Just as a reminder of the various inane drivel that has driven this election cycle, remember the all-important concern that Chelsea won't give press interviews. I don't know why this problem that affects our national security and life as we know it dropped off the radar, so I'll raise it again: Why won't she talk? Our democracy depends on it!

Bob Somersby at Daily Howler gets into this and other issues - like how Hillary got beaten up for the flag burning bill - which it turns out was a pressure relief to give Dems some cover from an actual flag burning bill that would actually make it illegal. And Obama voted for Hillary's bill. But the slams have worked against Hillary. No problem, it's politics as usual.

But just take away the reality that both sides have played these tricks from the beginning. It's how politics works. Every 4 years someone says they want to talk about issues, but it's not just issues that win an election. We know it both as political junkies and as voters. We have relationships with candidates, we want to feel invested in them, we want their personality, not just their position paper. Whenever we want to bomb someone, we start portraying them as Hitler, and then we start discussing the piddling details of the sins they've committed. Politics is similar. Find ways to make your opponent look terrible - a liar, a panderer, off the wall, inconsistent, weak on facts and issues. The simple truth will never do, even if you're completely in the right. Political points have to be packaged right or they can be used back against you.

Of course you don't do this in a vacuum. Earlier we had the press. Now we have the press plus the blogosphere. Knowing how to get this combination right is deathly important. There's more critique on spin these days, but it doesn't have to be 100% rugged, just good enough for the markets you target. And best if it doesn't get reversed to become a punchline.

Unfortunately in the exit polls, I still don't see that Chelsea not talking to the press was one of the big reasons for people's vote. We'll have to do better next time.