Stow the Rhetoric.

Claims that U.S. presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry are backsliding into hot-button rhetoric rather than realistically addressing the complex economic issues facing the country. Claim that Kerry threatens to veer into protectionism and border-closing, while Bush is sticking stubbornly to his prediction that tax cuts will eventually result in more jobs; Argument that the real issue is how government can best help Americans adjust to a world where productivity grows rapidly, demand for skills changes constantly, and global competition threatens even well-educated service worker; Argument that politicians should seek to resolve long-term problems like foreign-trade barriers and out-of-control health costs; Examples of the campaign messages of Kerry and Bush; Speculation about the reasons why Bush's tax cuts are not stimulating job creation; Argument that Kerry's plan to keep jobs in America will not work in the long run; Details of how attacking protectionism and theft of intellectual property abroad could help the U.S. economy; Comments on Kerry's plans to cut the costs of employing new workers. INSET: RELIEF FOR JOBS ANXIETY.