The answers Americans need to know

I have made an effort to keep politics out of my blog, but tonight I have to write something. As I was watching the CBS Evening News, with Katie Couric, (which, by the way, seems so pro-Obama that I almost forgot who the other candidate was! Which leads me to question why it is so hard for news shows to be completely unbiased. But that is another blog for another day), they had a segment called "Presidential questions". Finally, I thought, a place where the candidates will be asked the questions that we want answered. You know the questions I am talking about: "What tax reforms will you implement as president?"; or "What is your plan to end terrorism?" and questions such as those. Well, my dear friends, the questions they were asked were "What do you see as your opponents strengths and weaknesses?" and "When was the last time you cried?" Are you serious?? We are less than 2 weeks away from an election and Katie is wasting our time with these questions! What about "Do you prefer smooth or chunky peanut butter?" or even "If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?" Come on people. We need to know where the candidates stand on the issues that will impact our lives. Do I care about the last time John McCain cried? NO! But I do care about whether or not he will raise my taxes. Do I care about what Obama thinks is McCain's biggest weakness? HECK NO! But I do care about whether or not he is going to keep this country safe.

Maybe it's the Canadian in me coming out again. As Canadians, we have very little interest in the personal lives of our leaders. I remember a political culture class I took in University (in Canada). Our professor started the first class by asking us who the president of the United States was. We answered. Then he asked what the president's wife's name was; if he had any children and their names; where he was from; what he named his dog; and where he went to University. We, as a class, were able to answer all of these questions correctly. Then the Professor asked us who the Prime Minister of Canada was. We answered. Then he proceeded to ask us the same questions about our Prime Minister as he asked about the US president. After the question about the his wife's name, we were stumped. We had no idea where he was from, if he had children or even if he had a dog. I think it is because Canadians are fairly private people and we respect the privacy of others. It is rare that a politician's personal life makes it on the evening news. But here in the United States, the personal life seems to be just as important as the candidate's stand on the issues.

So, my fellow, American, you can sleep well tonight, because, thanks to Katie and the CBS news, we now know when McCain and Obama last cried. Good night and happy voting.