Most Negative Campaign Ever? Voters Say: Eh, Not So Much

American voters don't share the punditocracy's quadrennial alarm that this is The Most Negative Campaign Season Ever, according to a new Rasmussen poll:

Most voters (55%) say the tone of this year's presidential campaign is about the same as in other recent election years, despite complaints from Barack Obama's side and some in the media that John McCain has been campaigning negatively.

In fact, 20 percent actually think things seem more civilized than usual this time around.

Standards are low, however, as a plurality of voters (41%) say a used car salesman is more ethical than a member of Congress, and both the candidates are, after all, members of Congress.

Via TWS's new blogger Mary Katharine Ham, who urges talking heads to "Try to keep your underclothes unentangled over negative advertising."