Dirty Tactics: The New Political Norm?

Even at the ripe old age of forty-six, I can only remember stories from previous generations about the time in our history when a man’s handshake was his bond, rather than seeing it in action during my lifetime. With each political election cycle, our nation’s collective soul is becoming more and more stained with stunts and shenanigans, rather than being defined by focusing on the issues.

A case in point: On Friday evening, Florida GOP Congressional nominee, Allen West arrived home to hear his teenaged daughters describe a mailing the family had received. The mailing, sent by the Florida Democratic Party on behalf of LTC West’s challenger, Ron Klein, showed a reproduction of a document that included his social security number!

In addition to the rigors of conducting a campaign based on the issues – something, unfortunately Mr. Klein cannot do based on his abysmal record – Allen West must now devote time and resources to protect his identity from theft and deal with whatever legal recourse he may need to undertake to correct this situation.

Isn’t it time that all Americans, regardless of political affiliation, finally stand up and say, “Enough of the mud slinging!”

It has been shown, in study after study, that political ads that “trash” the other candidate are a turn-off for most Americans. We want facts. We want to know what you will do for us. We want to know and trust that when we send you to advocate on our behalf, you will do just that. We are tired of any “agenda” other than ours. And, we don’t want to be treated like children – much less children who have to endure people fighting in front of us, encouraging us to “choose sides.”

The Tea Party has been so successful because it represents the will of the people – people from all walks of life, ethnicities, socio-economic status, and yes, even party affiliation. We want leaders who will be accountable to the people. We need to send Mr. Klein and politicians like him a message: Get down to brass tacks on behalf of the people you represent, or we will vote you out!

To that end:

Take Action: When you see abuses, such as the Florida mailer with Allen West’s social security number posted on it, take action. Say something. Post it on Facebook. Tweet it. Write to a local paper. Send an e-mail. Take action! Let people know we will not stand for this.

Stop “Settling:” The current political brouhaha du jour involves Christine O’Donnell from Delaware. Some in the GOP think she is “unelectable” thus, they have not thrown their support behind her. We have to stop “settling” for the candidate we think can win, but will bring more of “the usual.” We are sending a message with these votes. The “usual suspects” aren’t working for us anymore! We want someone “of the people, by the people, for the people.” Vote for the person who is going to get the job done and who represents the will of the people. We are rejecting “establishment” candidates for a reason…they are entrenched in the “politics of politics” not the “politics of the people!”

Focus on the issues: As a co-founder of African-American Conservatives, I am tired of hearing about race. Sure, we have “evolved” to a place where we’ve elected a Black man. But what has race got to do with how competent one is to lead? Enough already! I would much rather have a person in office who is going to lower my taxes, who supports limited governmental interventions, and who is going to do the best job for my family, without regard to that person’s race, gender, or any other “ism.” I’m sick of hearing the term “racist” applied to anyone who doesn’t agree with this president. Is anyone going to call Ron Klein a “racist” because he doesn’t agree with Allen West? Will anyone be brave enough to take on Al Sharpton as a “racist” because he has been openly critical of Glenn Beck? Ben Jealous, are you reading this? When can we expect “repudiation” by the NAACP?

I am angry this morning. I am angry that this mailer went out. I am angry that we are seeing little coverage of it. And I am angry to think that we will continue to settle for these sorts of tactics. I’m through. Will you stand with me?

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About Marie Stroughter: The traditional bio for Marie Stroughter would be: “Loving wife to hubby of over 20 years, and homeschooling mom to three adorable kids (and one spunky cat!).” Getting a little bolder would be to say that she is an adoptive mom of two, and a freelance writer and copyeditor. Unique factoids might include: social media addict….uh, maven, avid knitter and Founding Mama of her local knitting Guild, and a devotee of all things gadgety. The rabble-rousing version would read: “Marie Stroughter is the activist mom turned co-founder of African-American Conservatives, a contributor to Big Government, and, the opinionated, no-holds-barred host of the African-American Conservatives radio show carried on Blog Talk Radio, and, From The Right Radio where she chats weekly with political movers and shakers like Karl Rove, Steve Forbes, Michelle Malkin, Star Parker, Newt Gingrich, Senator Jim DeMint, and other conservative all-stars and rising stars.” But the latter would be a run-on sentence, so we’ll stick with the others. [wink]

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