Campaigns inherently corrupting?

[Anonymous]

Premise: It would be hard to invent a process more unsuited to choosing the most qualified person to be president. Rather than serious discussion, the system almost forces candidates to engage in gotcha contests to see who can more grotequely distort the other's sound bites. And it turns the voters into competing blocs who grow to hate not only the opposing candidate, but that candidate's supporters as well.

Question: Is it possible to invent a better process that would have a prayer of being adopted?