The Election’s Not Over

After months of hard-core coverage, tons of big banner headlines and more primary elections than you can shake a stick at, suddenly the election news is quiet. Now that all the little battles are over (McCain vs. the world, Obama vs. Clinton, etc.), there is only one last war to wage.

And yet…no one seems to care.

The news has slowed almost to a trickle and the television coverage is slim at best. But there’s a whole lot more to do before the country takes to the polls on November 4, 2008. Namely, aren’t there supposed to be some Presidential debates coming up?

The most famous of all Presidential debates is arguably the Kennedy-Nixon speeches of 1960, the first televised debates in U.S. history. The tradition of letting Presidential hopefuls stand up against each other and argue is a long and honored one, however, beginning as early as 1858. Back then, a man named Lincoln squared off against Stephen Douglas (U.S. Senator) for a series of seven arguments held around Illinois. And though Lincoln did not appear on many southern ballots (not at all), he went on to win in November and write several chapters of history.

I look forward to the debates every four years. With only a thin veneer of respectability and civility to shield them, these would-be leaders step forward to light into each other and the issues, striving to get their points across and emerge as the best candidate of the bunch. How these politicians appear during debates dictates the entire outcome of the election. There is nothing more exciting.

So…why aren’t we watching any right now? For reasons unknown, none of the country’s political parties have stepped forward to schedule debates between Obama and McCain (the Democratic and Republic Presidential candidates, respectively). As it stands, the only possible debates in the till are those which were scheduled last year. All dates are subject to change.

September 26 is supposed to see the candidates in Mississippi to talk about domestic policy. The Vice Presidential candidates (as yet unknown) will follow on October 2 in St. Louis. A town hall-style debate is scheduled between the President hopefuls on October 7 in Nashville. Foreign policy is the topic for the October 15 debate in New York. Another debate is scheduled for September 18, but none of the candidates have ever agreed to participate in this event.

We may be now experiencing a summer lull as the candidates scope out possible running mates, refine their strategies and memorize all the appropriate talking points. But with the return of fall will come a return of the hard-core politics that have marked this year’s election - which could become the most famous in the history of the country.

And if you’re ready to hang it all up because you can’t get on board with Obama’s message of change or McCain’s advanced age, you can also cast your votes for another party. The Libertarian Party has put forth Congressman Bob Barr, Chuck Baldwin has been named by the Constitution Party and the Green Party is behind Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Ralph Nader is also running independently.