August 30, 2007
No Goldwater ::
politics — tagged politics, senate and washington dc
7:47 am
Slate discusses whether the Republicans lashing out against Larry Craig is consistent with the fundamental principles of conservatism—namely, by asking what Barry Goldwater would have done in the same situation. Looking back to the 1964 campaign for President, when Goldwater decided against attacking Johnson for keeping his aide Walter Jenkins after Jenkins had been arrested for the same behavior in a Washington, D.C. YMCA, Slate argues that Republicans today have drifted far away from their more principled—not to mention personally decent—roots. Goldwater recounted his reasoning for leaving the matter alone:
As Goldwater later wrote, “It was a sad time for Jenkins’ wife and children, and I was not about to add to their private sorrow. Winning isn’t everything. Some things, like loyalty to friends or lasting principle, are more important.”
I can imagine the sort of personal turmoil this incident has created for the Senator’s family. That his colleagues have either abandoned him or have decided to openly attack him speaks volumes on their current lack of decency.
September 21, 2006
VDB on those Vermont Senate ads ::
politics, vermont — tagged bernie, cynicism, funny, politics, senate, tarrant, vermont and vitriol
3:13 pm
So, Vermonters aren’t that accustomed to negative campaigning. Well, at least we try not to be accustomed to such things, wishing instead to exude a stoic, detatched understanding of politics, all the while shaking our heads in exasperation at the depths to which political candidates in other states can stoop just to get elected. Well, things are changing this election with the new television ads from Republican Rich Tarrant. And by far, Vermont Daily Briefing has the funniest review of them:
And the ugly, sour, unforgiving hits just kept on coming: every spokesperson in every Tarrant ad looked like your high school gym coach after a three-day bender; more uglythe old woman who lives in the deserted house at the end of the block who chases kids away with a tarnished Civil War saber; or the evil old fart who monitors your apartment from his dank porch in the shade of a diseased elm down the block.
