Woe to us!

The campaigns are winding down, and not a moment too soon. So far Obama's been accused of cavorting with terrorists and McCain of being a reincarnated GWB. Attack ads are dominating the airways, not just by the presidential candidates, but by senatorial candidates, the RNC and DNC and those committees senatorial campaign sub-committees.
Half-truths and lies have been common in political campaigns since Thomas Jefferson played dirty in 1800, using surrogates to cast aspersions upon John Adams. Yes, even before that, Aaron Burr worked against Adams during his first election, trying to rig the electoral vote.
This year, however, seems worse than many in memory, or at least in my memory. And the sad thing is, after all the rhetoric is done, all the claims and counter-claims, all the millions and millions spent to tell us how bad the other guy is, neither candidate appears capable of addressing a solution to the economic morass in which we've found ourselves.
Now, I don't expect one person to have an answer to it; it took most of the government to screw it up in the first place, both republicans and democrats again are equally culpable in this fiasco. But neither one has a clear enough grasp of how our country's business works to be able to concoct a workable general outline for progress. Both point the finger to Wall Street, both point to corporate and executive greed. But neither will admit or acknowledge Congress's part in all this. Why should they, they were part of it, happily politicizing away while all this went on.
There are alot of us who have been laid off from financial insitutions who, during our tenure there, raised the red flags, voiced concern and documented the issues. That's why we were laid off, in many cases. But look at this exchange: Rep. Barney Frank to FannieMae chairman Raines, "Do you feel you are under regulated?" Chairman Raines, "No I do not." Rep. Frank, "Then what are we doing here?" Look this up, it was part of one of Barney Franks show trials that did nothing but extend the problem; now he stands back and acts concerned over lax regulation.
Yes, W was an idiot too. There was collusion to make sure everyone could afford to get into a home, whether they could really afford it or not. So lax regulation became "government issue." It looks good politically to show how many more people are in homes than renting under your reign. Unfortunately, now those same people are in foreclosure, bankruptcy and other dire economic straights.
Okay, so I ramble. The upshot of all this is, I'm not keen on either one of these guys. If we're looking for change in Washington, it won't happen under either Obama or McCain no matter what they say. The political parties and a one-party congress assures it; even if the rancor between the parties could be turned to bi-partisanship, the game is the same.
Don't expect change; wish for it all you want, but don't expect it.