So as you can tell, I love politics, but the last part of a campaign -- especially a political campaign -- gets exasperating.
Driving in this morning, I saw two campaign signs that I found terrifying – both pro-W, coincidently. Both looked make shift, you know, like they were hand stenciled. One was multiple signs along the median of the road – “The US weapon of mass destruction” and then “Bush-Chaney ’04.” To be honest, I can’t tell if that is pro-W or pro-Kerrey.
The other was, “Leading through faith and prayer. Bush ‘04” OOOOOOOK!
I travel to Hershey, Pa. this afternoon for work, which will be my first trek into a battleground state since I was in Ohio for the Fourth of July weekend. I am there for work, but I’m sure there will be campaign stuff all over the place. I’ll update later.
The other thing about the last week of the campaign is that there is nothing really going on so The Media goes hyper-speculative. The Sunday political shows certainly demonstrated that in spades. All had their roundtables where folks tried to assess what would happen and why and all had political hacks representing the two parties and spinning away. My beloved Meet the Press featured Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe and Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie and a political roundtable. While MTP demonstrated why it is the number one Sunday morning program, my favorite part of the campaign isn't the horse rase. Rather it is the healthy debate of ideas.
Unlike some who say they can’t wait for it all to end, I love the political campaign. It forces us as a country – and our leaders – to pay attention to what is really important. That doesn’t always mean the best decisions are made, but campaigns force us to ask questions and set priorities.
One of the things I love about living in Washington is that it is a company town and that politics is the life blood of the city. And unlike some who say that they avoid political discussions, I relish them because they are at the heart of democracy. I don’t believe I have the answers to everything. To the contrary, through discussion and debate, I formulate my own views and the only way I can do that is by having somebody that sees things differently.
(Just an aside, I love a political debate with an intelligent person. Nothing is more frustrating then holding a discussion with somebody who is just a knee-jerk. When we were in Hilton Head, North Carolina recently, I had the opportunity to meet somebody like that. Her take on the election: If Kerry is elected, the United States will be in serious danger. Seriously!?!)
Most people in Washington don’t take politics personally. They understand that one wins some and one loses some, but most people have a ardent belief that the result of the debate of ideas is wisdom. That debate is at the heart of democracy.
If I have a problem with politics today, it isn’t they money involved. To the contrary, I think that is healthy. Nor is it that some people don’t vote. People will vote when they believe it is important for them to vote, I think. But what is troubling is that the professional campaign managers have become so sophisticated, they don’t wage a debate of ideas. Instead, they hone a message, much the way you market shampoo, that they believe consumers will buy. Thankfully, technology has made it more difficult to create that message. One of the amazing things about this year is that pollsters are having trouble getting a gauge of the numbers because many people only have cell phones and therefore run below the radar of pollsters. So I’m excited about next Tuesday. I guess I just wish it was today… or tomorrow.
Acknowledging everything said above, what were Kerry’s people thinking with the goose hunt?
Argh! He isn't going to ride in a tank now, is he?
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