One of the two big parties’ presidential candidates is routinely accused of being all style and no substance, political flair without political fluency. The other is regularly cited as retooling his beliefs for constituencies that otherwise wouldn’t believe in him or his supposedly unrealistic promises about the economy. If you already know which stereotype is meant to represent each candidate – and you almost certainly do – you know where this article is headed. Both candidates suffer from media narratives that box them into corners that both unfairly stifle the national discourse and inject an undue level of cynicism (though some certainly is due) into politics. It’s time to find a way out.

In fact, a recent poll found that both candidates are suffering from a perceived lack of clarity on virtually all of the major issues, and that specific stereotypes about just one or the other suffering this problem may be mere phantoms. But it does lend credence to our thesis: it’s time for some fresh air.

As ServeNext has noted elsewhere, John McCain could enjoy an immediate bump in popularity by clarifying his stance on national service. Since that column, it has become apparent that the Republicans are suffering a minor schism between the libertarian and compassionate conservative wings of the party. A recent Rasmussen poll found that McCain’s current lead in Ohio stems from his support for continuing and expanding the war on terror, which most libertarians oppose (in fact, libertarian Republican Ron Paul ran a well-oiled machine of a campaign on a platform of withdrawing from Iraq), and a Pew poll finds that McCain can boost his numbers among Evangelicals by reiterating conservative values on gay marriage and abortion – two issues on which libertarians tend to be more liberal. It is clear that the agenda of the compassionate conservative is more in tune with a mainstream American.

This agenda is also more closely in tune not just with John McCain’s own previously-stated beliefs but with ServeNext’s vision for a stronger volunteer service sector. This is also in line, of course, with the desires of an overwhelming majority of the American people themselves. Frankly, for Mr. McCain, a strong stance on service could be something of a silver bullet: it could demonstrate a clear formulation of public policy and could show that he is the compassionate conservative a large majority of his supporters say they want.

There are strong reasons for Barack Obama to do so as well. On the one hand, an article in the previous issue of The Economist stated in no subtle terms that he could be the next Bill Clinton – a “New Democrat who felt Middle America’s pain” and a “post-partisan problem solver;” on the other hand, a recent poll shows that the new wave of voter registration represents an energetic new liberal coalition that could constitute a permanent voter base (most new registrants are young and indicate solid, consistent left positions on social issues, the environment, and foreign policy; center-left on the economy).

National service, an issue most popular among the young people who led the volunteerism wave of the 1990s, could not only give Obama enough political capital to venture into the relatively uncharted waters of new national service expansion but could also keep that youth voter base itself interested in politics in the long run. Especially considering Obama’s plan could potentially help hundreds of thousands of young people save big on their college loans – well, most of the people reading this don’t need that sentence finished.

There is no reason why the 2008 Electoral Narrative needs to stay the way it is. Both of the major parties’ candidates face certain acute perception problems but have made great headway in formulating their stances on national service opportunities. For the good of the millions of Americans in dire need of better schools and stronger communities – and the millions more who both want and need the reciprocal rewards such programs provide – it’s time to finish the job. The people want straight-talking candidates and they want the chance to serve their fellow Americans. Rarely has the way forward been so clear.