Politics ain't bean-bag. It can be brutal, bloody, vicious and damaging. But that should be between the competing parties with their ideological differences. Increasingly the demands of a society which has abandoned the "sweet science" of pugilism for unlimited cage fighting require that policy discussion be abandoned in favor of total destruction of your opponent. You don't win the election by clearly describing superior policy choices. You win by shattering your opponents marriage, destroying his finances, demeaning his business and educational experience, and ruining his reputation. Truth becomes irrelevant and innuendo will be long remembered.
Four months ago it was a virtual certainty that Obama would be a one-term president. There was no conceivable way for a once-fooled electorate to embrace someone with such a parade of policy failures and blatant power grabs. Now, we would have to doubt that there will be a Republican candidate capable of standing before a crowd of voters in a general election campaign without being tarred and feathered.
Here is a remarkable commentary from an unlikely source. Or maybe not so unlikely at all, since she is one who has very clearly experienced the blood-lust of the new America:
Cannibals In the Tribe Eat the Young, the Old, and the Future
The most revered and respected Republican of the last fifty years had one very clear concept that helped a moribund GOP leap into political power and begin a resurgence to relevance. Ronaldus Magnus gave us the Eleventh Commandment; thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.
It would be very good advice for the next year at least.
6 comments:
Agree completely. As S.H. Elgin titled her book, there are many ways to disagree without being disagreeable. We're all on the same team and vile comments and sloppy innuendoes are no way to treat a teammate.
And for that matter, I'd love to see Democrats and Republicans once again beings civil. Also, I want the lions to nestle with the lambs and pigs to sprout wings.
But, really, hasn't it always been this way? Maybe just not so open.
Hey, man don't hate on Leadfoot, he provides an interesting insight to the workings of a true liberal.
He even occasionally gets some things right...though in my opinion his attitude is kinda dodgy.
I do completely agree with Ed and Ronald Reagan on this. The Party should work as a whole to not devolve and stoop to the Democrats level or the Presses attempts to drag them off mission, stick to the task at hand, explain why your policies are superior to your competitor.
Heh Heh
You're scaring the crap out of me, Ed. Keep up the good work.
Leadfoot was purged initially for inappropriate language. That coupled with a follow-on insult likening me to Hitler/Stalin/Mao for censoring him, resulted in another deletion. His contrarian comments are welcome addition to the debate, but I control the language deemed appropriate here and do not suffer fools gladly.
He was allowed to demonstrate his immaturity over the last few days with inane comments regarding "drivel" and that he wouldn't stoop to say something because it would be censored. Those comments were allowed to remain, if only to illustrate the level of his participation.
Here again he has found it necessary to express himself with both crude and insulting language and the gaps in the comment trail here show where his intrusions have been excised.
I am reluctant to shift the format here to a delay for blog owner approval system since that stifles comments and inhibits responses.
Leadfoot's comments, when mature and suitable for a professional atmosphere will appear. When adolescent and insulting, they will not.
Perhaps Mr. Foot has been partaking of the grape a bit more than he should on occasion?
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