I actually think candidates ARE accountable for their words and for their actions if they get elected. Its old fashioned, I admit.
It's actually never been true in our lifetimes (that's pretty old fashioned I guess!), not at the Presidential level, if there was a time it was true, it's not in the last century. Woodrow Wilson ran on keeping the U.S. out of World War I. How did that work out? Actions I hold them accountable for. Words well, I think they can signal very dangerous things with their words, Romney originally tried to run as more pro-war than Obama and is now flip flopping (real surprise for that, Romney, flip flopping, no you don't say). What they signal on the environment is horrible. But on some issues I suspect they might not be as aren't always as bad as their signals (R's always run pro-war and don't always govern that way). Probabilities are they *ARE* as bad as their signals, but likely does not equal certain. Actions on the other hand, when you have 4 years of record, is hard to argue with. Oh and I don't know what it means when they run on no plan that anyone can pin down at all and nothing at all (Romney's tax plan).