Cut to the Chase

“Stop beating around the bush” is the general consensus of attendees of tonight’s debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, who are frustrated that the candidates haven’t been giving straight answers to debate moderators’ questions.

 

 

“I want to hear what the candidates plan on doing about the economy and the war,” says retired New York Jets running back Curtis Martin, 35, who was attending the debate with fellow supporter of Sen. Barack Obama Caralina Williams, 31.

 

 

Williams, agreed, saying that she too was just hoping to hear “direct, real, responses and real information” and solutions to problems.

 

As Obama stays on message of how to repair the economy, voters are looking to which candidate can best solve the problems on Wall Street.

 

The economy has been tanking under the weight of the financial services bailout. Wednesday, the Dow Jones industrials plunged 733 points loss and erasing any hopes that the convulsions that have shaken Wall Street for a month were over, according to the Associated Press. The sell-off came as retailers reported the biggest drop in sales in three years and as a Federal Reserve snapshot showed Americans are spending less and manufacturing is slowing around the country, the AP writes.

 

Rickford Burke, a democratic political consultant and an “ardent” Obama supporter, is also focused on the economy. But unlike Williams and Martin he thinks that Obama has stayed on point and on message regarding the economy, education and foreign policy.

 

“Obama has clearly articulated his vision for healthcare, education and foreign policy… and I anticpate that he’ll do an excellent job,’ he says.

 

He is more disappointed with the tone and tenor of the campaign and what he says are the negative comments that have been said at Sen. John McCain’s campaign stops. But, he is happy that Obama has “risen above the fray amid the onslaught of sleave from the other side.” He thinks that will keep Obama in good stead.

 

Education and the economy were also the topics friends Sabrina Francois, a Hofstra senior, and Tiffany Bates, a first year Hofstra law student, wanted to hear honest answers

about. When asked what they would ask the candidates if they had a chance, both said they wanted to know “what the candidates would do to make sure education was affordable over the next four years.”

 

Do you hear that Obama and McCain? When moderator Bob Schieffer asks a question, don’t dodge it and obsfucte. Answer the question, and let your supporters and critics alike know what you’ll do to fix the problem.

 

Deborah Creighon Skinner is the editorial director at BlackEnterprise.com.