Political analyst dissects candidates

AURORA - TIME magazine political analyst Mark Halperin believes that national security makes the upcoming presidential election a “life or death” issue for Americans.

Halperin's talk before about 200 Wells College students, faculty and area residents Friday, “Navigating the 2008 Presidential Election,” was meant to both inform and entertain, as trivia questions were sprinkled throughout the presentation, a kind of give-and-take between him and the audience on a number of issues facing the country and whomever becomes its leader.

“We have two presidential candidates who are in it for the right reasons,” Halperin said, dubbing both presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush polarizing figures who had deepened partisanship.