Tom Brokaw has covered a lot of political campaigns.

The former NBC anchorman spoke last week at Kansas University’s Dole Institute of Politics and took a number of questions from the audience on various topics. When he was asked to “comment” on the current presidential campaign, he paused just a moment before saying that he thought one of the problems with the campaign is that there had been “too much commentary” on the campaign and “too little reporting.”

Despite having spent his entire professional career as a journalist, Brokaw took clear aim at the news media for focusing too much on “gotcha” moments in the campaign and too little on what candidates would do if elected. Important issues, such as education, have gone largely undiscussed, he said, despite the fact that the United States is falling far behind other countries in teaching math and science.

Our next president, Brokaw noted, will face unprecedented challenges that include wars in two countries, reform of our health care system, a looming crisis in Medicare and Social Security, and a burgeoning national debt. As Brokaw said, those are the issues on which we must focus, not on Hillary Clinton’s misstatement being under fire on a foreign visit or on statements made by Barack Obama’s former pastor.

Brokaw’s comments should resonate with all Americans who want to see this nation move forward and not decline. The newsman acknowledged the sense of collegiality that existed in the U.S. Congress when Kansas Sen. Bob Dole was among its leaders. The members of Brokaw’s “greatest generation” that stepped into leadership roles after World War II were much more dedicated to what is best for the country, he said, than to the partisan politics that seems to drive most decisions at the federal level today.

The answer, according to Brokaw, is for Americans to “re-enlist as citizens” and insist that both the news media and candidates get focused on the important issues facing the nation. Voters need to send the message that they are willing to support people who will attack problems and get results regardless of their political affiliations.

Even in his retirement, Brokaw is careful to be evenhanded. He said he remains friends with many former officeholders from both parties and he gracefully dodged a loaded question about President Bush’s place in history by saying we’d have to wait to let history be the judge.

Few people, however, have had a better opportunity than Brokaw to observe and evaluate American culture and politics. The message of such a trusted newsman surely strikes a strong chord with many frustrated American voters.