Voters gripe about snarling, confusing attacks. Candidates grumble about public apathy, begging for bucks, shallow press coverage, and slanderous charges. Political consultants are tired of candidates who don't know why they're running and reporters who don't know what they're covering. Reformers are repelled by big money.
Contributors are sick of being hustled.
They also found that consultants rated nearly 60 percent of the candidates they've worked for as being average or below average and thought quite a few had broken promises, sold out to special interests, or engaged in unethical behavior. Campaign donors aren't so happy either. The Institute for Global Ethics found 76 percent of them believe attack-oriented campaigns are wrong, while 59 percent say ethics and values have worsened in the past 20 years. There are many reasons. For starters, escorting change through legislative and regulatory bodies is often an endless journey.