Looking Forward to Next Debate?A Bit of Proactive Fact-checking

By now, I'm sure everyone is wondering what will come up during the next debate, as it has become clear that the debates are having an effect on voter attitudes.  On Friday, we will see the the two major candidates for the Presidency debate in front of a town-hall type of meeting.

There is no way of knowing what topics will come up. Given the recent unfavorable reports out of Iraq, that is certain to be one topic.  The economy, health care, and education are other likely topics.  In fact, you may recall that Mr. Bush previously referred to himself as an "education president," based in part upon the changes he directed in the public school system in Texas.  That may be eclipsed somewhat, though, because the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) initiative is now the centerpiece of his education initiative.

Granted, education it is not thought  to be the most important topic.  Although it makes the list  of top voter concerns, it is only number six.  Therefore, it is not likely to influence many votes.  Only five percent of people ranked it as their highest concern.  Most recent polls indicate the "the economy" is the highest priority.  This is short-sighted, but true. 

The reason I say that it is short-sighted (to rank economic issues ahead of education) is that a strong economy actually depends upon good education -- as does national security, health care, and any other issue you might care to consider as a priority for our political system. 

How about if we do a little fact-checking before  the debate?  Read the rest at The Rest of the Story.