Published March Feb 26, 2000, Winter Haven News Chief

Down and Dirty

Time and time again people evoke the words of that eminent scholar on the American Condition, Rodney King when he said; “Can’t we all get along?”  Time and time again a politician will call for a “bipartisan” solution to a particular problem.  

It is the common knowledge (to the media) that negative campaigning “turns off voters”.  Hogwash.  We love a nasty fight!  We, as a country, were born with a “nasty fight”. 

Every piece of evidence in the current presidential campaign confirms this fact.  But the media continues to try to sell the idea of “Just be nice and the voters will love you!” 

Again “Hogwash”.  Vice President Gore is a master of the “nasty”.  Senator Bradley is genetically unable, or so it seems,  to say nasty words… such as “Liar”.  Who wins? Mr. Nasty!  Because he has shown no ability to be “down and dirty, Senator Bradley is gone, it is only a matter of time. 

In the Republican side the New Hampshire race was all nice and pretty.  Not nasty at all.  McCain won because he did 115 town hall meetings  (are there 115 towns in New Hampshire?), he practically lived in New Hampshire and talked personally to every resident.  This coupled by the fact that Governor Bush did not spend so much time in New Hampshire and did not get nasty… McCain won easily.  But then on to South Carolina, Mr. McCain still took the high road (more or less) and Governor Bush turned a little nasty and won a big victory.  

But Bush did not learn the lesson.  He took the media bait and turned nice.  Mr. McCain saw the reality of the situation and got nasty.  He had to do it quickly… and did so in his South Carolina concession speech and called Mr. Bush every thing except calling him a Democrat.  This combined with the oddball situation where Democrats and Independents could cast a playful, meaningless vote combined for a big win for McCain, the current Republican Mr. Nasty. 

With all this nasty campaigning in South Carolina and Michigan, were the voters turned off?  Not at all, record turnouts.  

At this point… who will win?  Vice President Gore still has the edge because both McCain and Bush still have not proven they have learned the lesson… You must stay nasty to win.  McCain might have the advantage because he has learned to talk nice but under the radar be nasty.  So it is still a toss up.  Both have proven they can be nasty… but neither has proven that they can sustain it. 

Vice President Gore on the other had has a proven track record.  He will be relentlessly nasty and has the added benefit of being able to stick to his story in spite of being presented the facts that prove otherwise.  He reminds me of the husband that tries to sneak into his home about 6AM and the wife confronts him.  His story is that he had slept in the backyard hammock.  The wife says we threw that hammock away 5 years ago… The husband says; “Well, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!” 

The keys to victory…. Will either Bush or McCain learn to sustain a tough nasty campaign?  Will Gore, with Bradley all but dead, stay nasty? He could easily start coasting and lose his edge for November.  If he goes soft, there may be a slight opportunity for the Republican..   If he does, it is all over, unless Bush or McCain are truly quick learners.  Forget the media decrying the “negative” campaigning.  We love a winner, no matter how it was achieved.  As proof of this look how is occupying the White House.  We voted for him twice and still love him…. At least the media tell us it is so.