Among the most cherished hallmarks of American democracy are these: Free and fair elections; the peaceful transfer of power; and the right of the people to independently evaluate and compare the candidates.

That last attribute of the democratic process is out of chronological order and not often discussed. It鈥檚 such an ironclad assumption 鈥 that we get to choose based on something besides good (or bad) hair 鈥 that it鈥檚 rarely enunciated. Of course the candidates will tell us who they are and why we should vote for them and not the person standing at the other podium. When it comes to debate, there is no debate.

Robert Price is an Emmy-winning reporter-commentator for KGET-TV. His column appears here Sundays; the views expressed are his own. Reach him at rprice661@gmail.com or via Twitter: @stubblebuzz.