The most important issue in this campaign is health care.  John McCain proposes a program that revolves around a $5,000 tax credit.  Nobody, as far as I can determine, has taken a critical look the effect of such a proposal.

The greatest problem health care problems Americans now face is the loss of health insurance that accompanies the loss of a job.  A great many who lose their jobs cannot afford to purchase replacement coverage while they are unemployed and looking for another job.  That issue is especially critical in light of the economy.

The most serious deficiency of the McCain plan is that it provides no immediate help for those who have lost jobs and cannot afford replacement coverage.  When a worker loses her job in February, how will a $5,000 tax credit to be received the following April 15th help her to pay monthly premiums and prevent her from joining the ranks of the uninsured?

Any meaningful comparison of the candidates' plans should address this critical issue.  No evaluation or comparison that I have read, heard or seen in the mainstream media addresses this issue.

To be sure, one can think of ways in which a "tax credit" might be shaped to address this issues -- for example a prorated portion of the "tax credit" might be included with unemployment compensation, or alternatively paid directly to an unemployed worker's health insurer.  

The point is that such fixes to the McCain plan stand our notions of "tax credits" and "single payer" on their heads and encourage genuine debate.