<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The closer we get to election day, the more frantic the mud-slinging and name-calling becomes. I suppose it has always been so, although perhaps the intensity has increased over the years. To put things in perspective, I have a recollection of the Truman-Dewey election of 1948, the first presidential race I remember. I was in third grade at the time, and I will never forget the terrible, vile rumor which circulated through Lindberg Elementary School. It was said that, if Truman were elected, we would have to go to school on Saturdays! Needless to say most of us were horrified at the thought and were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that after Truman's election the school schedule remained unchanged.<br>
<br>
I'll leave it to others to draw any analogies to the present.<br>
<br>
Brent Bradberry<br>
</font><div id='MAILCIADA045-8874490e746a303' class='aol_ad_footer'><BR/><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px"></HR>McCain or Obama? Stay up to date on the latest from the campaign trail with <a href="http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212075880x1200752631/aol?redir=http://news.aol.com/elections?ncid=emlcntusnews00000001">
AOL News</a>. </div>