"The landscape of politics is changing," explained the political pundit on the television talk show. His hands were outstretched in front of him, palms up, as if to say, "We may as well face it."

"It's the impact of the instant, electronic media," he continued. "Two generations ago, a presidential candidate could write one speech addressing the big issues facing the nation and whistle stop around the country giving it everywhere. But not today. The issues are hotter and more immediate. People don't care about anything in the general sense, not the broad economy, not health care in the abstract, not education in the global sense. They want to know about their factory, their jobs, their health benefits, their neighborhood school, their personal sense of values. The candidate who hopes to win …