The ink isn't even dry on the tally sheets from the state caucuses and primaries across the United States. The talking points are still relatively vague from both parties.

The same lobbed shots from across the aisle in Congress are being sent between the supposed grown-ups who are running for the highest public office in our country. The two major parties (because they have made it impossible for a third party to get any traction) will never be able to reach common ground. And the real campaigning for the White House is still a couple more months away.

But, it has already started: the cheap shots, mud tossing and the "Swift-boating," to use a term coined in the last presidential election.

All of the candidates, save one (you pick, depending on which party you favor), will use whatever inaccuracies, exaggerations or downright lies they can to further their own cause, at the expense of the others — even those they will have to serve with in the future.

And who wins? No one. Not the candidates, because they lose the respect of their backers for dirty tricks, unless, of course, their backers are the ones providing the lies. Not us, because we hear things that cause us to believe what is not true — blindly believing that our nominated candidates are above these playground attacks.

Remember: Blind loyalty to a cause is still blind.

Our media are as much to blame as we are for allowing this to happen.

We have created news outlets in the images that we want them to be. We have the liberal press, the right-wing news channels, and the comedy news that is often more informative than the real thing!

All of these are slanted in a direction, based on what? The advertisers, who wish to reach a certain segment of the population in their newspaper ads, TV commercials or radio blurbs.

That is business; it is not wrong, but it is also not "right" when it comes to gleaning what is true and what is not.

So, what is a poor citizen supposed to do to weed out the hype and get the facts?

Get involved, don't believe everything you hear or see in print. Use the latest tools to get to the actual facts, get differing and opposing opinions.

If you hear someone say something like, "Did you know that so and so said this?", then find the source and read the entire statement, in full context. It is so easy for a campaign worker to pull a few choice words out of a speech and make it seem like that was all that was said.

Be prepared. This is getting ugly! Already the campaigns have tried to slander or slam their competition, only to find that we don't care for that anymore. Make your candidate answer the questions you have, and don't allow them to spin off onto some other topic.

We have the opportunity to regain the integrity of the democratic process. This should be a contest to determine who will best represent the will of the American people. Nothing else should be important.

The candidates still in the hunt should have earned our respect for being willing to step into the contest. It is up to them to keep that respect by playing by the rules. May the best person for the job win.

Larry A. Bailly is a lifelong Snohomish County resident and a mechanic by trade. He spends time in the mission field in Haiti, Mexico and other places. Contact him at baillybusbarn@juno.com