As late as last summer sanguine political theorists were confident that this fall's election would give democracy an opportunity to show its mettle. At last, after decades of shilly-shallying on unimportant artificial issues, there would be a chance for the voter to express his opinion definitely on an inclusive and yet clear-cut issue. He could support or attack the New Deal, he could give or withhold his approval of the Democratic philosophy of government, as evidenced by the Roosevelt administration. That hope has been blasted. There will be little such rational voting today.

Instead of a well established line-up on one side of the fence or the other, there has been not only a mad scramble for sunny places on the fence, but a desperate shifting from one side to the other. Here is a Democrat attacking all the tenets of the New Deal philosophy, yet shouting his support of the New Deal. There is a Republican, the traditional strong-government man, damning too much government. Everywhere are men of both parties successfully hiding their ideas on every thing except their allegiance to Washington and Lincoln. Here is Mr. Farley jumping off the Sinclair boat, there is Hiram Johnson tagging along with Him. Everywhere the fiery G. O. P. denouncing the Democrats' and handouts, to the voters, has seen its rally crowds going out to find the Democrats, and has had to soft-pedal. Perhaps no campaign has ever been so confused, so completely meaningless.

What has been the result? In the majority of cases the campaigns have degenerated into personal dog-fights. But even the kick-'im-in-the-shins "You're a liar--you're another!" blustering that have resounded in New York are harmless compared to the insidious below-the belt fighting elsewhere. The mass of voters either laugh at an open fight, or they vote against a "knocker"; but they have never read "Brutus is an honorable man" and they do not recognize subtle defamation. The winning of campaigns by such means--and examples abound--is a knock-down blow to a faith in democracy.

Fortunately there is hope that this year's fiasco will not be repeated two years hence. The Republicans, who have no hope of improving their condition today, will be sadly in need of leadership--which they have not got--to hold together. The Democrats, willy, nilly, must then there will stand with or against Roosevelt and there will be serious disaffection in their ranks. The outlook is bright for an intelligent realignment, Conservative and Radical, or Stick-in-the-mind and Liberal, which every way you look at it. Then, if the candidates themselves conduct a campaign on real issues, the popular voice will have a chance to prove that it comes from a brain. --Yale Daily News.