Do the campaign managers and the media believe the American public too ignorant to understand or care about policy positions? Or, are they afraid to bring the real issues before the people?
With the recent photos of Barack Obama in native Somali garb, the press and his campaign consultants seem to be all in a dither. The insinuation is that because Senator Obama was photographed in native attire while in Africa, he is somehow more tied to another culture than ours. Of course, with the present resentment of the American people towards anything Muslim, the photo plays handsomely into innuendo and political smear.
Hillary Clinton, rather than discussing the differences, small though they may be, in the policies between her campaign platform and Barack Obama’s, goes off into a weak performance of sarcasm in Rhode Island. A couple of days before she had been in her “I’m calling you out, Barack” mode that reminded me of one of the worst episodes on Grey’s Anatomy. Before that, I would have sworn her to be a sweet Southern belle charming her way into the hearts of the voters.
Riding high on the back of the elephant, John McCain is at one time endorsed by the New York Times only to be followed by the paper’s hollow stab at his morality and ethics. I’m not going to stand up for Senator McCain’s ethics, because I’m still exploring his record and I have stated that his involvement in the Keating 5 is less than comforting.
Mike Huckabee seems to have skirted the wrath of the press at the present time. Perhaps, that’s only because of the fear of attempting to publicly slay the reputation of a man of the cloth. So, rather than attack him, the media has chosen to ignore him, just as Ron Paul has been ignored.
I’m not so naive as to believe that all of us want to hear or know the minute details of each candidates’ policies. But, in a year when Americans as a whole are interested in the political scene as never before, I would hope that the candidates and the media could rise to the occasion. In a year when young people are campaigning for candidates in masses never seen, is it necessary to teach them that the only way to play the political game is to cheat by disbursing misinformation and blatant lies?
For the first time in half a century there is interest in the direction our country will take over the next four years. And, when the interest is present shouldn’t the candidates and the media take advantage of the opportunity to inform and educate the people? We are not so ignorant as to buy into the media smears or the blatant pot shots by one candidate towards another. There are enough facts to discuss. There are enough issues that need our attention.
More recently, it seems to me that the candidates have become more infatuated with their possible future power and seat behind the Presidential desk than the issues that face the nation. Of course, this climb to power seems to fuel the media who cannot wait to throw more gas on the fires.
Please don’t continue to try to deceive us with false statements and innuendo. We are not as uneducated as you would believe, nor as naive. And, if there is one thing we have learned over the past eight years, it is that the end does not justify the means. After all, it was lies, misstatements, and misrepresentations that led us to Iraq. We are not interested in electing a candidate who follows that precedent to get into office. We are interested in the policies that will affect us all.
