And so it begins

My husband and I agree that the National Conventions, both RNC and DNC, are more like theater than politics. Scripted, rehearsed, staged. Theater. They are more about pumping up the party and introducing people than they are about issues, stances, or specifics.

So yeah, we watched the RNC and Palin's and McCain's speeches, as apparently everyone else did - the ratings for Palin's speech were higher than the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. She was such an unknown, such a wild card, that we all wanted to check her out. And she spoke well, I will be the first to give her that.

But it's one thing to deliver a written speech and quite another to face the nation during debates, live visits, and meet and greets where all of the candidates will have to speak off the cuff. They will have to be knowledgeable about issues and be prepared to back up their positions when challenged. In fact, they'll actually have to take a stand on issues, not just spit out sound bites.

And that goes for both parties. I'm tough on the Republicans, but Democrats do the same thing. Most politicians do. If it can't be played in a 20-second clip on the news, it apparently is not worth uttering.

Here is my wish - that someone would actually list out the stances of each candidate, complete with pros and cons, without judgment or favor. Tell me clearly that when McCain says he is "for education", he means he supports school vouchers, and what the pros and cons are of the program. When Obama says he is "for education," what does that mean? More money? Smaller class sizes? French fries for lunch? JUST TELL ME.