Now I think this sort of demeanor and behavior should be par
for the course for people who aspire to be the leader of our great country. However,
before these most recent debates, many of the politicians running seemed to
have forgotten some of the most basic manners they should have learned in
Junior High. I am frankly appalled at
some of their behavior.
As a concerned American citizen, a grown-up and someone’s
mother, I can no longer sit by idly and watch this misbehavior on the playground -um, I mean, national political scene.
Someone has got to tell these children - er, I mean, Presidential
candidates- the proper way to behave. So
Presidential Candidates, listen up! Here are the rules (an infraction may result in a time out):
No Name Calling – It is never okay, under any
circumstances, to call anyone else involved in the campaign process a demeaning
name, even if they ask you a Tough Question during a Debate. That is their job, and if you can’t handle a Tough Question with aplomb and poise, you have no business trying to be
President.
No Personal Attacks – Please feel free to take on
your opponents on the issues. That
really is what we, responsible voters, want to hear. However, when you personally attack someone
for any other reason than their stand on the issues, you’re being a bully. As an aside, please know that is as
unacceptable to attack someone based on gender as it is to attack someone based
on their race, ethnicity, or religion. I
would never vote for a woman just because she is a woman. That said, I would never vote for a man who
ever suggests that a woman is not a viable Presidential candidate because she
is a woman.
No Witch Hunts- Sometimes it seems to me that a
certain political party will resort to absolutely anything to discredit a
strong opponent from the other party, especially if that opponent has a wealth
of applicable experience and qualifications and might be a real threat to them
in the general election. They may have
been trying to bring this particular candidate down for years and years,
spending lots of the taxpayers’ money and wasting inordinate amounts of
time. They persist, even though none of
their accusations stick because they are bogus and blatant attempts to bring
this strong, sure, capable candidate down.
To them I say, knock it off.
So, Presidential Candidates, are you now thinking, “Well,
goodness, if I can’t just call people names or personally attack them or
conduct expensive campaigns to discredit them, how can I win the election?”
Try a new approach to the
campaign process. Focus on why you’re
running, not on why your opponent shouldn’t be.
Talk about what you stand for, about the issues and about your plan to
address these issues if you should be chosen by your fellow citizens as their
leader. Then if you should be elected
remember that you have a responsibility to all
the people in the nation. Make it about leadership, not winning, and
in the end you just may win.
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