This year’s presidential election campaign was supposed to be different than the rest. The mudslinging, innuendo-ridden tactics of the past were supposed to be disposed of. Both candidates agreed to be “civil”. Both sides were all for bi-partisanship and cooperation. The divisive days of Bush and his hatchet men (Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, etc.) were to be left behind. No “swift-boating” this year (ditto for the Democrat’s lame attempt to counter-swiftboat Bush with doctored reports about his service in the National Guard — remember?). <\/p>\n
Here we are in early August, with the conventions still three weeks away, and things are already heating up. Both sides have gone ugly early. I won’t try to assign the blame for “who started it”. There has been a simultaneous escalation on both sides, really. McCain pulled back on his promise to run a civil campaign and started attacking Obama’s character, comparing him with airhead celebrities. Obama broke his promise to stay within the public campaign financing system. He also implied quite strongly that the McCain campaign was using racist tactics (before backing away from this claim after being called on it by McCain’s campaign manager). Obama’s campaign staff lied about why Obama didn’t visit wounded American troops in Germany; McCain issued an ad that wrongfully accused Obama of not going specifically because he wanted to bring the press and was refused. Then McCain issued an ad mocking Obama for his oratorical eloquence, i.e., “The One”<\/a>.<\/p>\n Let me inject a sidenote here about “The One” — about 3\/4th of the way thru this ad, a Charlton Heston movie scene appears depicting Moses parting the waters of the Red Sea. I couldn’t help but laugh at the audacity<\/span> of that. It was just too campy. Advantage McCain, for putting out a political ad with a bit of humor in it. That’s extremely rare.<\/p>\n What isn’t a laughing matter is that the nation seems more polarized than ever because of this election. Right now the polls indicate that it’s going to be another squeaker. People are taking sides and getting emotional, even before the candidates have been officially nominated. The “red versus blue” analysis seems to be more relevant than ever. Common ground is fading, just when it is needed more than ever. <\/p>\n The USA is facing some of its most severe foreign and domestic challenges since the 1960s. There’s an energy crisis, an economic and financial crisis, growing unemployment and inflation (remember “stagflation” from the early 80s?), two wars that have no end in sight, a Middle East situation that could go nuclear too quickly, increasing competition for global resources from three growing powers (China, India and Brazil), a long-term environmental crisis (global warming) that requires massive resource allocations today in order to prevent great disasters in 50 years. Oh, and did I mention terrorism? We hope that it has gone away, but just when you think that it did, it has a way of suddenly rearing its ugly head. A divided America engaged in continual political warfare is not likely to take decisive action to meet big challenges. Problems that may still be controllable are thus festering into major crisis situations. <\/p>\n I apologize for the pessimism, but both candidates have repeatedly testified to the need for national unity, but can’t help but promote division. They both seem locked into a dance towards the ledge, into a Greek tragedy controlled by uncontrollable human fate. It’s just happening, and no one seems able to stop it. I can’t help but be reminded of the western Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries. Those who were supposed to be running things were locked into continuous battle, while the barbarians were advancing through the provinces and the economy started going to hell. I’m not saying that the USA is near a state of collapse; America still has an incredible array of strengths. But so did Rome in 250 or 300 AD. And yet that mighty empire sleepwalked its way over the edge. I can’t help but think that America today is a few steps closer to such an edge than when I was a young man.<\/p>\n