After reading this article on Alternet, which seems to reinforce the statements I've been making for the last week about the McCain/Palin campaign's hate-speech, new things became obvious to me. Through quotes by journalists and polticians, the article shows the widespread opposition to this strategy, from condemnation as hate-speech at one end to being politically unhelpful at the other.
What is interesting, however, is the original response to this stuff when taken through the lens of what it could lead to. Let me explain. In the spring, when Sen. Hillary Clinton was losing ground in the primaries to Sen. Barack Obama, she began mudslinging with some borderline inappropriate suppositions. The response at the time to "the Kitchen Sink Approach" came in the form of three predominant viewpoints: she is fighting to the end (Hillary supporters), she is handing the Republicans a ready-made campaign (moderate Democrats), she has descended her campaign into the hell that political campaigns must avoid, namely racism and fear (Obama supporters). When McCain came out slinging at Obama, eager to paint him as unsuitable for the presidency, the worst fears of all (and the total expectation of the majority) of Democrats were realized: a campaign that was destructive and nasty--and entirely worse than anything in recent memory.
But here's the thing that I don't understand--the long-odds gamble. When Sens. Clinton and McCain started throwing whatever they could find at Sen. Obama, arguing that they are demonstrating what fighters they are, how driven they are to protect America from whatever Obama is supposed to represent, why is it construed by supporters, and worse, the media as "the only choice" and "all [they] have left"? Isn't pride, decency, and the very fabric of our country's political future worth preserving? Why shred our ability to transcend partisanship in favor of a selfish desire to do literally everything possible to become president?
Let me say this again, because it is that important. McCain has a choice. He doesn't have to be a nasty jerk. He doesn't have to throw his honor out the window and toss his scruples. He doesn't have to make a deal with the devil and compromise the country. He doesn't have to go about spouting vile garbage, insighting riots and lynch mobs. He has a choice. He has the option of winning or losing as a decent man. He has the option of being a humane and humble leader. But he's not. He is selfish. He is willing to throw three decades of public service in the toilet, flushing it with an angry hand because he is that desperate and selfish. He is out of options and in his mind, the only thing left is to tear it all down. Like a child playing with Legos and has trouble dealing with a better castle being made by another kid, he is willing to stomp on them, breaking the legos, the playmat, ruining the opportunity for himself, the other kid, and any other children that hope to play there in the future.
McCain has always had another option. A candidant doesn't have to live by the mindset: by any means necessary. You don't have to ruin things for everyone when you don't get your way. You can choose to run a good, high-minded campaign with every intention of winning. You can be a good sport. You can show people how's it's done: by being a role model for other political figures.
Nobody wants to see their husband, their father, or worse, their son running the type of campaign that McCain has. It is dishonorable and indecent: it is the definition of obscene. But what is truly tragic is that McCain had all the means of running that other campaign. He had the opportunity to actually be a Maverick, not pretend to be one. He had the opportunity to unite the people under important principles of bipartisan unity and debate--he could have made disagreement cool and useful, not a constant means of division. He had the opportunity to redeem the Republican Party and helped us work toward forgiveness. He had the the opportunity to be an inspirational figure. He had the opportunity to out post-partisan his opponent. He had the opportunity to do all of these things. And at the end, regardless of how the chips fell, he could have won an historic and politically unprecedented election based on optimism, respect, and honor. All of that was possible. But he chose Rove's disciples to run his campaign and chose the low road, only worse. He chose the subterranian road.
Maybe now we will understand that when you've run out of cards, you don't need to bet it all.
What is interesting, however, is the original response to this stuff when taken through the lens of what it could lead to. Let me explain. In the spring, when Sen. Hillary Clinton was losing ground in the primaries to Sen. Barack Obama, she began mudslinging with some borderline inappropriate suppositions. The response at the time to "the Kitchen Sink Approach" came in the form of three predominant viewpoints: she is fighting to the end (Hillary supporters), she is handing the Republicans a ready-made campaign (moderate Democrats), she has descended her campaign into the hell that political campaigns must avoid, namely racism and fear (Obama supporters). When McCain came out slinging at Obama, eager to paint him as unsuitable for the presidency, the worst fears of all (and the total expectation of the majority) of Democrats were realized: a campaign that was destructive and nasty--and entirely worse than anything in recent memory.
But here's the thing that I don't understand--the long-odds gamble. When Sens. Clinton and McCain started throwing whatever they could find at Sen. Obama, arguing that they are demonstrating what fighters they are, how driven they are to protect America from whatever Obama is supposed to represent, why is it construed by supporters, and worse, the media as "the only choice" and "all [they] have left"? Isn't pride, decency, and the very fabric of our country's political future worth preserving? Why shred our ability to transcend partisanship in favor of a selfish desire to do literally everything possible to become president?
Let me say this again, because it is that important. McCain has a choice. He doesn't have to be a nasty jerk. He doesn't have to throw his honor out the window and toss his scruples. He doesn't have to make a deal with the devil and compromise the country. He doesn't have to go about spouting vile garbage, insighting riots and lynch mobs. He has a choice. He has the option of winning or losing as a decent man. He has the option of being a humane and humble leader. But he's not. He is selfish. He is willing to throw three decades of public service in the toilet, flushing it with an angry hand because he is that desperate and selfish. He is out of options and in his mind, the only thing left is to tear it all down. Like a child playing with Legos and has trouble dealing with a better castle being made by another kid, he is willing to stomp on them, breaking the legos, the playmat, ruining the opportunity for himself, the other kid, and any other children that hope to play there in the future.
McCain has always had another option. A candidant doesn't have to live by the mindset: by any means necessary. You don't have to ruin things for everyone when you don't get your way. You can choose to run a good, high-minded campaign with every intention of winning. You can be a good sport. You can show people how's it's done: by being a role model for other political figures.
Nobody wants to see their husband, their father, or worse, their son running the type of campaign that McCain has. It is dishonorable and indecent: it is the definition of obscene. But what is truly tragic is that McCain had all the means of running that other campaign. He had the opportunity to actually be a Maverick, not pretend to be one. He had the opportunity to unite the people under important principles of bipartisan unity and debate--he could have made disagreement cool and useful, not a constant means of division. He had the opportunity to redeem the Republican Party and helped us work toward forgiveness. He had the the opportunity to be an inspirational figure. He had the opportunity to out post-partisan his opponent. He had the opportunity to do all of these things. And at the end, regardless of how the chips fell, he could have won an historic and politically unprecedented election based on optimism, respect, and honor. All of that was possible. But he chose Rove's disciples to run his campaign and chose the low road, only worse. He chose the subterranian road.
Maybe now we will understand that when you've run out of cards, you don't need to bet it all.
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