Lehrer says we should actually act on our pledges to improve education.

What should be the big issues of the 2008 US presidential election?

Jim Lehrer: Well one thing I do know, that the 2008 presidential election is going to be, in my opinion, one of the most important elections we’ve had in this country in a long, long time.

We have no Vice President who’s automatically the nominee. We have no frontrunner, surefire nominee at this point. Everything is on the table.

I think we have a wide variety of candidates on both parties, plus the possibility of an Independent candidacy or two. We have an opportunity, and we have time. This campaign, people are complaining about how long the campaign is. I think that’s terrific. Everybody gets tested. Everybody gets known so that it increases the chances of our not making a mistake if we go through this long, long involved process that some people find boring. I don’t find it boring at all! How in the world can it be boring for a campaign that’s going to lead in the election of the President of the United States?

But anyhow, I’m optimistic that something really good’s going to come out of this election. And it has less to do with individuals – whoever wins – but the process is going to force everyone involved in the process to talk about things that matter.

Recorded: July 4, 2007.