Sitting here in God’s waiting room, the word “nasty” violently bounces around the room. The source is all the rhetoric in the presidential election.
Politics has always been a rough-and-tumble business. However, after riding this old rock named Earth around the sun 86 times, the vitriol and hate we witness have never been this intense.
Yes, politicians take shots at each other. Yes, they have differing opinions regarding how to address the issues facing the people they hope to represent. That is what elections are all about: electing good people to work together and solve the nation’s problems. That is the intent and guarantee in the US Constitution, the document that is the very blueprint of the United States.
Starting 30 – 40 years ago, political consultants discovered that a strong opponent in a political race could be defeated by destroying the opponent's personal reputation rather than using the debated issues. The focus shifted from the difference between what a person or political party believed to outright warfare against the other candidate’s personal reputation. In the beginning, the “destroy the candidate” methodology was used to split a candidate from a base group that would typically support the person.
An example is driving a wedge between a candidate supporting Christian values and a prominent Christian support group. As a personal example, during a run for the U.S. Senate, one of my main support groups was the Christian community in Iowa. As the polls showed the race was tightening rapidly, my opponent sent some of his campaign goons to rifle through the files in the Texas courthouse of the county in which my wife and I were married. Finding nothing incriminating, they took a copy of our marriage certificate and flew back to Iowa.
The dates on the certificate were altered to make it appear that our son was illegitimate. Copies of the modified document were included in a press release sent to media outlets around the state. The intent was to destroy my reputation, thus driving a wedge between me and a large group of supporters. The purpose was to make them so angry at me that they would stay home and not vote.
In the current presidential race, we see that tactic in mature full bloom.
Both candidates have contributed to the acrimony we see on TV every hour of every day. That is a given. Former President Trump has called his opponent derogatory names, and his brusque manner has turned off some Republican supporters. He has made promises regarding what he will do if elected—that is what politicians do. On a positive note, he explained how he would fulfill those promises.
Today’s presidential election is not about America. It is about power, power over the people.
Nowhere in our history have we seen such an expensive public attack designed to destroy Mr. Trump compared to any other candidate in history. The attack started before he could even take the oath of office after being elected president. That assault has continued with lawsuits and the weaponization of the Department of Justice to achieve a political goal: to destroy Donald Trump at any cost.
The president of the United States is supposed to work for all the people in our country. Presidents are expected to be unifiers who work to pull everyone together. Our president is supposed to be a world leader, deal with foreign nations, and be a strong, effective, and respectful person. America must be first in all their thoughts, actions, conduct, and intentions. America first, political beliefs second.
Unfortunately, the current president and vice president have crossed the line. America is no longer first in their intentions. Power over the people, rather than being their representative, has jumped behind the steering wheel of their political campaign.
President Biden stated that former President Trump should be “locked up.” This is something a sitting president should never say about another citizen.
Vice President Kamala Harris held a press conference outside the vice-presidential residence to convey a message aimed at tarnishing Trump’s reputation. In her official statement, she remarked: “And let’s be clear about who he considers to be the enemy from within. Anyone who refuses to bend a knee or dares to criticize him would qualify, in his mind, as the enemy within, like judges, like journalists, like nonpartisan election officials.”
The Harris campaign has actively recruited people who left the Trump administration because they were fired or disgusted with the job. Those with personal gripes are comfortable becoming tools for the Harris campaign.
This election has become a bitter, unpleasant clash between two figures, akin to a hundred children scraping their nails on a blackboard.
The noise obscures the importance of this election. It is a choice between America, as our forefathers envisioned and flourished, or an America solidly under the control of one political party, with any discourse thrown out the window.
What happens to our country will be decided by you. Voting is the most important thing you can do.
However, a word of caution: Forget the personalities of the candidates. Find out what each believes in and will bring to the country. Vote for what you believe in and want for the future.
The future of our country, and by extension, the world, is in your hands. Even if you must hold your nose regarding the candidate, vote for the principles and values you support. The future of America is in your hands.
Just sayin’.