Going Negative
by David A. KeeneIn a perfect world, candidates vying for public office would debate issues and contrasting philosophical approaches to the problems confronting the nation and her citizens. Historians like to point to the Lincoln/Douglas debates as an example of how campaigns ought to be run. But that was then, and this is now.
We live in an impatient and superficial world. Few voters bother to watch what passes for “debates” between candidates, and fewer still have the patience to actually listen to serious men discussing serious issues at length and in detail.
Candidates say they want to discuss the issues and avoid the name calling that has given the profession a bad name, but what they really mean is that they’d be happy to focus on their positions that most voters favor. Unfortunately, sometimes politicians discover their positions … or their performance in office … isn’t viewed with the adulation they believe they deserve. When this happens, all bets are off.
When a candidate discovers his or her approach to governing is in disfavor or when the public has turned on the candidate’s programs and policies, things can get very ugly, very fast. This fall, Democratic candidates are ripping and tearing at their opponents in an attempt to avoid talking about the record and to instead convince voters those conservative candidates are sleazy, crazy, incompetent or simply unqualified for the offices they seek.
A year ago, Democrats actually thought they would be able to focus on issues and on the successes they’d won in Congress. They pumped each other up saying the healthcare bill would prove popular once passed and the economy would recover as a result of their policies.
As time went on, Democrats realized a referendum on their performance would be a disaster and began talking about diverting attention from their shortcomings by making the fall elections a referendum on the individual Republican candidates taking to the field to oppose them.
Consider the California governor’s race. Attorney General Jerry Brown is living up to the hard-nosed negative reputation he’s earned in campaigns over the last half-century. California is about to go over a cliff. Its schools don’t work, the state is broke, and both workers and employers are fleeing in droves.
The debate in California, however, is about whether Meg Whitman once unknowingly employed an illegal immigrant who presented her with false papers.
Personal attacks are dominating races in Illinois, Florida, Connecticut and elsewhere. Democratic opposition researchers are combing through the backgrounds of their opponents in search of anything they can use. Some, like a particularly obnoxious Florida congressman, are simply making things up and putting them on the air to discredit their opponents.
In Nevada the Majority Leader of the United States Senate and his allies like to assert his opponent is “a wacko.” In Delaware, a state once represented by our current vice president, a world-class fantasist who fabricated his entire life story, the personable but inexperienced GOP candidate is dismissed because of comparatively minor inaccuracies in her resume.
These are just a few examples of what is going on out there right now. Some candidates always cross the line, but this year the Democratic leadership is urging its candidates to “go negative” to salvage what they can in a bad year.
Democrats are arguing that bad as they might be, they are a little less dangerous to the future of the Republic than those who would send them packing. The slogan of the Democratic Party today might be, “We’re not much, but we’re just a little bit better than those other guys.”
Such campaigns have worked when there weren’t real issue differences and personal foibles and mistakes take center stage. But this year, the record of the Democratic Congress is the issue. Californians this year, for example, are probably far more interested in what Jerry Brown will do to save the Golden State than in the immigration status of one of Meg Whitman’s former employees.
This year, the issues matter and those who don’t get that simple fact aren’t likely to survive simply by calling their opponents names.
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39 Comments
The Dems cannot run on their record, they cannot run on principles, they cannot run on a viable plan for the future nor on ideas, so what else do they have? Answer….NOTHING !
"We live in an impatient and superficial world. Few voters bother to watch what passes for “debates” between candidates, and fewer still have the patience to actually listen to serious men discussing serious issues at length and in detail."
Sound Byte Nation.
We all get bitten, and consequently suffer the consequences.
This is why liberals can't lead. They are incapable of doing so because all they know how to do is attack and destroy. Anyone doubt that the reason Obamugabe was elected was as a result of the anti-Bush vote? he had no policies, substance or track record to stand on.
