A CASE OF MUD LUST

TOO MUCH CIVILITY MAKES FOR A BORING CAMPAIGN

Jay Leno called the vice presidential debate "must sleep tv," and ABC complained it was a C-SPAN sing-along. A majority of the public say "dull" when pollsters ask them to describe the campaign. By the time of the presidential town-hall meeting, it looked as if Game Six of the pennant race would draw more viewers; midway through, Life Among the Manatees on Nova had more.

This growing ennui is making the press more desperate than Bob Dole. About this time in a campaign we journalists are usually worrying about having sunk too low; instead, we fear we've risen so high we're...

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