This campaign season is historical not only in its candidates but in its ability to inspire and mobilize younger generations to involve themselves in politics. But it is no different than any other in its multitude of potential distractions.
The international and domestic policies that have plagued our country throughout the Bush Administration have left the American people dissatisfied with the way government works. Our growing dependence on foreign oil, our unwanted presence in Iraq, our growing national deficit, our floundering economy – these are just some of the major issues that the next president will tackle. Not to mention the rising cost of tuition, the millions of Americans without access to healthcare, and the increasing number of families that can no longer afford to keep their homes. These are very real issues.
Unfortunately, the dishonest tactics displayed by the McCain campaign work to draw our attention away from the real issues of this election and direct it towards obscure half-truths. The McCain campaign claims that Obama wants to teach sex education to kindergarten students. (Such an outrageous accusation doesn’t actually deserve a rebuttal, but for those who are interested, the New York Times kindly explains where the confusion lies.
READ MORE) Their continued mockery of Obama’s experience, the tenacity with which they latched onto Obama’s “lipstick” comment, and their blatant distortion of their own political records (and by “they” I mean Senator McCain and Governor Palin), serve as evidence to one thing: the Republicans having nothing to run on. So when a politician has nothing to run on, they create distractions.
And the second woman in American history to be nominated on a major party’s ticket only serves as another distraction. Her political extremism and controversial views not only capture the hearts of McCain’s previously skeptical conservative base, but also serve to distract us from the real issues. They prop her up and feed her empty rhetoric and lies about her own record, then scream sexism and push to bring a gender divide into the campaign. If McCain and Palin really are reformers, then why not just run a campaign about actual issues and honest records? Why run a campaign based on lies and distraction?
Why? Because Bush did it. And it worked. Twice. So now McCain’s doing it. But I have faith that the American people won’t let it happen again. And if we ever need to remind ourselves why we can’t let it happen again, we can just take a quick glance back at the last eight years.
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