Let's elevate the presidential debate

There haven't been too many shining moments lately in the presidential race. And the journalists covering it must be daydreaming about how they'd rather be spending their summers.

Some of you have noticed and complained to us. The fact is, we and most other newspapers and broadcast outlets rely on a small pool of journalists to provide us with the campaign news of the day. News cooperatives like The Associated Press and Reuters travel with the candidates and provide the bulk of the coverage.

They haven't done their best work lately. We understand when the Rev. Jesse Jackson opens his mouth and starts spewing "n words" about Democratic nominee Barack Obama into live microphones, it's got to be covered.

But there seems to be too much of this sort of sideshow lately. Comedian Bernie Mac says a few things that offend plenty of people at an Obama fundraiser and stories are written. Too much time and money has been spent surveying people lately to see if they'd rather go to a barbecue with Republican nominee John McCain or Obama. McCain has a dog and Obama doesn't so for whom would you rather vote? How much time, effort and energy did we waste talking about whether it was good, bad or just plain stupid for the Obamas to let their two young daughters appear on "Access Hollywood?" And then there's The New Yorker satirical magazine cover. Was it really necessary for the campaigns to fuel a meaningless conversation by decrying it?

Yes, we're bashing our fellow journalists here a bit, but the candidates themselves play into the game of inanity too.

It's well past time to elevate the campaign discourse.

Perhaps this week, that move to a higher plane began when the talk and coverage turned to differences over McCain and Obama's views on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as Obama traveled there.

We need much more detailed, specific and analytical coverage of all of our foreign policy. We need much more sophisticated detail about the candidates' views on solving our energy crisis. Our housing and banking crisis. Our transportation gridlock crisis. Our health care coverage problems. Illegal immigration and our porous borders. Homeland security. How and where do McCain and Obama stand on abortion and adoption and gay marriage and gun violence?

This weekend at McCormick Place West in Chicago, thousands of the nation's minority journalists are gathered for their regular conference called Unity. On Sunday, Obama has committed to appearing and we hope McCain joins him for a forum to be carried on CNN. The conference and the candidates have a terrific opportunity in our own community to improve the campaign conversation.

Let's hope they all start talking about tackling our problems.