> Are you saying that the situation in the US is specifically muddied because politics now incorporates a fight about all aspects of ones life — the Culture War

> Are you saying that the situation in the US is specifically muddied because politics now incorporates a fight about all aspects of ones life — the Culture Wars? No. Not quite. In fact, I'm saying quite the opposite. The argument is that people are concerned often about issues, not just candidates. This is a historical norm. It is as important (if not more) to allow platforms where everyone can publish and advertise their policy opinions, rather than just candidate ones. This is a fundamental right in a democracy, and is true whether or not the society is engaged in a 'culture war'. > Instead, there is more oblique messaging like some pastor saying “vaping is a sin!” as a passive aggressive attack on a candidate for office who made their fortune building a vaping business? Actually, this is the historical norm. Especially in American politics, moral grandstanding by various factions is the norm. Think camp revivals and the like. The idea that candidates should be the main focus rather than issues is a fictitious utopian pipe dream.