It's been a standard tactic to criticize a candidate for being weak"¦ soft on crime"¦ inexperienced"¦ corrupt. Fair enough. If a weakness is real, it's not dirty politics to point that out.
It's another thing to lie. When McCain hands out tire pressure gauges, saying they are Obama's energy policy, that's dishonest.
The major news magazines have been publishing details of the candidates' energy ideas for months. Actually, McCain and Obama are not as far apart on energy as either party wants you to think they are. In general, McCain has preferred optional guidelines rather than regulation. McCain is enthusiastic about offshore drilling; Obama isn't, though he'll accept it as part of an overall energy policy — if he likes the larger strategy enough.
Whether we drill or not, there's no way the recovered oil will affect current prices and both candidates know that. So to tell listeners that Obama is to blame for current gas prices is more than an over-simplification — it's simply not true.
A glance at Bush's cabinet reveals such an abundance of oil, mining and timber interests it's not hard to see who the energy corporations are backing. As Doonesbury put it almost 8 years ago, Bush "has installed a fox in every henhouse."
McCain wants conservatives and evangelicals to know he's got an almost pristine Republican/right-wing voting record. He also wants voters to think of him as a maverick — a mile from the president in every important respect. You can't have it both ways. But maybe you can. That's what we have elections for.
Meanwhile, the right-wing blogosphere continues to circulate accusations that Obama is a Muslim — even a crypto-terrorist. A recent Obama meet-up on Cape Cod was disrupted by self-proclaimed patriots shouting down a peaceable meeting and calling the participants traitors and dupes for supporting an enemy to our country. Traitors and dupes — for belonging to the Democratic Party.
McCain tells us Obama would willingly lose a war to win an election. This is not a light charge to make — especially coming from an administration willing to start a war to win an election.
OK, if you're a Republican, you're angry now. So how do you think I've been feeling for weeks, listening to the lies and misrepresentations coming from McCain's campaign? And I'd admired McCain for many years.
The media are loving this. Real politics is hard work. "Entertainment Tonight"-style politics is so much easier, and more entertaining. Politicians know now they can run an ad for almost nothing online and the mainstream media will put it on the nightly news — but only if it's outrageous enough. Thank you Karl Rove.
When Kerry was nominated, the Republicans stood to lose one of their life-long themes: that Democrats were pansy pacifists, ill-equipped to defend their country against a tough world. So Kerry's war heroism had to come down. He got "swift-boated" (see, it's even become a verb now.) How is the strategy being employed this time?
Obama is being ridiculed for being a celebrity. He's being ridiculed because Europeans like him. The former editor of the Harvard Law Review, a senator, author of two best-selling books — is compared to Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears.
When MoveOn.org came up with the "General Betray-us" stupidity and General Wesley Clark tried on a swipe at McCain's being shot down over Vietnam, the Democratic Party reacted with an embarrassed silence. But the Republicans and their talk radio sound machine take up the howl with relish and enthusiasm.
Obama, born into Third World surroundings, is an "elitist" while McCain, worth $150 million, is a simple man of the people"¦ just like Bush. Is Obama an elitist because he thinks in paragraphs and can write his own speeches?
Being a Republican is supposed to mean something"¦ being a Democrat too. Let's explain what those things are and argue which is best.
From the Greeks to Lincoln, political discourse at its best was thoughtful. It required patience and a command of the facts. Shame on us, with such information at our command, to content ourselves with such degraded fare. It makes shallow cynics of us all and disheartens the coming generation. We'll be lucky if democracy survives it.
Lawrence Brown of Hyannis teaches humanities at Cape Cod Academy in Osterville. His column appears every Friday. Reach him at 508-771-5096.
1 comment:
I think the trick this time around for the Republicans is balancing dirty politics and change.
As well as Rovian campaign tactics have succeeded in the past 2 election cycles, they are pretty well understood now, and easy to smell from a 100 yards out. McCain has put himself in the uncomfortable position of trying to distance himself from Bush, while appealing to the broader dogma of the Republican party. Unfortunately for him, it makes election year Rovian tactics one of the most disposable elements of the campaign.
To be fair to both parties, and it is early in the season still, I've found negative attacks are definitely down versus last election.
There are a convergence of factors leading to this. One: Right-wing media was resoundingly criticized for trying to meddle in the democratic primary cycle. Two: McCain has several cards stacked against him (age, support for war, bizarre status within the party), so I think he's as wary as anyone for the mudslinging to start. Ad Palin's personal troubles to the mix, and I'm sure he's wondering if his "political jock strap" is up to a round of hitting below the belt. Three: Obama has succeeded on a platform based on hope. Because of the sincerity of that message, McCain has to tread lightly, or his own claims of hope and change ring hollow (if they don't already). Four: Even the Bush administration has dialed down it's rhetoric, and begun entertaining, if not adopting, more conciliatory tones with axis of evil countries. For McCain to come out swinging too hard on Security will essentially place him further out on the fringe, if he exceeds Bush in the war-rhetoric department.
Its a tragic point to make, but as short as American's attention spans are regarding the war - a couple of bad weeks in Iraq will send everything roaring back.
All things being equal, its been fairly civil, but there is a sense both parties are restraining themselves. I think the debates could potential be a real treat, where any forced posturing of mutual respect will be challenged under the heat of rhetorical combat.
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