Human beings are inherently flawed. Religions, great works of literature and scores of films are based on this premise. On one hand, we accept this part of our nature as part of the package.

On the other hand, races for political office tend to use flaws the way most of us use cash. Like money, candidates’ flaws are used by their opponents to buy votes from the public because we treat our politicians like used cars. We don’t want a lemon.

The media use candidate flaws like rock climbers use every crack and bump on a sheer cliff. They are often the only thing to hang onto. When two or more candidates do everything possible to appeal to as many people as they can and appear flawless, flaws are big news.

This is described as negative campaigning, and as much as we all claim to not like it, we still buy into it. Some things are eternal.

When candidates make character an issue, they put their character under a microscope. When one candidate claims to be the candidate with the moral fortitude Americans are looking for, he calls every statement he makes into question.

When George W. Bush is the candidate in a glass house throwing stones, you better believe he deserves to have his every fault marked with a neon yellow highlighter.

If you want to make character an issue, you had better be saintly. Unfortunately for Bush, he is more flawed than most.

Bush tells us he is the candidate who will restore morality to the presidency. He tells us he made mistakes in his youth and learned from them. But when he was arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol 24 years ago, it took him another 10 years to stop drinking. That is too long of a time to learn such a simple lesson.

Soft-selling — it was just the cherry on top of the deceit Sundae.

Editorial Board: Carrie Tett, Greg Jerrett, Katie Goldsmith, Amie Van Overmeer, Andrea Hauser and Jocelyn Marcus