It is essentially a choice between the negative foibles of the two candidates, and in Mrs. Clinton’s case the vast entourage, now including the last four presidents, that she has accumulated over more than 30 years of public life. This is essentially a character issue, for both candidates. I think the best thing that could happen would be a fourth debate, on the character issue. Both candidates would have an enforced time to make charges and defend against charges. These biased moderators we have seen in the last two debates would be confined to enforcing time limits, if need be by cutting off microphones. The candidates would formulate their own charges or questions. This debate would attract an immense audience and would decide the election by direct discussion of what was always going to become the main issue. Everyone knows the last two presidencies have failed and that the Clinton administration inflated the housing bubble and underreacted to the first terrorist outrages. Most Americans want change and most doubt that Trump has a presidential aptitude and character. This is the best way of getting to the correct decision, given the alternatives.

There has been less serious discussion of public policy in this election than in any of my memory, going back to the second contest between Dwight D. Eisenhower and Adlai E. Stevenson in 1956. Since the Republicans were always going to be running against the Obama-Clinton administration and away from the George W. Bush administration, and the Democrats could not defend their record and have to defame their opponent, there was no chance of this being anything but a monumental, wall-to-wall slanging match. The media are essentially part of the Democratic team, and they are among those that the Trump insurgents want to throw out of Washington, bag and baggage.

Majorities think that both candidates are unfit for the office they seek, but they are the candidates tossed up by the democratic process and in a democracy, the people are always right, and they get the government they deserve. In these circumstances, these debates, and the whole campaign, have been the Clintons, Obamas, Bushes, traditional Republicans, most of the Cruz extreme right, the Sanders far left, and 95 percent of the media against Trump, and he is still snapping closely at Mrs. Clinton’s heels.