Character and Politics

With the presidential election only a few weeks away and the country facing one of its most serious financial crisis in over half a century, have you noticed the tone of the political advertising?  Rather than provide solutions to problems that face all of us and the world, the personal attacks by the candidates have increased.  It is a sad day when we have to question the character of the four people who have been selected to run for President and Vice President rather than focus on the issues - the economy, healthcare, education, terrorism, taxes, etc.  One of the two parties will win.  And the other party and the country will have to live with the results for the next four years.  Can't we assume that Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin are patriots, are people who sincerely want to help the country though they may have different philosophies as to how it should be done?  We Little Rox have been around since our country was formed - and there's no doubt that our forefathers, the great patriots who helped create our great nation, had major differences - whether to be a manufacturing society (North) or agrarian society (South) - but even then, it was a difference of opinion.  Character is very important in our candidates - but let's assume that the nominees have good character.  How do we get ourselves on track? That should be the issue.