The other night instead of counting sheep, I decided to turn on the television. There was C-Span. What better way to drift off to sleep?

I was surprised not to find one of those 2-am arguments by a enraged representative to an empty chamber about funding for a road project in a remote section of Wyoming,

Instead, C-Span was broadcasting a focus group. There sat a group of Americans who look like America, but in this case somewhere in Pennsylvania, sitting around a table answering a wide range of questions about the upcoming elections.

The focus group facilitator was trying to draw out of the group their opinions about Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

What do you like about Senator Obama?

Are you ready for a woman president?

Who is the warmer candidate?

But what struck me as I watched this broadcast was how misinformed so many people around the table were when the discusison came to key issues in the campaign.

Some people in the focus group were confused about who our allies are in Europe.

There was confusion about who is fighting with us in Iraq and the administration's stated reasons for toppling Saddam Hussein.

It's a long way to the November elections. Each and every day we'll be bombarded with information about the candidates and the issues. The truth will surely not always be easy to find.

So, we're all going to have to do some homework and study.

This is a big election. Let's not get it wrong!

ZZZzzzzz

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