Politics as usual
"Practical politics consists in ignoring facts," wrote American philosopher and historian Henry Brooks Adams. That was over a century ago, in 1891. Today he would have been the first to admit that in fact, his concept would have been the understatement of the century. While it is the fundamental theory behind political skill and success, it is far too mild and polite, to describe the political climate of today.
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John McCain, Republican candidate for President of the US
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Everyone now calls it "dirty politics," a most appropriate appellation for all the floating dirty laundry in the US air. One should expect no less in a presidential election year, but it does seem to get even dirtier as the years roll by. With the general morality descending a notch or two, the ethics of the campaign only reflects the popular taste. This, by all accounts, is the year of the Democratic Party of the US to regain the White House, after eight painful years under Republican President George Bush. Democrats are making pretty sure that no obstacle will stand between them and the Presidency, hence the excess dose of dirty politics.
Smearing the opposition is nothing new in politics or elsewhere. It has been going on for centuries, throughout history, and the demand is always for the best man to win -- but does he! History is replete with archetypical models pf political intrigue that were able to overthrow governments, or overturn the outcome of events, leading to scandals, rebellions, wars, or deaths. England's history evolved against a rich backdrop of royal conspiracies that surpass fictitious drama in intensity and propensity. The wars of Henry VIII with his women and his church continue to be an appealing subject for dramatic presentation. Viewers of each generation dote on every detail of his sensational life. Elizabeth I, his daughter, inherited the same appeal, with her notoriety, her ruthlessness, her determination to survive at all cost, not to mention her penchant to "chop off their heads" at every whim.
One of most famous political conspiracies in history is the betrayal of Julius Caesar by members of the Roman Senate which led to his assassination in 44 BC, but not before he established Cleopatra Queen of Egypt, who herself was not without her special talents for political machinations.
The obvious result of political conniving is that the innocent often get the fall, the cunning survive. Assassinations may be the worst outcome, but to be smeared and sullied, disgraced and dishonoured, left by the wayside to lick your wounds alone, is no desirable alternative.
Senators Obama and McCain have been going at each other for months now; before them we watched the cutthroat contest between Obama and Clinton. The Obama campaign is well disciplined, well organized and well equipped with all the tools that ensure victory. We are all getting a little weary and wish it to be over and done with. The question is, why are we so interested in what goes on across the Atlantic. The practice of dirty politics takes place everywhere, in Europe, recently in France, in Africa and in Asia, in South America, Canada, Mexico, etc. Their internal politics however, matter little to the rest of the world. Why are all our eyes and ears focused on what goes on in the US? American pop culture has invaded the world, with its movies, music, fashion, and food. More than that, the American economy is the backbone of the world economy. The world looks to the US for leadership and guidance, therefore the matter of electing an American president, totally captivates the world's attention.
Campaigns are, by definition, organizations engaging in "dirty politicking." Its foundations is investigating into an opponent's past, his home, family, children, whatever information is sought that will likely embarrass, weaken, or handicap the opponent. Obama's campaign went after Vice Presidential Republican candidate, Sarah Palin, for the same reasons that the Democratic Presidential candidate is guilty of -- lack of experience! It has not stuck with Obama and as more evasions and more lies are spread, the result is more success.
Public ignorance is a useful tool. One legendary example of this is the campaign that occurred in the 50s between a certain Claude Pepper and George Mathers. Mathers delivered a heated speech in which he attacked Pepper describing his sister as a "well known thespian," and his brother "as a practicing homo-sapien." Now what, you may ask, is wrong with these allegations? They are neither illegal nor immoral. By insinuation however, they were able to sway the votes of the ignorant, who knew not the meaning of the words used. Ignorance became a platform for the devious to stand on. The masses draw together reaching an emotional high, discarding reasonable, spiritual or creative values for the sake of the political heat of the moment.
Dirty politics has played a role in American politics since the time of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson is said to have used pamphlets filled with uncomplimentary or embarrassing information about his political opponent. In our modern era from Kennedy and Nixon, to Muskie, Dukakis, Goldwater, Johnson and Clinton, dirty politics has changed the course of events, and ultimately who ended up in the Oval Office.
The exposure of dirty politics in the US is a credit to the social virtues of openness and free speech of a true democracy. Because of an aggressive media, little is swept under the rug, or hushed up. A willing accomplice, the media, which by their own admission is made up of 80% liberal Democrats, has- in this case done little investigation of the organization known as ACORN (The Association Of Community Organizations for Reform Now). What ACORN has organized are thousands of fraudulent names of imaginary voters including Mickey Mouse, the whole Dallas football team, as well as other ridiculous names of the unborn and the dead. One citizen by his own admission registered to vote 73 times, and in the crucial state of Ohio, over 200,000 votes are doubtful.
Along with the freedom of speech and the freedom of action, unfortunately comes the freedom to smear, slander, and incriminate.
Wish as we might that the best man wins, in today's climate, what is more likely, is the chilling outcome, that the best man seldom does.
Something is rotten in the State of Denmark
-- William Shakespeare (1564 -- 1616)
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