Senior Spirit Online

We are inundated with information — from Congress, the White House, special interest groups, etc.  How can one separate the facts from fiction? PolitiFact tries to do just that.

PolitiFact, which won the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for its coverage of the 2008 election, is a project of the St. Petersburg Times to help find the truth in politics.

Reporters and researchers from the Times examine statements by members of Congress, President Obama, cabinet secretaries, lobbyists, people who testify before Congress, and anyone else who speaks up in Washington.  They research these statements and then rate the accuracy of the statements on the Truth-O-Meter – True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True and False. The most ridiculous falsehoods get their lowest rating – Pants on Fire.

They also rate the consistency of public officials on our Flip-O-Meter using three ratings: No Flip, Half Flip, and Full Flop.

Additionally, they have created the Obameter to help the reader assess the Obama presidency. Reporters have compiled a database of more than 500 individual promises that President Obama made during the presidential campaign. They research and rate the promise status as No Action, Stalled, or In the Works and then ultimately determine whether it earns a Promise Kept, Compromise or Promise Broken.

If you want the facts, Politifact.com is the place to go.

Increasingly, I’ve encountered people who get a significant portion of their information from e-mail campaigns, talk radio, the talking heads on MSNBC and Fox, or the like, and who allow the information from these sources to shape their opinions and attitudes.  I would encourage everyone to learn to be an independent thinker!  The internet provides a wealth of information from many sources.  Be truly informed - Learn to read and think for yourself!

I’m excited — This is the first Presidential election in a long time in which people are actually talking about the issues and the candidates.  While Barack Obama and John McCain have obvious ideological differences, they are both men of good character.  And I believe that they both love their country.  And, no matter who wins, history will be made.  We will have our first African-American president or our first female Vice President. 

Try to avoid all the media hype about the things that don’t matter - like Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy - and take the time to learn where the candidates stand on issues such as Social Security, health care, education, energy sources, and foreign policy.  Be informed and make your vote count!