Seek out substance

The original field of candidates for the 2008 presidential election was like the cast of a Cecil B. DeMille epic – vast and mostly unrecognizable.

Remember Tom Tancredo? Tommy Thompson? Mike Gravel? Sam Brownback? Duncan Hunter?

Now, however, less than five months before Election Day, the survivors are the two political figures arguably most receptive to bipartisan opportunities? Pragmatism doesn’t usually gain the upper hand over doctrine at this stage of the game, and yet there they are: John McCain, whose conservative credentials are routinely questioned by the far right wing of his own Republican Party, and Barack Obama, who drew fire from liberal Democrats during the primaries for the audacity of acknowledging Reagan-era Republicans and their ideas.

With two independent-minded presumptive nominees, then, the stage seems to be set for a refreshingly issues-focused campaign between now and November – or for a crushing letdown.

History and the dominant political temperament argue for the latter. Even if Obama and McCain both hold firm to their worthier instincts, the machinery that surrounds them is calibrated for sleaze and deception.

Interest groups operating separately from the formal campaign organizations can be expected to pepper us with attack messages linked to truth only loosely, if at all. Supporters usually categorized as “surrogates” will parade before microphones and cameras, obediently parroting well-rehearsed talking points chosen to arouse emotional but not necessarily relevant reactions.

And, frankly, much of the media coverage will do more to compound than to clarify. Especially on cable news programs, where the most volatile and provocative video clips will be repeated with brain-dulling regularity, contributing nothing to the discourse but misguided anger and possibly fatigue.

What’s a numb voter to do?

For one thing, ignore the kind of trickery predicted above. Or at least challenge it. Ask for details and context and apply some common sense. Do you really think John McCain wants to keep American troops in Iraq for another 100 years? (He didn’t say that, you know.) Do you believe it means Barack Obama is unpatriotic for not wearing a flag pin? (Would you apply that standard to your friends, family and co-workers?)

Look for and read comprehensive analyses of the issues and the candidates’ relative positions. Ignore the ringside accounts of campaign tactics. Watch candidate debates and town hall meetings. Use the 30-second political spots for a bathroom break.

To be honest, there’s only so much individual citizens can do. They have only one vote each, after all. On the other hand, they have one vote each and they alone get to decide whether to base their decision on substance or superficiality.