Passage Summary: The author argues that the media should leave politicians' personal lives alone because it's invasive, keeps good people out of government, and turns reporters into petty 'character cops.'

Conclusion: Journalists should stop reporting on the private lives of politicians.

Reasoning: Privacy is a universal desire, and prying into personal lives discourages talented individuals from entering politics while reducing journalism to a search for trivial flaws.

Analysis: This is a 'Strengthen EXCEPT' question, meaning four options will support the author's crusade for privacy and one will not. The argument relies on the idea that private behavior is 'inconsequential' to public service. To strengthen this, look for answers that confirm the negative effects of prying or the irrelevance of private life to job performance. The 'odd one out' might suggest that private flaws actually do predict public failures, which would give reporters a reason to keep digging.