Why can’t campaigns be more civilized?

It’s strange seeing Sen. Mary Landrieu and State Treasurer John Kennedy smiling at each other while shaking hands before their first debate Monday in Baton Rouge. The way they have been tearing each other apart in their political advertising, we’re sure the pictures do not represent their feelings.

And it is a shame that political campaigning has turned so nasty. Why can’t candidates express their differences in civilized fashion?

It gets worse and worse in each election. Especially the television commercials go to the very bottom of the heap that can be dug up against opponents.

Voters could change it if they would vote against candidates for being so negative. But we haven’t come to that.

It’s okay to be swayed by the negative as well as the positive so long as the negative is within the bounds of good taste. And so long as the negative would effect adversely the way the candidate would conduct the office he is running for.

So we should set an objective for future candidates. State in simple but nice words without expletives why voters should not favor your opponent. Don’t show weird pictures of him while saying it or play frightening music. Keep it brief and then stress your positive attributes.

After all, the important thing is to get the people to vote for you, not against his shortcomings. That’s the way it should go.

Meanwhile, go on with the show. We know it won’t change the course of this campaign.