(CNN) -- Clint Eastwood's rambling speech to an empty chair in Tampa, Florida, was more than just awkward performance art on a political stage. It actually provided a useful metaphor for one of the most nauseating aspects of this presidential election -- the growing gap between narrative and facts. One of my favorite quotes is by the late, great Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan: "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." But because of the rise of partisan media, amplified by the echo chamber of the Internet and talk radio, today everyone comes to civic debates armed with their own facts.
@highlight
John Avlon: Eastwood's empty chair points to the gap between campaign talk, reality
@highlight
He says partisans on both sides distort their opponents' views, play loose with facts
@highlight
Avlon: The distortions are particularly apparent on issues such as health care, Medicare
@highlight
He says the convention gives President Obama a chance to sketch a second-term agenda
The most credible criticism of @placeholder is that the deficit and debt have exploded under his watch.