JIM NEWTON

Itasca, Ill.

When the exception becomes the rule, you know there’s a problem. I’ve seen enough mud-slinging debates this year to know they’ve become the rule. Some have drawn special attention: Florida has Val Demings vs. Marco Rubio, while Herschel Walker vs. Raphael Warnock and Brian Kemp vs. Stacey Abrams, are important Georgia races.

About all we learn from these forums is that the candidates don’t like each other. Reaction is split across party lines, but spite resides with both political parties.

As a child, I remember “liar” as a term used cautiously. It was almost a swearword. Now, liar is just another insult. Adults, especially public officials, once set a better example for the rest of us.

There’s an online video of pundits and politicians sarcastically, and profanely identifying their pronouns. It ends with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz listing his pronouns as “Kiss my (expletive).” Their message is clear, though they could each use a refresher on the difference between a pronoun and an expletive.

Old rule debates include Carter/Ford, Reagan/Mondale, Kerry/Bush, Jr., and Dole/Clinton.

Why has confrontation replaced civility in most debates? Do candidates simply mimic us?

There’s a “Matlock” TV series episode where the normally folksy lawyer throws a tantrum in order to win a court case. His grateful client is amazed, but Matlock sheepishly admits that such theatrics get old fast. Our dilution of terms like “liar” is kind of like that. We’ve mastered initial shock value, we just don’t follow up with reason.