Standard propaganda tactics. There are still a few stubborn holdouts who will recognize it for what it is and make a conscious attempt to refrain from engaging in it. To quote Rush "Words mean things." Throwing around labels that can't be objectively justified isn't helping. This is our government, not Sweeps Week.
Standard propaganda tactics. There are still a few stubborn holdouts who will recognize it for what it is and make a conscious attempt to refrain from engaging in it. To quote Rush "Words mean things." Throwing around labels that can't be objectively justified isn't helping. This is our government, not Sweeps Week.
You've hit a nerve with me on this one (not saying that in a bad way). Simply state, I like politics, but not "politics." I'm getting tired of the name-calling and dirty tactics. For me it's say what you mean and mean what you say. If you have to namecall, then you do neither. I don't like people "playing games" in politics or in real life. I get along wonderful with blunt people who can always be depended to tell you what they're thingking. I don't get along with arrogant people at all (because I'm so humble--not).
My parents taught me and my siblings to treat others like you want to be treated. We got our mouths washed out with soap if we even uttered one bad word. And insulting Mom was out of the question as we found out soon enough from Dad's swift hand on the few occasions it happened. I just don't understand it being so widespread. They even had a kids' reality show where they engaged in Survivor-like tactics (except the nakedness).
Speaking of survivor, I stopped watching it after the first two editions. Yet, two characters stand out to me--Rudy, the old guy from the first one who could be counted on as sticking to his guns and expressing what he was thinking AND the minister dude from the second one who was always doing something and encouraged others to play the game as "honorably" as they could.
I wrote a letter to the Democratic Party to protest Kerry's f-bomb in a public forum. All I got back was a list of times W had done it. I thought that was pretty childish--"he did it, so I can too." And then a little while later, the f bomb came from Cheney (whom I respect a lot except for this one instance). AAARRRGH!
While I have seen far more on the Democratic side, such is not limited to them, especially in my Republican state. The state senator in our area waged a big campaign against a state representative (who was a pretty good conservative) because he hadn't supported him on a bill and a couple of other issues. He used every dirty trick in the book, but the guy still won. Another Republican group actually called up people and told them to vote for the Democrat. Luckily, negative campaigns usually lose here, but it doesn't stop people from trying.
I'm not perfect, and I have been guilty of doing all the things i detest, and on more than one occasion. But I do try to be fair-minded and objective too. It seems like, though, that those who play games dominate the action.
I went to the county Republican convention and expected to find people running for the county party offices to state their positions and we would vote. Instead it turned out to be a battle for two factions for control. One guy had his list and the other guy had his. I did do the best I could to study which each thought and chose the best cantidates that I thought would do the best job. Some won, some did not. Don't get me wrong though. I met a LOT of wonderful people, including cantidates. Sometime soon, I plan to get even more involved, though the schedule is tight at the moment.
There are still a lot of good people out there and it is my pleasure to associate with them.