Opening the artery

The other day Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Governor, political analyst and heavyweight presidential candidate/contender in the last election said where Iowa was a boxing match South Carolina was a “Cage Match”. He was alluding to the relative savagery of the candidates’ use of character assassination as a viable tactic in the primaries.

It appears he isn’t prone to understatement. Watching Newt Gingrich attack Mitt Romney (and vice versa) is comparable to watching a shark with a seal pup in light surf. The attacks are brutal, without mercy and designed to draw as much blood as possible in the shortest amount of time. It’s only fair to note Romney’s Super-Pac people started it all with their attempted evisceration or near surgical removal of Gingrich’s organs of character reference. It may have been minor surgery. They sliced away all pretense of civility they may or may not have found in him. Their bold-faced attempt at rendering him valueless was an act of futility as he’s come back at Romney with a vengeance. People are watching. Those people avoiding residence in either camp (or normally referred to as independent or undecided) are losing their indecisiveness. And, that’s not a good thing because the feeling may be: “if you (name a candidate) know your opponent best as a fool and a liar; and he says the same about you – why should I vote for either of you”?

---

These men are assuring the electoral waters are as poisonous as they can in the shortest period of time necessary. The Democratic Party has developed more ammunition to combat the eventual Republican candidate than could ever be hoped for usually. The interesting part is the fact each candidate minimizes their actions’ impact by saying “it’s all a part of the process”. It’s noted there is NO sincerity in political endeavor. These people practice their particular brand of political homicide with hopes nobody will care once the final cut’s had its impact. Unfortunately the presidency relies on at least the appearance of personal integrity in the person winning the office. These guys don’t feign any knowledge of what personal integrity is at times. The attacks are loud, embarrassing (for both sides) and relentless as it appears now. This debacle detracts from an examination of any particular issues affecting the American people. It’s all about the individuals and what’s wrong with them. From the way these guys attack each other (as opposed to their Democratic Party opponents) you’d think open battle wasn’t so much a primary necessity as it is a blood sport they adore. If that’s the case then practice looks like it makes perfect. Where Gingrich, Romney, Paul, Perry and Santorum have little organizations digging up the dirt and finding better ways to articulate the nastiness of the stains; the Democrats are taking notes. They’re also figuring out how to use it against the one chosen to oppose them. Obama placed a clarion call to America for transparency. It was a lie unless you consider it’s being used against the Republican machine. It’s crystal clear the Republican Party is composed of a group of people having no idea what they’re doing. They surely have no idea of how to make a good impression. Politics is contentious. Politics is confrontational. But politics have an impact on so much in this country and the world it’s difficult to accept our allegedly “best” political minds and contenders for leadership of the free world are no more than spoiled brats squabbling in differing venues for the right to be ineffectual as well as ineffective. It’s as though they thrive on shame but don’t know they should be shamefaced. They expect absolution for their increasingly disgraceful notoriety. Decorum is a state of grace exhibited by statesmen. It is a necessary deportment the leaders of the free world need to be practiced at exhibiting at all times. Childish petulance is a downer and can lead to a diminishment of a nation’s standing in the world theater. Each camp appears to have opened an artery from which their credibility is hemorrhaging. These clowns need to understand all of this. Now Thanks for listening.