It is October. Classes are back in full swing, the weather is changing, midterms are over and we are knee deep in a presidential election. Con-ventions have voted on candidates, vice presidents have been picked and the mud is a-flyin’.

There is so much talk of multiple houses, crooked housing authorities, pregnant daughters, fist pounds and million-dollar middle classes that political pundits have turned into nothing more than squawking Cassandras.

Too many blogs filled with political jargon and not enough people to care. All Barack Obama says is “Hope this” and “Change that.” John McCain is too busy defending Sarah Palin by branding the media as a bunch of sexist vultures to say anything at all.

In the midst of it all is you, the voter. What do you hear? Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It never subsides and it never seems to improve. Last time I checked, we were electing the president of the United States, not of a high school. I’m pretty sure that the Student Government Association elections were more focused on the issues than these people are.

It’s funny … almost.

I was watching CNN in an attempt to hear something worthwhile, and they were showing footage of the McCain-Palin family on the tarmac, waiting for McCain to get out of his plane. The footage went to split-screen and they showed Obama giving a speech in Ohio. I listened for about 10 minutes before I realized that he wasn’t really saying anything. He said ‘hope’ a couple times, called McCain out of touch, and then started talking about people from all over the country who were facing hardships.

Betty can’t pay for her medicine. Phil got laid off from the steel plant. Jessica can’t pay her student loans.

What Obama failed to say was how he plans on fixing the economy. How he plans on bringing jobs back from overseas. How he will make college affordable. How he plans to give hope to those engulfed in debt.

McCain is no better. I can’t remember the last time he outlined a social, economic or military plan.

This is really frustrating. Someone recently said that this will be an election of personalities, not issues. I hope not. Given the state of our crippled economy, our two wars in the Middle East and our failing education and health care systems, I would be appalled if people only saw “Young liberal” and “Old Fart Conservative” on the ballot sheet in November and decided using the same criteria as when they see the Best and Worst Dressed section of People magazine.

Don’t you think people should be wondering where McCain stands on stem cell research instead of how much money his wife makes? Or how Obama plans to pay for all these economic programs without significantly raising taxes instead of worrying about who helped him get his house? And what the hell does Joe Biden or Palin think about anything? She is one-term governor of Alaska with an NRA membership card, and he is a twice-failed presidential candidate with a motor for a mouth.

But as possible future presidents of our country, what are their views on the issues? Will any of that ever make it into a sound bite?

I doubt it. It is unfortunate that our candidates are not so forthcoming on the very subjects that actually matter.

I’m ready to elect a president. Too bad none of the candidates are ready to be elected.

George Caputa is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.