When politicians resort to personal attacks, many editorialists criticize these attacks but most voters pay them scant attention  Everyone knows such attacks will end after election day, and politicians can be excused for mudslinging  Political commentators, however, cannot be  Political commentators should be engaged in sustained and serious debate about ideas and policies
In such a context, personal attacks on opponents serve not to beat those opponents but to cut off the debate
The purpose of serious debate about ideas and policies is to counteract the effect of personal attacks by politicians.