Elizabeth Edwards: On real issues of the Superficial

FOR the last month, news media attention was focused on Pennsylvania and its Democratic primary. Given the gargantuan effort, what did we learn?Well, the rancor of the campaign was covered. The amount of money spent was covered. But in Pennsylvania, as in the rest of the country this political season, the information about the candidates’ priorities, policies and principles — information that voters will need to choose the next president — too often did not make the cut.The problem today unfortunately is that voters who take their responsibility to be informed seriously enough to search out information about the candidates are finding it harder and harder to do so, particularly if they do not have access to the Internet.
Issues that could make a difference in the lives
of Americans didn’t fit into the narrative template and, therefore, took a back seat to these superficialities.
Did you, for example, ever know a single fact about Joe Biden’s health care plan?
Anything at all? But let me guess, you know Barack Obama’s bowling score.
We are choosing a president, the next leader of the free world. We are not buying soap, and we are not choosing a court clerk with primarily administrative duties.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/opinion/27edwards.html