Rip's Rules for Running (a Presidential Campaign)

 Let me tell you, the Democratic Debate was a breath of fresh air in the current national political scene.  The Democratic candidates vying to get their party’s nomination to run for President were downright civilized.  They discussed the issues and they didn’t attack one another or Anderson Cooper, their moderator.

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.