Reject Nasty Campaigning
By Christine WhitmanI have yet to decide who I will be supporting in the Republican Presidential primary. When I do decide, however, it will be based on what the candidates have laid out for the future: how they plan to get Washington working again, what they will do about the economy, the war, immigration. It will not be based on third party allegation about what they really stand for or what they really did twenty or thirty years ago.
The attack campaign that is now underway in South Carolina against John McCain is the worst of American politics. Rather than looking at his very public record of service in the Senate and his statements over the course of the campaign, fellow Republicans are distorting his record on every level. The use of push polls, independent expenditures and outrageous twisting of the facts must stop. If it doesn’t, whomever is the nominee will be so damaged that they won’t stand a chance in the general election.
If voters stop responding to these claims, campaigns will be forced to change tactics. For the sake of our country and our political process, it¹s time for voters to reject nasty campaigning and emotion-laden rhetoric we must demand real conversations on the issues.
Contributors
Wally Edge
The race for governor helped give PolitickerNJ.com our best month since the site launched on February 1, 2000.
As compared to the four weeks ... >
Bob Torricelli
The contest for Governor of New Jersey might be the most visible but in the long term it might not be the most important. Long after our youngest ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
Political discourse in America contains much in the way of intellect or intellectual honesty. One considers the Federalist Papers with wistful awe: ... >
Jeff Michaels
Governor-elect Christopher J. Christie. How sweet it is for the thousands of volunteers who worked since February to support this great man for NJ ... >
Richard LaRossa
With a convincing win in defeating an encumbent Governor, why were there no coattails? >
Alan Steinberg
Within 24 hours after the election of Chris Christie as Governor, the battle was joined between the Governor-elect and the New Jersey Education ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
I am often asked by my students, friends and even reporters why campaigns in New Jersey are so nasty and why candidates rely so heavily on negative ... >
Carla Katz
It was a dark and stormy November night. An icy wind whistled through leafless moonlit trees. A loud thud is followed by a piercing scream. A ... >
Joey Novick
OK, aside from the governor’s race, the House Health Care Bill (H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act). was the big news of ... >
Murray Sabrin
According to the latest SurveyUSA and Rutgers Eagleton polls, independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett has the support of 19% and 20% of ... >
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Quote of the Day
"Please. I wouldn't have enough paper. So let’s not even bother writing one. This is now about governing. I won. The one thing I could never understand about people in politics was winners who are sore winners." -- Gov.-elect Christopher Christie, on putting together an enemis list.
“He’s a nice man with good intentions, but in the end he’ll be remembered for timidity. Being a business titan and issuing orders from the corner office is a lot different than having to cajole and persuade people in politics and having the toughness and fortitude to see your vision become reality.”-- Ross K. Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University, on Gov. Jon Corzine.
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