As you correctly observe these have been the issues that have dominated the press and the public discussion of this election. Gaffe and spin.
What is missing is a substantive discussion of the actual issues. When Ross Perot ran he did try and explain what was wrong and how he would go about fixing it. He got turned into a late night joke with his "charts and graphs".
Who remembers what Dwight Eisenhower said in his campaign speeches? The answer is nobody, but everybody remembers "I like Ike". The great unwashed wants short simple sound bites. Politicians know that droning on about the complex elements of the economy makes the voters eyes glaze over.
"George Bush" is responsible for the high price of gas" works better than explaining how a barrel of oil makes it from a hole in the ground to the pump and the ripple effect that has on everything we buy.
Everyone remembers "Tippecanoe & Tyler Too" but just ask someone today to tell you who Tippecanoe was. In fact the election of 1840 bears striking resemblance to today. Here's a link if your interested. Note the "War Hero" candidate, slogan vs. in-depth plans scenario, and the accusations of elitism.
http://www.historynet.com/american-history-1840-us-presiden tial-campaign.htm#high_3