"The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal that you can gather votes like box tops is, I think, the ultimate indignity to the democratic process"

This quote by Adlai Stevenson is a criticism of the way that candidates for high office are marketed and also offered to the public. He believes that it is an insult to the democratic procedure to deal with prospects like a product that can be bought and sold. He is suggesting that candidates should be chosen based upon their credentials and plans, not on their ability to be marketed as well as offered to the general public. He believes that the general public ought to be informed concerning the candidates as well as their plans, and then make a notified decision based on that details. He is recommending that the public must not be guided by marketing strategies, however must instead concentrate on the credentials and policies of the prospects. He believes that this is the only means to make certain that the very best prospect is selected for the task.