Fed up with the constant hyperbole and finger pointing by the Presidential candidates? sick of the vague policy details and oppositional politics employed by the two parties? Salon presents a no-nonsense guide to the candidates based on avowed political ideals, character assessments, historical precedents and economic credentials.

In an open letter to the American voter, Gary Kamiya from Salon.com discusses the vices and virtues of both candidates and explores the different factors that could tip the outcome:

“This is an open letter to those American voters who are not affiliated with either major political party, or who have not yet decided whether to vote for Barack Obama or John McCain. There are millions of you, in every state of the country, men and women, from all races, classes and ethnic groups. Each of you has his or her own reasons for not registering as either a Democrat or a Republican, and for not yet having decided whom to vote for. It’s impossible to sum up such a diverse group, especially because by definition you are, well, independent. Some of you are relatively apolitical, whether out of disillusionment or simply because you have other more pressing concerns in your daily lives.”

Read the full story here.