ABSTRACT
The strange space within which candidates reside-between government official and citizen-strains the relationship voters have with them. We simultaneously want candidates to be just like us and yet expect them to be of uniquely strong character and unsurpassed experience and capability. We want to know as much about candidates’ lives as we need to know to make fully informed decisions but often feel uncomfortable with the amount (and kind) of information we get. On reflection, we are likely to realize how important candidates and their campaigns are in our political system, yet it is all too easy to think of them as nuisances who flood our mailboxes and television screens with self-serving appeals for our votes.
