Steve Daley is often astute, but badly misses the mark in his Feb. 9 column in which he chides Democratic presidential candidates for an excessive emphasis on issues (” `92 campaign turns into battle of position papers”).
Our electoral process is rightly deplored because in recent years it has been characterized primarily by soundbites and smear campaigns and hype rather than by substance. Of course the popularity of supermarket tabloids lends credence to the belief that people prefer to be entertained or titillated rather than informed or enlightened.
But an important leadership test for a political candidate is, or should be, whether that candidate appeals to our best instincts or panders to our worst instincts.
If we conclude that a campaign is too boring and hence doomed to failure if it is aimed at informing the electorate, we are in deep trouble.
