>I think that's too simple, Doug. "Character" is often seen as signalling
>what kinds of issues will be enacted by a candidate, especially for folks
>who don't feel they can wade through the piles of competing statistics and
>partisan propaganda. If you trust that a person is a good person, you
>assume they will likely enact good policies.
"Character" also means that Bush doesn't believe in evolution and does believe in his divine mission. He thinks fags are gross, wives should be quiet, and killing boatloads of Arabs is cool.
"Piles of competing statistics"? You've pointed to several of Kerry's proposals, like friendlier labor law and a higher minimum wage. Those aren't complicated - we're not talking about the standardized budget balance as a percent of potential GDP here. Many - most? - people don't know or care about that. A lot of people who believe in legal abortion voted for Bush.
Doug