Same is true with demoncrats in Congress. Shouldn't they being running on the stimulus, Obamacare, take over of GM, take over of banks, illegal immigration and evil Arizona, etc.? Those are their policy issues. Notice, they don't discuss ANY of them. Think of this. They spent TRILLIONS of dollars "socially engineering" this nation and have NOTHING to show for it except an debt far as one can see and the next generation indebted from the time they are born. How can they run on issues? They are on the wrong side of each and every issue, and the results of their policies are DISASTERS, both short term and long term. If I were running against them I would bring up all their policies and never let them go. These people are truly a threat to the very existence of the US. Don't let the citizens forget that.
If an an is genuinely factually correct, I have no problem with it. Case in point is the recent McMahon ad in CT about her opponents lying about his Vietnam service. But when they out and out lie like Grayson and so many others, it pisses me off to no end. And for the trolls out there, I don't like anybody, that means ANYBODY, lying in their ads or speeches. But if the facts are there, I say go for it.
Let them lie and fabricate.
We have their game book, they can't make any plays without us knowing it ahead of time. The silly part is, I am sure in their feeble little disconnected minds, they actually believe "someone" will believe them.
Lets face it. A Socialist got into the White House, and is more friendly to Communist Foreign Leaders than with U.S. Obama is also intent upon "Fundamentally trandforming America" into socialism, if not communism.
His allies are all of the Liberal Progressive Democrats who believe that EVERYONE SHOULD BE EQUAL EXCEPT THEMSELVES.
I believe Obama should be Impeached for High Crimes against a Nation. Enlisting the aid of 11 Latin, mostly Communist Countries to bring a Law Suit against Arizona, as an Amicus Brief, makes it perfectly clear where our President stands; and it is NOT with U.S!
They can't talk about jobs…not after the abysmal September report
They can't talk about the economy….what economy?
They can't talk about HC….oh hell no
They can't talk about the environment….not with the cost of Cap n Tax
They can't talk about freedom….not while continuing to try to muzzle the Net
I sense a new Democratic Campaign Slogan here.
WELL SHUT MAH MOUFFFF!
))))))))))
Higher taxes, more regulation, unemployment at 15%, bailout of the banks that are now foreclosing on America, bailout of foreign banks and governments, Obamacare pack of lies, cut 500M from medicare, stimlies was a waste of 1Trillion dollars–shovel ready my azz, job crushing cap and tax, moratorium on oil drilling, federal reserve printing money to buy whatever they desire–likely your homes, open borders, union favoritisim and bailouts, socialism, favor a Mosque at ground zero, rights are no longer endowed by our creator, and they hate businesses… Food stamps at record levels, record debt, no budget, no plan …and they are going negative?? How can they possibly get more negative than that record??
Isn't it Dereliction of Duty, and Failure to uphold the OATH of office and Abuse of Power when you lie to the American people? and when you pass incomplete Legislation against the televised protests of a Nation?
Isn't looting our U.S. Treasury a Crime?
Obama said that he wanted to 'Fundamentally transform America' He forgot the last part of the sentence: into Communism.
I say Impeach Obama! Send a message to socialists and communists not to come to America. We need to close up America and enforce our Fed Immigration Law, and clean out the Entitlement Pig-Pen that America has become.
Return ourselves to prosperity, and Freedom! We've seen the enemy and we need to extinguish them! They are not for U.S!
Great Article ,
This election is really a referendum on the intelligence of the voter,
If you vote for Democrats again in these Blue states that all I can say is your not very smart
and you get what you vote for ….Don't expect the rest of America to have sympathy for you….
Yes, but how many times does a person walk right up to the snake before they learn what a snake looks like? I got bitten a few times in my indiscretion as a "youth." Thankfully, from those bite marks I saw Obama for what he was a mile away. Problem is, alot of Americans never grow up. Wealth can do that.
i reckon they select their candidates out of the same gene pool of those attending the "One Nation" rally. Small wonder they lack integrity.
Go Republicans for Senate! WE HAVE to take the Senate! Dino Rossi in Wash is on TV right now. We have to help him!
