It's Friday afternoon and I'm struggling to finish this edition of The Straight Poop so I can relax and watch the presidential debate this evening. I sure wish we could go back to the days when politicians weren't tools of the "spin doctors" and didn't seem so rehearsed. When was the last time you heard a candidate give a direct answer to a question; they always seem to have a stock little blurb that they adroitly weave into their "answer". And what about political ads... so negative, always taking things out of context, with the result that the target often seems to be in favor of just the opposite of what he really believes. So much distortion, it makes me sick.

I tend to favor one of the two candidates, but I try to be honest about it and with myself... both of them and their supporters engage in the stuff I'm talking about. I'm trying hard to look past the distortions, the spin, the half-truths, the partisanship, and make an intelligent decision based on reality.

Hope you'll do the same.