Political campaigns, especially presidential ones, stir intense reactions. We don't just vote for and against candidates, we often feel more intense emotions: love, hate, admiration, disgust.
Best spin: It's a natural outgrowth of how deeply we care about our country. We want to believe the politicians we support can make it better, and can't help but see the opposition as potentially injurious to its interests.
Worst spin: We project both positive and negative judgments onto candidates far in excess of what they deserve. It's not fair to them or helpful to the process.
Either way, the passions that come to the fore in political campaigns are worth a closer look.
The politics of dislike
By Bill Lueders
Why does every political season turn ugly? Why do we give in to hate?
Falling in and out of love
By Vikki Kratz
Why do people come to love some politicians? It doesn't appear to be about politics or policies.
