Campaign sophistication

I thought it was just me, but I have heard universal disgust over the recent campaigns for statewide offices. Everyone is just glad they are over. There is very little "I told you so," trash talking or even much excitment about the new administration. I guess there will be, but for now, just campaign fatigue.
It is not just the nastiness of these campaigns. Politics has always been mean and nasty. It think a lot of it was just the lack of sophistication of the media and the campaign approaches. Many, if not most, of the campaigns treated voters like they were stupid. The media was shallow. I know media campaigns are designed to create images rather than provide issue information, but I don't even think most of ads did a good job of that. Some execptions included Gov. Haley Barbour, Highway Commissioner Dick Hall and a few legislative races that actually put out some facts to consider. Candidates now are guided by consultants and media experts. For all the money that was spent, I think the candidates were taken and the voters had to suffer the results. But, at least it is over until next spring.