No more Democrats that support Obama!
All Republican Constitutionalists need to be voted in!
No more Liberals, and no more Career Politicians!
No one who voted for the Bail-outs!
I live in Massachusetts and the Democratic Reps. wife here got caught laundrying money,for years, for her brother who ran an illegal offshore gambling business. Now the Dem is saying his wife and he didn't know what was going on. Right. But you can bet this Democrat will probably win back his seat. No need for negative ads here because the Dems win no matter what they do.
Sure negative approaches in politics is subversive, unethical and unintelligent, but it seems to be working, for now against Whitman. A recent Rasmussen poll has Brown picking up 49% of the vote while Whitman draws support from 44%. Prior to the Nanny-crap incident it was 47-46% Brown lead, which is a statistical even match up.
So even with a blatantly obvious setup as this was, still some only pay superficial attention to politics and get swayed easily by this kind of BS tactic.
It seems the same old tricks may still work. Time will ultimately tell if this is true with Whitman.
That is why we need state rights returned, I am sick of living under the rule of Blue states socialist policies, let them run their states under those policies and not take down the whole country. Let CA and NY pay their pensions and let the rest of us deal with ours. Let the social states be socialist with their own money.
The Dems have been proven to be more incompetent than the least educated Americans, who knew the things being pushed wouldn't work.
If they had any honor they would willingly step down and let people who want the best for this country and know what they are doing take the lead.
But NOOOOOOO instead they lie to keep their sorry a**es in incompetent power.
Best way to beat a Liberal is hit them with the Truth
Dhimmicrats can’t even TALK a good game. They’ve become the party of lies in just a few short months. And it shows just how desperate they are based on the writing on the walls. What ALL candidates need to realize is America is fed up with their “I’m better than the other guy” mantra. Half efforts aren’t good enough anymore, and selling me on the fact that you would be the lesser of the two evils doesn’t sell at all neither. You’re either for the support and defense of the Constitution or you’re not. You’re either a representative of we the people or you’re not. You either love this country or you don’t. We’ll show you at the polls November 2nd exactly how we feel about your campaign rhetoric.
And if you’re elected, you’ll know we’re watching you very closely too.
Why not? It's worked very well for them in the past. They're perplexed as to why it's not working for them this time, though. They can't stand an informed electorate. We were fooled in 2008, I don't think we'll be fooled again. Not with so many available sources of information to help us find and know the truth. And the truth is: dems lie!
Can I drive? ; )
Sure, sometimes. When your not driving you can ride Shotgun….12 gague 00 buckshot ! LOL
When the facts are not on your side, all you have have at your disposal are personal attacks and outright lies….
Damn SoreBird , I just checked out your Tuber channel ,
The song list is EXCELLENT ~ and I thought I was the only white boy my age that
Liked Gnarls Barkley…
Anyway I booked marked it and will spend some time perusing your selection Tonight ….
Have a Good Day ….
That or hit the ones escaping the bumper with the passenger door…..
Sounds like a new movie….Mad Max Beyond NoBamadome.
You are correct, however I would like to clarify:
We weren't fooled, the Democrats (the majority) were fooled. "We" saw this President for who he really was long before the election, we just didn't have the votes. Not that McCain would have been the "savior".
Now even their base is going…uh, ya, "not what I thought hope and change was".
TY for your comment..
No it isn't. It's about whether Whitman knowingly continued to employ an illegal immigrant after being informed that her papers were not in order.
And besides, you act as if this petty politics in place of reasoned debate is something new, when, in fact, it has been a conservative cottage industry since the Clinton era. The above sentence could just as easily have read "The debate in America, however, is about whether Bill Clinton once received a blowjob from an intern and lied about it." At the time, the issue was not the blowjob, but the lie. Same with Whitman.
The Liberal Democrats will have to go job hunting and see what the economy is really like.
Pray those unrighteous "devils" out with Psalms Ch 109.
