Most political “dance moves” occur when politicians dodge tough questions, finagle the opponent’s message, and downplay scandal. “Dance,” in politics, is usually a metaphor for strategy and smooth-talk.

But what about actual dance in this election?

Their Moves

Americans are learning as much as possible about their Presidential candidates before Election Day. With the first debate scheduled for tomorrow, we’ll soon know more about Obama’s and McCain’s individual trade policies, educational initiatives, and economic plans. With such big issues in the forefront, we talk very little about each candidate’s dance skills.

Each party grooms its candidate so carefully before sending him or her into the spotlight. Since dance is such a critical element in every culture, I have to assume that each party tests its candidate’s dance skills at some point.

Earlier this year, Obama showed off his moves when he appeared on Ellen. His wife Michelle also performed during her own appearance on the show. You can watch the entire video of Obama’s dance at this link.

It’s much hard to find footage of McCain dancing. But, he briefly demonstrates his skills in this clip from CNN.

It seems that the current administration lists dance as a regular Presidential obligation. It’s not hard to find President Bush dancing, and throughout his travels, he has attempted performances in various genres.

• President Bush Demonstrates His Broad Dance Background

• President Bush’s Tap Rendering
  

But with Bush’s term ending, it’s time to ask whether Obama’s and McCain’s dance skills are good enough for the job of President. It’s just one more decision you’ll have to make before casting a vote.

America’s Best

Although the candidates (and the President) won’t make callbacks with their performances thus far, they may be some of the better dancers in government. The politicians in this video, both Republicans and Democrats, have a lot of practicing to do before their dance skills reach a Presidential level.

Their Take on Dance

On a more serious note, if you’re voting on November 4, you may not care about your candidate’s dance skills. But, you might want to look into his plans for arts funding.

You can find Obama’s plan for arts funding in PDF format at this link.

And, you can find a fairly balanced discussion of both Obama’s and McCain’s takes on arts and arts education at this link.

It looks like McCain has not yet released an official plan for arts funding. Arts Action Fund–which links to the candidates’ statements on the arts–lists McCain’s plan as “pending.”