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10/25/2010
Cleaner campaigns are a pipe dream
Used to be that politicians were always on the lookout for a crowd, any opportunity to meet and greet potential voters. And time was when those same politicians were constantly tugging at the shirtsleeves of the news reporters, pining for a chance to share a story or a pithy quip that might make it into the papers.
That’s Mike McCabe, Executive Director of Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, bemoaning “The “Death of Courtship” among today’s candidates, and most specifically bemoaning Ron Johnson’s alleged campaign-behind-closed-doors.
Now most all of them are surrounded by handlers who advise them to severely limit public appearances and debates and steadfastly refuse media interviews. If, god forbid, they are left with no choice but to open their mouths during an unscripted moment, they are schooled in the art of staying "on message," which in practical terms means they are drained of any and all spontaneity and originality and turned into freaking automatons.
Mike, I’m wondering when you might consider running for office. It’s a pretty jolting experience. (I’m not complaining – would do it again in almost a heartbeat.) Of course, jolting as it is these days, historians will tell you it’s gotten better – not worse. (CNN does a great job describing the slurs piled on by both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams – from unidentified sources, mind you. McCullough renders well the details of smear campaigns in his very readable history, John Adams.)
So what is it about today’s campaigning that is so worrisome? Is it meaner, more desperate?
The problem – and why McCabe’s dream of the good old days of retail politicking won’t be back – is videotape and PhotoShop and any future iterations of same. Anything a candidate – or elected official, of course – says is on tape – forever – and can and will be sliced and diced – with, be assured, no good intentions.
I don’t know what’s true and what’s not true about the Joe Miller security guards/reporter handcuffing, but I do know that gone are the days of unguardedness. And candidates understandably are getting touchier and touchier about it.
Lament all you want about the absence of politicians out among the people, like those Proxmire and Dreyfus legends of old.
Used to be that in Wisconsin we elected Bill Proxmire to represent us in the U.S. Senate. He famously ran his statewide campaigns for a couple hundred bucks. And seemingly everyone in the state had their own story of an encounter with Prox. Maybe it was at a Lambeau Field tailgate or out in front of Camp Randall. Or they ran into him while eating something-on-a-stick at the State Fair, or you-know-what at Cheese Days in Monroe. It could have been at a plant gate at the GM factory in Janesville, or standing in line to get a kringle at O&H bakery in Racine. When you weren't running into Prox in a restaurant or outside a tavern somewhere, you were reading about him and his Golden Fleece awards in the papers. He had no handlers, at least none who could keep up with him on the trail, and certainly no one was telling him to avoid media interviews.
Dream on, McCabe.
Did Proxmire have to contend with a video camera constantly in his face, a recorder always nearby? Was he trailed and filmed 24/7? Were photos and videos edited with no mercy, then distributed virally via state-of-the-art – newspapers?
Legislate cleaner campaigns? Publicly funded campaigns? Shorter campaigns?
None of it will make a shred of difference. No matter what a government or government watchdog or citizen do-gooder organization can or ever will do, we Americans will continue to be mean and desperate at election time. So voters, it’s up to us to quit complaining and be discerning. Research the candidates. Be smart. Mute every single TV ad.
And if McCabe wants to complain about the type of campaign Ron Johnson is running, he best try to get out on the campaign trail himself.
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics News
COMMENTS
Jo, clean campaign works in two states now. Why not here?
>>>we Americans will continue to be mean and desperate at election time.<<<
Are you suggesting that we should not try because you do not think it will work despite the evidence to the contrary? Do you like things the way they are?
Clean campaign will not be perfect, it will be a great improvement. In case you missed it before here is a link;
http://www.wicleanelections.org/
Dean Weichmann (Mon Oct 25 05:43:30 2010)
Great article Jo. I agree with you whole heartedly!
Nancy Richards (Mon Oct 25 08:10:03 2010)
>>> "Legislate cleaner campaigns? Publicly funded campaigns? Shorter campaigns? None of it will make a shred of difference."
Absolutely incorrect, Jo. If Clean Elections would not work, our politicians would have passed them years ago just to shut the do-gooders up. But they will work, and that's why they won't pass them. And the Dems are as corrupt as the R's or they would have passed them under their reign.
Jack Lohman (Mon Oct 25 08:53:38 2010)
You can't have a clean campaign because the first thing the party elite want to know is not what your positions are but "how much money do you have and how much can you raise?"
As long as we have millionare candidates who can throw hundreds of thousands on TV and radio ads, it does not matter if lesser funded candidates knock on every door, attend every event and shake every hand...they get drowned out.
Fix that and maybe we can have clean elections. But that won't happen as one poster wrote...because the parties like it this way.
Dale Mcnamee (Mon Oct 25 09:49:14 2010)
So it's foolish to aspire to honesty, integrity, openess, humility, fair-play in political campaigns? And its futile to promote ethical behavior? Doesn't matter how one wins, just win?
Well, then, it appears we need to teach our children to be mean, dirty, lying, SOBs if they want to succeed in life and in public office especially.
Thanks for enlightening us!
Dennis (Mon Oct 25 10:38:37 2010)
I know that this is preaching to the choir (to some), but public funding of campaigns is "optional" and would permit those politicians that want, to take money from the Fat Cats. Of course, they'd have to answer to the voters, and that they don't want to do. So they oppose this new thing called "clean elections."
Jack Lohman (Mon Oct 25 18:54:27 2010)
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