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EDITORIAL: Use your front-row seat wisely(Wisconsin State Journal, The (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sep. 6--If you've been reading the regular "Factcheck" feature in the State Journal, you know that most of Barack Obama's and John McCain's television commercials are misleading if not blatantly false. Polarizing talk radio -- on the left and the right -- isn't much better for thoughtful citizens trying to decipher each candidate's views. Voters in the swing state of Wisconsin need to get past the hype in this important presidential election. They need to do their homework and vote for the best-equipped candidate to tackle the nation's many growing problems. The politically-independent Wisconsin State Journal editorial board will be doing the same thing as we prepare to endorse Obama or McCain early next month. We will then feature reader views on whom to vote for during the final four weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 election. Wisconsin has a well-deserved reputation for picking candidates based on who they are and what they stand for, regardless of their political party affiliation. In fact, opinion polls suggest Wisconsin is home to more independents than Democrats or Republicans. Wisconsin could go either way in the race for the White House. And because of that, the candidates and their high-profile surrogates are anxiously traversing the state. McCain and his vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, visited Cedarburg on Friday morning -- their first public appearance after McCain accepted the GOP nomination at the Republican convention Thursday night in St. Paul, Minn. Obama stopped in Milwaukee on Labor Day last week, the same day the Republican convention began. Obama also visited Eau Claire a week before that as he made his way to the Democratic convention in Denver. Wisconsin voters should take advantage of the front-row seats both of the major party candidates have given us. Go see them in person if you can. Read the coverage of their visits and positions in print and online. Dig into their action plans and track records. And keep watching for more "Factcheck" analysis in the front section of our newspaper. Key issues that will weigh into the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board's decision will be the economy, energy crisis, massive national debt, foreign policy, extreme partisanship, tax policy, rising health care costs and the environment. Make up your own list. Do your homework. Then tell our editorial board and readers whom you will vote for and why. America needs a great leader. Help your nation choose wisely this fall. To see more of The Wisconsin State Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wisconsinstatejournal.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Wisconsin State Journal Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |