As we’ve talked with candidates with wideranging political views, there is one unmistakable conclusion.

All of these candidates are decent people. Many of them have families, many have careers outside politics and all of them care enough about our nation to devote countless hours talking with voters.

But most folks don’t get to meet the candidates and their impressions are formed by television and mailers that seem to dominate the airwaves and mailboxes these days.

And most of what we see in those advertisements is negative. We’ve seen candidates’ heads posted on sticks, like jesters. We’ve seen mailers that are misleading and designed only to frighten voters. We’ve seen outright lies told over and over again.

The other thing we hear from every candidate is a desire to work “across party lines.” Every candidate claims they will work in a bipartisan spirit to get things done.

The two images — tearing down the opponent in ads and then pledging to work with the other side — are in conflict.

Those who operate campaigns and advise candidates “go negative” have a simple reason: It works.

The purveyors of negative campaigning bet on the fact that voters will be ill-informed and thus will buy lies, character assassination and half-truths.

The only antidote is to become an informed voter.

— Bloomington (Ind.) Pantagraph