"No it isn't. It's about whether Whitman knowingly continued to employ an illegal immigrant after being informed that her papers were not in order."
Do stop repeating stale lies after they've been exposed. She was not "informed her papers were not in order."
The real issue, of course, is whether or not Jerry Brown is put in office, the better to allow *millions* of illegals to work (or collect welfare) illegally.
If the elephants wish to win, they have to stick to the current problems facing the American worker and businesses. Word of advice to all tea party and repub candidates. Stick to the issues: deficit spending, lack of jobs, potential loss of Bush tax cuts, national debt, cap and trade, etc. Expose the progs by stating facts and exposing their voting record. Don't fall into a trap like Christine and Cary. Stay on the offensive. The truth alone can crush the opposition in this election cycle.
E N J O Y… Gnarls is one of my favorites, check out, On the Road To Freedom tunes Alvin Lee and Mylon Lefevrer–I thought no one would ever post that album..YT seems to have a bad habit of removing videos and more often than not they remove the ones with the greatest sound.
Voters reject what passes for debates because we don't actually see debates. We see moderator controlled biasfests where one candidate has an advantage over the other from the get go. "Major party" candidates are protected from independents and "lesser" parties showing them up and it all amounts to a waste of time.
When all people on the ballot for a particular seat are brought together to ask each other questions themselves, people will tune in. Transcripts will be copied and pasted into emails and forum boards and Statesmen worth their salt will be elected.
She ADMITTED that her husband had been informed. Do they not talk over the dinner they have prepared for them? Looks to me like she's just trying to trash her loyal servant's reputation now that the feces has hit the fan…
Please try some facts.
Whitman used a placement service and obtained what looked to be real documentation prior to the hire. This included a CA drivers license and Social Security card. The completed I-9 form is attested to under penalties of perjury by the housekeeper, who has incriminated herself and if convicted of the normal range of charges could face more than 5 years in prison prior to being deported.
The paper, brandished by her lawyer, Allred, specifically states that no adverse action can be taken against the employee and, if done, can result in civil or criminal prosecution. Additionally, the scrawled reference indicates that the housekeeper should look into this. This is not the action you take with an untrusted employee. There is no record of them recieving statements later and termination after being informed is the correct way to proceed.
All told, this is simply a PR ploy by a unscrupulous laywer, ignoring the proper interests of her client, and looking to influence an election.
By the way, when person lies prior to being employed, resume, documents or otherwise, they deserve to be terminated and under no condition should be referred to as a "loyal servant."
The reason liberals refuse to argue on the issues is because they know their ideas are intellectually bankrupt and will not stand up to even a semi-competent cross examination. If their ideas had any merit then they would probably be willing to debate, but since they don't they resort to the only thing they might actually be good at…throwing mud
You're right, of course. By "we" I meant Americans in general. Like you, I saw this poser for exactly who and what he was. I think the dems are stymied, though, that their tried and true tactics of lie, deflect and deceive aren't working for them.
I grew up in California. I left in 89 when I joined the service and have only been back to live for a total of 2 years since then (Once in 93 and once in 2002) I grew up in the Inland Empire.
The state is nothing like it was when I was growing up. I had always hoped that one day I would return and be able to live there once again, raise a family with my wife when we finally decide to have children. It is just too darn expensive for me to live there anymore, and the area I grew up in is much more violent than when I lived there. I would fear bringing a child into the world there.
So, I still watch California politics. I still have a great affection for the state. I was just a child when Jerry Brown was last Governor.
I am truly afraid that CA is lost once again. I think Jerry Brown is going to win the Governors race and this silly immigration hit job that was done on Whitman will stand up. I weep for the Golden State.
I believe that Meg Whitman is going to lose because the Republican base refuses to support her. In every conversation I have had with Republican friends, they are best indifferent to Meg. For the record, that is no better than all of the moderates and conservatives who voted for Obama because they had to believe that they were cool. I am going to call all of you out when Brown is taking your property and liberty.
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