguration, that the PRIMARY goal of the Democrats in Congress was to make Bush a one-term president. The GOP has focused on three things since January 2009: blocking ALL major initiatives of this administration, tax cuts for the richest Americans and stifling the economy to prevent Obama's re-election. Jobs never even made their list. when they weren't busy blocking economic programs to spur hiring, they were trying to pass bills to eliminate women's rights to health care and cutting essential programs for the poor and middle class.

"Obama started it before he became a State Senator in Illinois and has never stopped."................Glass house time again: Romney's been running for prez for 7 years non-stop now. Put away your stones? He also criticized Obama for spending "too much time at Harvard" when, in fact, he himself spent more time there than Obama. This guy's just gotta stop saying dumb stuff about his opponent when he's far "guiltier" of everything he's accusing Obama of!

"Romney's been running for prez for 7..." At least he had private industry and political experience before launching the marathon. Obama had neither.