This is Floyd Wynne with THE VIEW FROM HERE (9-16-04)

Let’s try to make sense out of this presidential election.

First it was the Swift Boat veterans questioning the military record of John Kerry in Vietnam, and now it’s not only the Democrats but commentators such as Dan Rather questioning the military record of President Bush.

It has become obvious that the Swift Boat Vets were mainly out for revenge against Kerry because of his anti-war actions after he left Vietnam and while many of them were still in combat. Kerry had used a broad brush to paint all those engaged in combat in Vietnam as committing all kinds of atrocities.

That situation still stands with no comment forthcoming from the Kerry Campaign.

Now...Rather brings forth what he calls valid evidence of memos in which commanding officers complained of pressure to admit President Bush to the National Guard...and an order for him to take a physical exam which he apparently did not do. Evidence appears to be mounting that these memos are false and have been contrived on the computer. Time will tell.

Are either of these issues legitimate campaign issues?

Not in my book.

What happened some thirty or more years ago has little or no bearing on our future.

What the voting public wants to know rather is how are we progressing in Iraq.....how is the economy doing.....what are the candidates plans for health care.....for bolstering such things as Medicare and Social Security.

And...the overriding concern of most Americans is .....how secure are we today against another terrorist attack of the level of that of three years ago when thousands died in the attacks on the World Towers and the Pentagon.

Those really are the issues.

Instead we find most of the talking heads still intent on questioning why we ever went to war in Iraq.....and questioning whether we are safer today than we were back there in 2001.

As the days grow short between now and November....voters should look carefully on the real issues which seem to evolve around the question of leadership.

Looking up the calendar at our future as a nation.....it is a time...not for criticism....for name calling....for trumped up issues....but rather past time for an honest, clear discussion of the real issues that will determine the future course of this nation.

This is Floyd Wynne and that’s THE VIEW FROM HERE.