Golden Choice (2)

Back in July I wrote that maybe, with these two much-better-than-average candidates, we could look forward to an intelligent policy debate.

Wrong.

All the ad hominem crap, all the over-simplification, all the sloganeering that afflict this system are back, just as ever.

There is only one glimmer of light in this democratic darkness - I do not think it is pulled by the media, mainstream or other from the candidates. I think it originates, as much as anything, from the candidates themselves. Why is this a glimmer of light? Because the problem seems less systematic and more a function of bad conventional wisdom about the ways campaigns are conducted. Better behavior could be learned. Next time.

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