Let's change together!

That cry seems to be one espoused recently by the GOP, at least with regards to the upcoming debates. Sure, every time that a debate happens, there's discussion about what exactly the ground rules are going to be, but, largely, the rules are left in place from previous debates. That won't be the case with the Palin-Biden debate upcoming. It seems that the McCain campaign is a bit concerned that longer Q&A sessions will leave Palin exposed and on the defensive, so the rules are being changed.

Well, you know, this just seems fair. After all, Biden does have a lot more experience in politics than Palin. He's more well-known, and his positions have been fairly easy to locate for years, whereas Palin is still recreating herself from being the small-town "pitbull with lipstick" that she was even as governor of Alaska. So it just seems right to give a little consideration to her. Especially since we've seen plenty of news conferences and interviews with the candidate that allows her to explain her qualifications and views.

Wait. She's in a blackout that's almost as bad as the one Texas is currently dealing with from the hurricane. Sure, she's had her interviews with various news organizations, but either the reporters have been lobbing softball questions, they've been in the GOP pocket (we're looking at you, Hannity), or her confusion and lack of information about certain key topics has been glossed over. When it comes to a straight-up news conference, well, you can throw that right out the window. Admittedly, she's had one more recently than her running mate, but still. Going this long without allowing the media to find your flaws is, in many ways, an admission that the flaws are worse than you want to accept.

This is a time where we, as the American voter, should step up and make our voices heard. Is the Obama/Biden ticket the best possible choice? We have no idea, honestly. After all, you can't possibly make an informed decision on these things when one side of the equation refuses to actually play any sort of a hand and let people know their thoughts. Are there bigger issues out there for people to worry about? Yes, very much so. Still, we should be able to demand that the people trying to run for public office allow themselves to be displayed for the public eye. And we should be able to demand substance from that exposure. It's great that we can get pictures of the candidates shaking hands with world leaders. Now it's time to know what went on behind closed doors.

After all, if we can find out everything about a random celebrity, can't we get that same information about a politician?