From the New York Times tonight:
DES MOINES — In a bizarre bit of political theater, Mike Huckabee told news outlets on Monday that he was not going to broadcast a negative commercial against Mitt Romney, his chief rival in the Republican presidential caucuses in Iowa. Then he showed that advertisement to the news media, which in reporting the announcement went on to give his anti-Romney message free publicity while he claimed the moral high ground.
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Of all the so-far calculated bits of viral political theater to take place so far in the too-early and too over hyped Iowa Caucus, Arkansas Gov Mike "Holier-than-Thou" Huckabee's attempt to appear above negative ads, and then airing the negative ad anyway is craven conduct of the first order. It recalls the 1950's when a young and on-the-make Richard Nixon, a master of the Red-baiting smear tactic, would play the Commie Fellow Traveler card against any liberal opponent in Congress by saying something like "I will not make an issue of my opponents' pro-Marxist voting record, even though..."
To be fair, the Democrats have their lower-than-limbo-dancers low moves, too. You can also add Hillary Clinton bringing up a grade school essay, written by a then six-year-old Senator Barack Obama, as fodder against her chief opponent. (Very low, that one!)
Coming soon: Rudy Guliani: All You Need Is Fear
I agree with your thoughts about Huckabee. That was low.
ReplyDeleteBut the thing Clinton did was even worse. If we are going to bring essays written by someone six years old into play here then there is no way we are going to ever get a good candidate to run for office.
It's a mess. That bit with the essay written by Obama is so absurd it goes beyond farce into camp. "See!" they shrilled, "you really did want to be President!"
ReplyDeleteThe next day, as it turns out, the six-year-old Obama wrote an essay about wanting to be an astronaut.
Okay, I'm making that up, but you get the point. And if he did decide he wanted to be president when he was six, and somehow managed to stick to that over all these years, then good for him, and good luck to him in the election. (Of the three Democratic candidates, he's the one that seems most like he could be a leader. He's also refusing to be baited by the Clinton camp, and that says a lot. I'm sure he curses them privately--well, no, I'm projecting my own bad habits on him--but in public he's been solid.)
Huckabee is turning out to be Howard Dean with (minutely) better hair. The sooner we're rid of him (I write, being a Republican), the better. That goes for a few of the others, as well.
The level of vitriol one sees in intra-party campaigning is so bad right now that one fears that the inter-party campaigning will flat-out melt the television when aired. Can't say I'm in favor of it.
I have a modest proposal: in future elections, negative campaigning will have the consequence of getting the candidate kicked out of the election.
p.s. It's starting to bother me that I have good things to say about Obama and none to say about my own party's candidates. (I'm not bothered by having good things to say about Obama. I saw his speech in Selma. He was brilliant.) If it comes down to Barack Obama vs. one of the current Republicans, I may find myself in quite a quandary come November.
Does this behavior really surprise anyone? Our proposed "leaders" make the Three Stooges look like credible candidates for the Presidency. Can you imagine what would happen if we actually had a viable candidate for the job. He would get run out of town on a rail.
ReplyDeleteYes, but would the rail be privately or publicly owned?
ReplyDeletemrprogguy--One thing for sure--the rail wilI come from Wal-Mart and it will be made in China.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on Obama right now. Even David Broder--a commentator not known for being pinned down on one candidate--seems to be impressed by him. I'm an unaffiliated Democrat, in case anyone wonders about my hidden agenda. (By the way, I forgot where I hid that agenda back in 1988. If it turns up at your house, I'll pay the shipping costs if you send it via FedEx, UPS or rented mule.)
Fred--No I admit I'm not surprised. I put off saying anything about the Iowa contest because its like shooting trout in a barrel. (Which I've never done, but I'm told it's easier than "slugging" gophers in Death Valley.) The Three Stooges analogy rings true for me. Possible scenarios abound. Would Moe pick Curly or Shemp for VP? Or would Moe just stop pulling Larry's hair out, heal those intra-party rifts, and put him on the ticket? Would an eye-gouge or two of Vlad Putin work in a Washington/Moscow summit meeting?
Seriously I've thought for awhile we might as well let 12 year olds vote since that is the age mentality politicians pander to.
astroguy---you may be right about Clinton come to think of it.
I think the rail will be owned by a multi-national conglomerate lead by a third party member in absent-ia sponsored by the CIA and Elvis Presley.
ReplyDeleteI personally think Shemp would make a good VP. If Dan Quayle could be a Vice President why can't Shemp?
Why not, indeed.
ReplyDeleteThe basic nub of it, the very crux--not to put too fine a point on it--is that Shemp has been dead for 52 years.
ReplyDeleteOK how about Barney the Dinosaur. At least this person knows he is a clown.
ReplyDeleteAlso, at this point Shemp would be 102 years old. That would be bad.
ReplyDeleteAs for Barney the Dinosaur, are you sure the Great Purple Satan is a good choice?
Compared to the current choice I do not think he would any worse of a job.
ReplyDeleteMany underestimated Shemp when he was alive, so I'm not surprised some could question his abilities while he is in repose.
ReplyDeleteBarney's main qualification is that he survived the total extinction of his fellow dinosaurs. That is no small feat.
Ok so your requirements are they have to be alive, under 102 years of age and not purple. I will make two other assumptions they have to be human and have a brain.What about George Carlin? I am not sure how much brain matter he has left but I am sure it is more than the other candidates combined.
ReplyDeleteCarlin would be a good choice, but I fear complete honesty of opinion on all matters is no way to get elected.
ReplyDeleteI know George still does concerts because he's coming to Medford next month.
I would like to see him someday. I have seen his specials on HBO and he has always made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteHuckabee wanted it both ways for sure, but somehow he won the caucus. I'm still shaking my head on that one.
ReplyDelete