As Races Wind Down, It’s In the Voters’ Hands
Published: November 1, 2009
As the 2009 campaigns here in Virginia near the finish line, all of the power now shifts to the commonwealth’s voters.
It will be the individual voter, standing quietly in the privacy of the ballot booth, studying the choices before him, who finally will now have a say in the fates of those seeking political office.
In a democracy, that’s how it should be.
But just how healthy is our American democracy? That’s a question, a doubt, a fear lurking in the backs of the minds of a lot of Americans these days.
And it’s a legitimate fear.
Politics has always been a tough business in this country, and in any nation, for that matter, that ultimately trusts its citizens with the ultimate of the ballot box to hold over their elected officials.
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It’s rough. It’s tough. It’s not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach.
Hard-fought election campaign battles have been a part of this nation’s history almost from its founding. That’s how it is in a democracy in which the public is trusted with the power of the ballot. Politicians and minions have always run hard-hitting campaigns against their ideological and philosophical opponents.
For proof, just study the public careers of such leaders as Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and a host of other state and national figures.
But what is different today is how pervasive the negative tenor of modern politics has become in our society.
With the 24-hour news cycle and the instantaneousness of the Internet, information flashes around the globe and into our living rooms in the blink of an eye.
We thrive on something new ... the latest scandal, the latest political gaffe, the latest conspiracy theory to explain our nation’s challenges and problems.
We want our information presented in such a way so as to affirm our preconceptions and already-determined positions, rather than to inform our decisions and shine light on our doubts.
Just look no further than liberals who prefer to get their “news” from MSNBC and their information filtered through the mind, such as it is, of a Keith Olbermann or a Rachel Maddow. And just as problematically, there are conservatives who only want their worldviews shored up by Fox News and their news delivered and reported by the likes of Bill O’Reilly or Glenn Beck.
They are all, every last one of them, a threat to the longterm survival and viability of this republic.
Voters who care — about the nation, about the challenges we face, about finding equitable solutions to the health care reform, economic recovery, the war against terrorism, the problem of the federal debt — are sick to death of the toxic political smog that hangs over America today.
They are sick of politicians and for-hire campaign hacks who play “gotcha” politics and are more in love with the game and bloodsport of politics than with the concept of public service.
They are tired of the character assassination that’s common in campaigns today. They are tired of gangs of hired guns lobbing missiles of misinformation and outright lies into each other’s camps, all in the name of winning an election.
Average Americans are just plain sick and tired of politics as usual.
Are we sick enough to show up at the polls Tuesday to reward the candidates who honored us with the quality of their campaigns and render a verdict on the campaigns that cheapened our society and coarsened our culture?
Who knows. But the tipping point for the silent, civil majority in this nation is fast approaching.
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Reader Reactions
Nature - get over the ‘victim’ complex. Nobody wants to hear it!
True believers are good. Silly, but good. You are simply the end product of a very good strategy.
I agree that Garrett has nothing to offer but his fealty to LU but I also feel that those 3000+ voters loyal to JF,jr are a hammer and Ms. Valentine just a nail.
Nature…I wrote a letter to the editor in favor of Valentine? Are you telling me I’m part of the strategy?
If so, I certainly wish Valentine had let me in on it.
So you think everything is part of a strategy? Could it be that Gillette finally has had it with Garrett’s lying and the disgusting way he has put out his message AND called him on his hypocrisy?
Maybe, not everything is a strategy.
Disagree all you like but the attack by Gillette is all part of the tactic and attempt to keep the image that has been so carefully groomed by dozens of letters to the editor and tens of thousands of dollars of mailers and ads. It’s fine, but it is politics. She has the best strategy but then Garrett has little to work with.
Disagree, nature. Valentine has not used her image. Have you really heard her at all? She has been quite specific about what she has done. She has been specific about what there is to do. Those who have been willing to call attention to Garrett’s record and call him out on his campaing tactics are not her stooges. I am not…I am not part of her campaign. I suggest there are many of us acting independently in that regard.
Garrett has, unfortunately, misrepresented and distorted in his all out effort to win this election.
I actually feel sad about it. Garrett has been willing to destroy many relationships in his quest for office.
Interesting position today but you give the majority of voters too much credit. The choices on Tuesday are no choices at all. No candidate deserves our vote based upon the quality of their campaign. Ms. Valentine used her image as a tactic and that in itself is cause for caution. She seems to use others to attack while she sits back. Garrett just wants to sit on the fence and not make a mistake. All he can say is no more taxes. He’s going to fit in well with the party of no, no new ideas, take no chances.
As to McDonnell and Deeds, well, I have never heard such awful lying ads in my life. There is one percent truth and 99 percent lies in every ad. They have no respect at all for the people they beg to represent. This election cycle offers few choices, just more of the same. At least we will have a month or so until the anti-Perriello ads go rabid. I am thankful to not live in the 5th district for all I have to contend with is two more years of the 6 districts resident liar, Term Limits Bob.
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