Can I sit out 2008?

The 2008 election is being billed as the most important in out lifetime. This is in contrast to the 2004 election that was 'the most important in our lifetime'. It seems journalism can't survive without everything being a crisis or epic. This election isn't all that important - not anymore important than any other. Those who think otherwise are deluding themselves.

Contestants:
First off, we have three contestants of questionable moral character and certainly a lack of ethics. Obama is under fire for sticking by a guy who claims white people unleashed AIDS on blacks in America. Hillary can't recall if she ran for cover or was met by a little girl as she deplaned in Bosnia, and McCain has forgotten that he contemplated leaving the Republican party in a very public display not 6 years ago. The character in all three candidates certainly seems to be lacking regardless of your political bent. With contestants like these, statesmanship has not only left the building, but taken a slow boat to somewhere else.

Topics:
During this Presidential cycle, there is no calamity that must be overcome, and there isn't any divisive argument going on. You can use the war as an exception but you'd be wrong. 1) Regardless what any candidate says, no one is going to pull our troops out without a plan for Iraq to take over. That means more time. Candidates can lie and say otherwise, but it ain't gonna happen. Universal healthcare is not that important compared to the economy and safety, so it won't get scarce mention. As for the economy, it will take care of itself as it always has. The best the politicians can do is get out of the way and not impede it.

Timing:
For an election to be of importance (like this one isn't), there has to be a number of critical positions at stake with contestants taking decidedly different tacks. If Obama for instance suggested we convert to a distinctively Christian nation to a intolerant country of Islam, I'd be more inclined to agree that the election took on greater importance. If McCain suggested we invade Iran and start a draft to sustain the war, again, I would agree with the importance. If Hillary just wasn't so dislikable. Well you get the drift. The thing is, all three of these candidates are different flavors of the same lollipop. They just have nuances to make them different. And there isn't any external source that differentiates them that much.

So you have a choice. Choose any one of the bad candidates or consider wishing for someone with actual character to run in 2012.