Would you like a bagel with that smear?
October 8th, 2006 at 11:26pm Freeda
On Thursday my esteemed colleague, Geraldine, posted about the new website IDP launched, Stop GOP Smear. I have to say though, Geraldine, I think that you’re letting the IDP off pretty easy. For starters, the site looks like it was designed by a 10-year-old. While it may be a good idea to have such a website to provide a centralized location where people can report smear campaigning, I seriously question the point of putting up such an unprofessional site.
Furthermore, I think that it is indicative of a general trend in campaigns this year that I find uninspiring and misdirected. I think attacking a campaign for ‘going negative’ completely misses the point. It is a fine line to walk between correcting fallacious information on an opponent’s mailer and using the fact that they sent the mailer as an attack on the character of the opponent. I don’t think either party has found that line yet. There are more effective ways to respond to negative mailers than to whine about the fact that a negative mailer was sent out.
I am not saying that I support negative campaigning; I don’t. But, I just don’t see the point of making your opponent’s negative campaign tactics a talking point of your campaign. I would rather see candidates contrasting their views and records with those of their opponents than resorting to a juvenile ‘he started it’ ‘no, he started it’ exchange, such as the one we witnessed in the gubernatorial debate on Monday. It is especially hypocritical when there are smear mailers and ads against both candidates. Can’t candidates find a way to criticize their opponents without criticizing them for being critical?
In short, Geraldine, I hope that in the future you will be a little more discerning in your choice of websites to frequent.
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Entry Filed under: Miscellaneous
Related Searches: gubernatorial debate, campaign tactics, negative campaign, negative campaigning, centralized location
5 Comments Add your own
1. Alec | October 9th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
It isn’t about whining that the other guy went negative, but responding quickly to attacks. If the site wasn’t so ugly, I wouldn’t have a problem with it at all.
2. Freeda | October 9th, 2006 at 5:25 pm
I agree that it is a good idea to have a website that makes the process of responding to incorrect attacks more efficient. But the fact that they call the site ’stop GOP smear’ places it within the context of ‘going negative,’ which has been a campaign theme this year. I use the website as a convenient example of a bigger trend. I think that both sides are spending too much time talking about how the other side is negative and not enough time on issues that matter.
3. Alec | October 10th, 2006 at 10:49 pm
Point taken—the site is a good way of talking about an upsetting (and I think politically inexpedient) trend. Democrats have put out negative ads because Iowans need to know about Jim Nussle’s record. During the last televised debate, Culver should have responded to the question on ‘going negative’ by saying “My campaign is telling the truth about Jim Nussle’s record and educating voters. If ads which state the facts of Jim Nussle’s public service are negative, it’s because Jim Nussle’s record has been abysmal. What would a positive ad feature? Record Deficits? Tax cuts for the top 1% in a time of war? Failing to address global warming? No immigration reform? Trying to destroy Social Security as we know it?”
On that note, Iowans need to hear more about Nussle and Social Security—it’s the only way to hit back at the bogus IPERS issue.
I do, however, have another issue with your post.
I have yet to find anything I would come close to calling a bagel in Iowa. White bread with a whole in the middle does not a bagel make. No offence to my adopted state, but I’m from New York.
I suggest you change your title in the interest of journalistic integrity.
4. 86ad9cc9607d1cd864a35b338&hellip | January 23rd, 2007 at 5:06 pm
86ad9cc9607d1cd864a3…
86ad9cc9607d1cd864a35b338e00a17886ad9cc9607d…
5. lodine&hellip | February 3rd, 2007 at 7:45 am
lodine…
news…
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