Why all the political childishness?

Or...

Is it just that people care more about a person's morals that is going to run a country in which people have different views about morality (right and wrong)? In the past people tended to focus on policies and issues a little bit more than now, but have you seen political cartoons from the past, or how candidates would attack each other? Nothing has changed much, and if anything I think people have toned down a little in their over-exaggerations about the candidates.

Sure, I care about the issues like anyone else, but I do not want a crook running this nation either. I want to know everything about the candidates...from the day they were born until the present. Harding's presidency was plagued by scandals like the Teapot Dome, etc. Nixon was little more than a crook, and the same can be said for many others that either ran for or won the Presidency.

I think the media, as usual, overblows things a bit too much, and is to quick on the gun (Bush's Guard record and CBS anyone?). So, in many ways, knowing the candidates history as well as their stance on issues go hand in hand. One's own history determines how they will lead in the future, and I prefer to have a leader who has morals that fit well with my own.

I don't like the bashing, but what irritates me even more is the "Bush sucks, he's a Nazi, he's worse than Hitler and if you don't see that, then you're a moron" type posts. Nevermind that Hitler and Nazis are thrown around so casually in the comparison. That annoys me for another reason. But that if you don't agree, it means your intelligence is lacking. Someone can put up a reasonable logical post and end it with that kind of crap and I disregard everything they've said because of it. The opinion should be able to stand without saying all detractors to the idea are stupid.

The other thing that irritates me about this election in particular is how much the service members on this board bash each other. I wish the military people would stop slamming each other. It's bad news and the examples of it that I've seen are not even necessary. Just a bunch of chest thumping. We don't all have to agree, and it's better that we don't so that other perspectives can be offered for consideration. But we need to try and remember that no matter what party we're affiliated with, we're all Americans. Those who aren't Americans are still part of the human global family. The smug superiority is something the whole world can do without.