How would it play if... (The "positive campaign" question)

[skids]

One of the first questions that the media asks during a campaign is, "will this be a positive campaign?"

How would it play with the public if a politician answered that question as follows?

"It is impossible to run a positive campaign with a neo-conservative in the race. These people lie, cheat, and steal their way into office, and we are not going to stand passively by and be victims to that. We will call them on their lies, and if they take the campaign to new lows, well we have to deal with tha facts. The facts of politics are that a small number of voters -- enough to change the results in many cases -- vote based on rumors, gossip, and innuendo. If we need these votes, we will fight for them."

...it would sure be refreshing to hear.

[rurallib]

1. Those who own the media don't want a 'positive campaign'

Won't sell. They get mucho more ad money when the campaign is dirty, filthy lies. To be a 'positive campaign' we'd have to have an unbiased media so that stories that don't deserve the time of day wouldn't get play. What are the cahnces of - oh say Fox - being unbiased. Then the others join in the dog pile to get 'scoops'.
No, I think the days of any honesty by the right and the media are long gone. Some day we may decide the presidency by the best of three falls mud wrestling event.

[skids]

2. Exactly.

And since cmapaigns are waged in the media these days, why do our Dem politicians offer up the flaccid "this will be a positive campaign" when A) they know it won't be, at least from the Republican side and B) The media will yawn. Instead they should take the first shot and attack the credibility of their opponent's affiliations.

[vickitulsa]

4. My thoughts precisely.

It would be nice, but it's an idea from an idealist. I love idealists, but their suggestions need to be pumped up by practicality and logic so that they're not susceptible to attack, misuse, and mockery.

The sad fact is, we all know that even if a politician running for office says at the outset of his (or her) campaign that s/he will run a positive campaign, we all know enough to recognize that it's a lie -- or at best wishful thinking.




Quote below is by Dwight D. Eisenhower

[KharmaTrain]

3. Give 'Em Dirty Laundry

I worked in radio for years and one day a proxy for a local candidate came into our little station and bought an obituary for his opponent. The receptionist took the obit and the money...typed it up then gave it to the announcer who proceded to read it on the air. It showed me at a very young age what lengths a person will go to to win.

IMHO, the mood of the electorate runs from hot to cold based on the rhetoric of the time it's in. Right now we're in a real hot period...just like the 60's and the red scare days of the 50's. It can't remain this way (even though it seems like it will) forever...something's gonna give. People are gonna fatigue on the rhetoric of one side and start being more receptive to the other.

Stay positive...there are so many good things and truths Democrats, Liberals and Progressives stand for that the compassion of our beliefs will be a refreshing change from the cynical selfishness we see going on now.