USATODAY.com - Canned ads, stale words ensure flavorless races

As he campaigned for Democratic congressional candidates in New Hampshire last week, Sen. Joe Lieberman repeatedly warned, "Lord protect us, if both houses of Congress go Republican, there will be no balance left, nothing to protect us from the far-right agenda." Then with a broad smile, the 2000 vice-presidential nominee joked, "I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but the future of Western civilization hangs in the balance."

But hardly anyone is saying that where voters can hear it.

For while the political implications are indeed large, the tactics employed by both sides have been depressingly small-minded.

One only has to go back to the 1994 campaign to find a late-breaking national trend that caught many observers by surprise. On this date eight years ago, The New York Times declared in a news analysis, "There are no real issues at all this year, at least not in a traditional sense."

That was, of course, the year when the Republicans, powered by Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America," won back control of the House for the first time in four decades.

Early voting in my city is over 1998 totals, approaching 2000. Except for mail in ballots which are higher than 2000.