What Have We Just Done?

Josh Marshall perfectly summarizes my previously nebulous thoughts on the problem with modern campaigns:

The peril of the modern political campaign is not its nastiness (come on, we’re all adults). It’s that it supplants a real debate, so that by the time the election actually happens and a victor is declared, it’s not entirely clear what we all collectively just decided. Did we just vote for universal health care, or against that cranky old man and his dimwitted running mate?

I’m confident that in this election, I’ll vote for the policies of my candidate and party, but that’s been a rare occasion since I started voting in 1980. All too often, the vote’s been cast against the policies or personality of the opposing candidate. As Josh points out, that just leaves a muddled taste on the palate post-election.