Given the increasingly bitter relationship between the major political parties these days, a rivalry so extreme that it’s destroying any sense of national unity by poisoning one half of the national population against the other, the argument between Sen. Jim Mathias (D) and Del. Mary Beth Carozza (R) about dirty advertising barely registers as a spat.

Both candidates for the 38th District seat in the General Assembly have accused the other of low-blow mailers, false assertions and other questionable campaign literature, when their messages, off the mark as they may be, still pale by comparison to some of the smear tactics being seen in this election cycle elsewhere.

Yet, it’s a sign of how bad things have become over the last couple of decades when the way to win elections is by focusing on how bad the opposing candidate is without mentioning much of anything about what the accuser brings to the table.

It would be so much better if candidates devoted some campaign time to explaining what they can do for their constituents and why, as opposed to what they might do or support doing even though chances are it won’t happen.

Experience, political philosophy and character do count, as do past actions, both good and bad. But it would be better if candidates tried concentrating a little more on the former, rather than spending so much time telling people how bad the other person is.

Mathias and Carozza haven’t reached the low level of some of their counterparts elsewhere, but neither are some of their campaign pieces exactly paragons of truth in advertising.

With just a few weeks left, they need to get down to business and tell voters why they would be the better choice, regardless of whatever the opposition says.