Ezra Klein writes about how politicians are too often the victims of quick sound bites that emphasize their gaffes and characterize them by their worst moments. I think that's all true and unfortunate…but I also think that's unlikely to change. We don't believe in fighting fair in this country any longer. If the guy you don't want to see win says something that can be misquoted or yanked outta context and misrepresented, you do, even if you know it's a bit of a cheat. You may rationalize this by saying "Well, his side does it to us," and you'd probably be right to some extent. You can also justify the cheat by suggesting it represents what's really going on in your opponent's mind and soul, even if the specific example is a bit unfair. But how often do you see someone who wants Candidate X to lose come forth and say that Candidate X is being wrongly criticized for something?