Truth-in-Politics just isn't what it used to be, and nobody seems to know the difference.
(SALEM, Ore.) - It's bias that is the by-word in the Great Presidential Race of '08. Color of skin? Shade of hair? Tenure vs. tenderfoot? Born on mainland or the Hawaiian Islands somewhat offshore?
The name of the game this political season: muddy those murky waters. Shun clarity. Evade the genuine issues that affect war and peace, wealth and poverty, jobs kept here or outsourced to oblivion.
We are wary of phony rumors with no substance. Lies are tossed about with no sense of liability.
If America's political campaigns were subject to the Truth-in-Advertising Law for bending the truth and overt misstatement, our courtrooms would be one of the busiest industries around.
The McCain Camp assaults Obama for the senator from Ill. saying he's different than most presidents on US dollars and assuming that's a "race card". However, most faces shown are old hairstyles (Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson) or bearded (U.S. Grant), not at all mod and boyish like Obama.
For that matter, no dollar-bill resembles McCain either.
Gen. Wesley Clark shot verbal schrapnel at McCain as being a vet but "not qualified" for the Presidency. The same could have been used against Vietnam vet John Kerry. We look at each man's Senate voting record as a guide to their moral compass.
It happens that Obama opposed using Iraq as an alibi to beat back terrorism from Day #1. McCain was a key cheerleader in this war of occupation. Both evidently felt that Afghanistan is ripe for retaliation for 9/11. It is curious that Bush's pretext that Saddam was a dictator wasn't invoked to fight North Korea or even our recent buddy-buddy, Musharrif in Pakistan.
McCain is no longer in a Vietnamese POW cell. Now fast forward puts him with the Raving Rove Regiment of nasty handlers. Is there no escape route for John?
Note: Lee Coyne has covered political issues as reporter and columnist since the 60's. He can be contacted at: notcoy@netzero.net.
Presidential Race '08 Panders to PrejudicesSalem-News.com