Thanks, But No Thanks, Osama
Weekly commentary by Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer.
During every election that I can remember, someone said, `This is the most important election of our time.' Sometimes that's right. Sometimes it's wrong. The election at the moment always seemed more important than the last one, but we do know one thing about this one: It is about something.
If I ever figured out what the last one was about, I've forgotten; lock boxes or some such. This time, there is some serious business on the table, a war for one thing, and as if we needed reminding, there was Osama bin Laden on our television sounding as if we would take seriously whatever he said. Thanks but no thanks to Osama. We'll handle this without your advice.
The part you don't seem to understand is that we fight and argue among ourselves but it makes us better. We had a nasty row over ratifying our Constitution back in the beginning, much nastier and more personal than even the current election, but we got a pretty good document out of it and what we think is the best country that ever was.
We're not arguing about what to do, just how to go about it. The thing for you to understand is that no matter who wins the argument here, you lose. So spare us the videotapes and the advice. We've got some voting to do.
By Bob Schieffer