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Don’t Get Me Started
Fair or foul? What's Fair game in politics and what is off limits?
Fair or foul? What's Fair game in politics and what is off limits?GLEN SAINT MARY, FL - Last week, First Coast News asked me if the mud-slinging late in the political game is something that we should expect. At the risk of giving away another "the butler did it" ending, of course it is. But that doesn't mean it shouldn't get so nasty that colleagues in the United State Senate become bitter, personal enemies. With that in mind, I want to call fair or foul on a few barbs being exchanged between the supporters and campaigns on both sides. The race card has been something that the Obama campaign has used in earnest. It's gotten so bad that people placing messages on Huffington Post are calling Governor Sarah Palin a racist because she was wearing white to a rally here in Florida. Forgive my pathetic, sarcastic gasp that drops the barometric pressure so much, that the National Hurricane Service begins to panic. It's hot outside. Wearing white means you want to stay cool. Foul. Some conservatives have gotten themselves worked up over the way photographers from the Associated Press and Reuters News Service have been photographing and posting pictures of Palin. As you should be well aware by now, Palin normally wears skirts or dresses. Many photographs on the Internet show "leg only" shots of her, some even rather less-than-newsworthy. And now some in the McCain campaign are crying "sexism" because this wouldn't happen if McCain's VP pick was a man. Well, I have news for you. Sarah Palin has a natural beauty that she chooses to tastefully, modestly display. If she didn't want her legs photographed, she would wear longer skirts. Besides, she was a beauty contestant 20 years ago. Get past it. Foul. Members of the Democratic Party are up in arms over various exposés on Senator Obama's past associations with domestic terrorist William Ayers. Others are pulling out the race card when Obama's financial advisor Franklin Raines is uncovered for being in charge of Fannie Mae during the early and advancing stages of the sub-prime mortgage crisis. But past associations and the records of those in your "camp" are certainly worthy of scrutiny. Let's face a difficult fact: character stems from leadership. And a candidate's political future is directed by those with whom he surrounds himself. The adage about becoming like those around you applies. Fair. McCain has taken a lot of heat from conservatives for some of his very liberal tendencies. His stance on illegal immigration, desire to "buy back" bad loans with taxpayer money, silencing free speech through McCain-Feingold, and other big-government programs have conservatives rightly worried. And his supporters admonish us for a lack of loyalty. Sorry, but scrutiny by your own party is the first line of defense in victory. McCain should learn to take a little criticism from those in the GOP left with little choice. Perhaps he is doing so through his running mate. But conservatives remain wary. Fair. When it comes to McCain's time spent as a prisoner of war, this can cut both ways. No one questions his love of country. No one questions his courage of the past. No one questions that his leadership skills have partially taken root while serving his country as a Naval officer. Some question whether he was really tortured. The Jane Fonda's of the world who are trying to preserve what little credibility they have left in their anti-American acts of the past won't admit that men like McCain were ruthlessly brutalized. Foul. But on the same token, there is a natural question that comes to mind whether his soundness of mind should be considered because of his time in Viet Nam. And this is a legitimate question. However, it should be settled through his actions over the years in reconciling our two nations. Fair. And one more thing about Viet Nam. If McCain wants to campaign like John Kerry did four years ago, fine. But he had better be ready to call Obama to congratulate him. He needs to talk more about today's issues and less about yester-year's war. Spouses and children should be completely off limits -- as long as their campaign appearances are simple and "spouse-like." The minute Michelle Obama started talking about how she is "for the first time" proud of her country, that became a legitimate issue. Shooting and hiding is wrong. Don't provide heavy fodder for the press one day and hide in "family privacy" the next. Foul. Memo to both campaigns: Stick to the issues. Tell us about your issues. Leave the mud in the barn. Andy is a father of 13 children who lives with his wife of over 23 years in Baker County, Florida. His opinions usually center around mixing politics and religion with hot-button topics as his specialty. You can contact him at ACHefty@yahoo.com. |
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