Given the extent to which elections/candidates are managed, handled, and manipulated

(by the M$M and others) sometimes it is these fleeting moments of unscripted interaction that give us the best insight into who the candidates are.

none of us is getting unfiltered/unmanaged/unmanipulated information about any of these candidates. It's all hype, spin, handlers, M$M enhanced, and $$$s.

Pretty pathetic -- you'd have thought we'd have evolved beyond this by now. Guess we're just one of the slower species. Hope we learn to move a little more quickly, though, or we all might just become extinct.

what you call "unscripted interaction" is a random event into which information-starved people read whatever they please.

Since different people read in different things, controversies arise that are next to impossible to deal with rationally - because they are based on utterly irrational sub-conscious impulses.

So, please spare me the meta-analysis.

When who didn't look at whom is a "revealing" moment, democracy is screwed.

arendt

"When who didn't look at whom is a "revealing" moment, democracy is screwed."

It HAS become the way we elect candidates. The M$M, handlers, spokespersons, celebrities, etc. direct the conversation, content, and focus.

So, while this 'who didn't look at whom' might not have seemed all that important to you - trust me, it did seem to be for plenty of other folks. That's how all the big $$ candidates 'operate' these days.

And, the next 'who didn't look at whom' moment will be some other trivial thing blown out of proportion or a well scripted, media focused, handler enabled, $$$ backed extravaganza that will make the second coming of (name your savior here) look insignificant, by comparison.

So, that's how you think we should choose the next POTUS?