Political Nasties

This October, the monsters running around might not just be kids in costumes. This promises to be the ugliest political season of my life time. We've already had a candidate's words edited to say the opposite of what he really said. We've had a candidate attacked for paying a maid a good wage, then firing her when she found out the maid was illegal. We've had a candidate pilloried for something she did in high school. I fear that this is not even the beginning. So brace yourself.

Who is responsible for this? To some degree all sides have done these things. We remember well Tricky Dick Nixon's special operatives who derailed the campaign of Edmund Musky. But at the moment, the dirty tricks are mostly on the Democratic side. Why? Because Republicans have more ammunition than they can use. All they have to do is tell the truth about their opponents. In fact, the records of some of the democratic candidates like our local assembly person, Ann Hraychuk are so bad, that if you tell the whole truth, you'll be accused of making it up.

Historically, Republicans have been uncomfortable with this sort of underhanded politics. We want to focus on the issues. Yes, there have been Republicans who play dirty. But its the exception not the rule. But it seems becoming the rule on the Democratic side of the aisle. Perhaps when all you have power, and power is your ideology, all you can do is play dirty. So hold on tight. The 2010 elections are going to be a wild ride.