In a little more than 24 hours, America will have voted in a new president. Not a few Americans will be relieved to have it over. This election, unfortunately, devolved at some point into a 3-ring circus. Instead of talking about the issues, one candidate embarked on a campaign of "country first," then swiftly began the mud-slinging. Senator John McCain, whose once dignified personna was that of a military hero and a serious politician, became at once desperate and pathetic in his swan song bid for the presidency. He obviously thought he needed to sell out in order to be noticed. His advisors, the people whom he ostensibly hired to help him, have instead instructed him to do things he clearly was not comfortable doing. From selecting Alaska governor Sarah Palin as a running mate to allowing an unlicensed-plumber-turned-Republican-audience-plant to steal the spotlight at his rallies, none of what the McCain campaign has done has reflected favorably on McCain's "heroic" character.
McCain's people have called his oponent, Senator Barack Obama (in no particular order); a terrorist, a socialist, a Marxist, an elitist, un-American, anti-Israel, pro-Middle East, a Washington "insider," and of course, the old standby, inexperienced. Nevermind that Palin's credentials are thinner than that of any previous vice-presidential candidate. Nevermind that Obama stuck to McCain's original promise to run a dignified campaign. Obama has criticized McCain's policies and pointed out disparities in his record, but Obama's camp never once went the route of namecalling.
Sophomoric tactics may work in the short term, but people in general don't respond well to lies and negativity. We teach our children to treat others the way they'd like to be treated. Has McCain treated his opponent with respect? Has his behavior been worthy of a war hero? For that matter, does the McCain campaign REALLY believe that Palin would be what is best for this country? She has been coached, pampered, primped, dressed, rehearsed and coddled all the way. It is hard to discern what, if anything, is genuine about this person. She says she's passionate about helping children with special needs. Is that why she cut Special Olympics funding in Alaska by $100K? Is that why, until she had a Downs Syndrome baby, she never once criticized the Republican legacy of slashing spending for special needs people? Ronald Reagan practically made it a sport yet she never wastes an opportunity to invoke his name. It's just hard to believe that someone who has no trouble being ruthless, brutal and pointlessly nasty personally, could be a caring politician. And she never has stated exactly what she means when she says special needs children will have "a friend in the White House" if she and McCain are elected.
In fact, aside from a faulty health plan and some vague promises about the economy, the only thing that seems to excite McCain is more war. Never quitting. Sending more troops. As both he and Palin say at all of their rallies, they are interested in "winning" Iraq. But they never say what their definition of a win would be. At this point, both sides have lost. And it has nothing to do with ferreting out Osama bin Laden. McCain says he knows how to find bin Laden. Well, then, why hasn't he? He said he'd rather lose an election than lose a war. Well, why doesn't he? Because honestly, putting country first at this point would be asserting one's strongest talents to solve this country's problems. If McCain truly means what he says, he would save his money, concede defeat and focus on what he thinks he can handle. He clearly can't handle the running of this country. Evidence of that is the fact that he can't even handle his campaign.
Tomorrow night, God willing, truth will triumph and America will begin rebuilding itself. Right now, it is damaged and divided. But tomorrow night, perhaps hope will be on the horizon. God willing, we will take the steps to help ourselves- and each other- back to civility and change for the better.
