Pointless mudfight anyone?

Thursday, August 16, 2012

It’s a crazy, context-challenged campaign
By Kelvin Wade
From page A7 | August 16, 2012 |

When I was a junior at Armijo, my best friend, the late Bill Dunn, suggested we run together to be co-rally commissioners.

He had this crazy idea that we would wear sunglasses and bowties like Black Muslims and tell people we’d schedule rallies all the time to get kids out of class more. He said we’d have live music, show slasher movies and have girls in bikinis.

Thankfully, we never ran.

I think about that crazy time when I look at the current presidential race. Now, I like the selection of Paul Ryan as Mitt Romney’s running mate mainly because it makes the race a stark choice rather than a referendum. Although it doesn’t look promising, I hope it’ll eventually elevate the debate.

The most insidious thing about this campaign is the rush for both campaigns to take the other’s words out of context and create fictional arguments.

Mitt Romney ran an ad with Barack Obama saying, “If we keep talking about the economy we’re going to lose.” But the complete quote was from a stump speech in 2008 where candidate Obama said, “Senator McCain’s campaign actually said, and I quote, ‘If we keep talking about the economy we’re going to lose.’ ” Shameful.

Then there’s the silly “you didn’t build that” nonsense the Romney campaign and RNC have been promoting. In a July 16 speech in Roanoke, Va., President Obama said, “If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own . . . . The point is, is that when we succeed, we succeed because of our individual initiative, but also because we do things together.”

Mitt Romney has said the same thing in speeches. But the Republicans chose to take a snippet out of context. Listening to the speech in context, it’s clear the president was talking about the “American system” and “roads and bridges” when he said “you didn’t build that.” Republicans have chosen to deliberately take his words out of context to push their own agenda.

If you’ve fallen for the scam by only hearing the snippet, it’s OK. Ignorance can be cured. Willful ignorance cannot. That’s a character flaw.

To be fair, this tactic goes both ways. When Romney discussed being able to fire one’s doctor and said, “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me,” Democrats ran with the “I like being able to fire people” part. And there was the time Romney said, “I’m not concerned about the very poor.” Democrats leave out the fact that he continued on to say they have a safety net.

What’s next? A candidate states they love children and are accused of being pedophiles? Is that where we’re headed?

I’m not one of those who wrings their hands over negative advertising. Negative or comparison ads are legitimate. Passionate rhetoric is the American way. As long as it’s not fictional.

In the middle of the recent Olympic Games, where we dominated in medals, we landed a probe on Mars, cementing America’s space supremacy. Those achievements are points of national pride. Now back to our embarrassing election. The thought of this nonsense going on for nearly three more months, two conventions, four debates and millions in TV ads is nauseating.

So yes, back in the early ’80s my friend Bill had a crazy stupid idea for a campaign, but he was just a teenager having fun. What’s our major parties’ excuse? Peace.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES: I've been a political junkie since the '70's. Before the Internet I'd go to the library to read political magazines and other newspapers. There were Sundays when football wasn't on that I'd watch Meet the Press, This Week, Face the Nation, CNN, McLaughlin Group, To the Contrary, Washington Week and sometimes CSPAN. Started out as a liberal Democrat and moved to a center-left independent.  I know silly stuff goes on during every election. I know every election the candidates talk about it being the "most important election" of our lifetimes.  But here's a case where it is definitely the most important election. We're in deep shit. And the cartoonish level of the campaign is mindnumbing.

The debate in this election is essentially, "The other guy is a scumbag." And of course I support Barack Obama but I'm not happy with the President's campaign. In 2008, people were questioning whether he was tough enough to throw a punch. Well no one is asking that anymore. He's been hammering Romney. And you'd think I'd cheer that but I'm left thinking, "Damn, where'd the hope go?" I want a vision. I want a vigorous defense of your record. As for Mitt Romney, he's a cipher. He's the worst kind of political whore. Soulless.

But I hate this game of gotcha with gaffes and taking things out of context and arguing with straw men. Hell, anyone can make up a lie and argue against that lie. That's not a campaign. I was someone who loved politics and now I'm disgusted by it. I wasn't one of those who'd throw up my hands and tune out Washington. But now..... And it's everyone's fault. We respond to the BS. We gobble up the red meat. We preach to the choir. We try to score cheap political points. We read our own magazines, watch our own news, visit our own websites....just looking for news and pundits who confirm what we already believe. Fighting like hell as we're heading for a cliff.

At this point, we should just go over and get it over with. Maybe we have to hit bottom before people will pull their heads out of their idealogical asses.