This essay examines some of the campaign communication behavior during the 1988 presidential race in terms of ethical criteria for a participatory democracy. Overall, this campaign violated several standards for ethical behavior through strategies such as over-reliance on emotional appeals, ridicule, failure to focus on relevant issues, and avoidance of debate. The Atwater/Ailes/Bush team is treated as a paradigm case and the conclusions are presented as applicable to Democrats and Republicans alike. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future of participatory democracy in the United States in light of recent campaign communication strategies. A 33-item bibliography is included. (Author/DB)