I don't often like to get involved in national political discussions because it usually gets pretty heated and people cling so tightly to their biases that it seems pointless to have started the discussion in the first place. Although this is my natural tendency, I must say that this current Presidential campaign has really created a sense of passion and urgency within me to actually talk about these issues more. So, here goes...
When I was in highschool, I was on the debate team (Lincoln-Douglas value debating). In this setting, we had to come up with 2 arguments on a particular topic: the affirmative and negative. The affirmative argument was always a longer, more detailed case because the burden was on the affirmative to prove a point or make a case for something. The negative had an easier time, in some ways, because it was generally created on the fly in response to the affirmative's case. The negative didn't have to necessarily prove their own case, just that the affirmative's case was flawed. I feel that there are many similarities to today's Presidential race.
To be clear, I am an Obama supporter and have been since he announced his candidacy. With that said, I have appreciated how, on the whole, he seems to have aimed to fight for this position based on his values, beliefs and his plan for the country. In other words, he seems to be taking the position of the "Affirmative," if you will allow the metaphor. John McCain, on the other hand, hasn't presented a coherent, clear plan so much as he has presented a battery of reasons why Obama is a bad choice, ie the "Negative." Based on this assessment alone, I can't really see why to vote for him. It's not enough to say that your challenger is a bad choice, you need to show me why you are a good choice. Moreover, the character assassination and racial/religious/etc slurs are really disappointing.
In the past, I admit with much dismay, I voted for Bush because I (mistakenly) thought he was a man of character who we could trust to run the country. I had also liked McCain for the fact that he did not run with the pack. This campaign, however, has illustrated that he is more concerned with being elected than holding on to his previous values of independence and integrity. Allowing his VP pick to slander his opponent and allowing his supporters to brandish disunifying language and ideas about being "a friend to terrorists" or "anti-American" is hitting below the belt and seems to promote the old way of DC politics where the Republicans try to claim the sole title of "American" and "patriot" and "family values." It's disgusting.
I am one of those swing voters who is not so much about party as I am about the person. President Bush has done a fine job of embarrassing me and the country and raising my gall with his policies promoting torture and the like, while under the flag of God and patriotism. I don't condone torture and neither does God. This is truly the issue that forced me out of any sort of Republican sympathy. Not only that, but his association with Rove and the types of low politics that attack a person's character with unfounded accusations and fear-mongering is not something with which I want to be associated. Now, in this election, it would appear that McCain is following that same strategy, but with far less success.
Here's the deal: McCain doesn't have a real plan, all he can do is lob these underhanded character attacks and misrepresentations in hope that it will buy him some measure of success. Despite Obama's sojourn into the Keating 5 scandal ads, overall, he has been respectful of his competitor and has not sunk to this name-calling and below-the-belt tactics like McCain. Rock on Obama and shame on you McCain.
