I have a post up at Princeton University Press’s Election 101 blog. I’ll be blogging there more regularly as the election season continues. Some posts will include material from Against Politics, which will likely be out with Princeton right before the election.

Basic thesis: Politicians say dumb things because saying dumb things is the smart thing to do.

Excerpt:

When you see politicians saying dumb things, remember that these politicians are not fools. They are responding rationally to the incentives before them. They say dumb things because they expect voters want to hear dumb things. When you see that voters want to hear dumb things, remember that the voters are only foolish because they are responding rationally to the incentives before them. How we vote matters, but for each individual person, how she votes does not. Thus, most individuals vote as if very little is at stake.