When did smear campaigning become a sign of good political leadership?

Question

A good healthy positive debate about real issues is great. The negative ads show us how petty and unyeilding a candidate can be. Candidates are human and every decision they make can be debated and studied for different alternatives. It shows the lack of compassion and an unwillingness to understanding a different point of view. Why do we accept this exhibition as a tool necessary for political leadership?

Answer 1

Smear campaigning is a result of our obsession with mass marketing, sound bite intellect, daily polls, and unscrupulous politicians.

Henry Clay once said "I'd rather be right than be President."

Unfortunately, politicians today subscribe to the "I'll say anything to get a vote" campaign tactic. The candidate's voter research shows that the public thinks "x factor" is undesirable and that the oponent can be linked to it...bingo. Smear time.

Answer 2

I do not have a television, so, thankfully, I have been spared the sight of such trash. I have read a great deal about this subject and was disgusted to learn that in the last election the Republicans stooped so low as to bombard households with phone calls that insinuated they were from the Democratic candidate for Congress instead of the Republican who actually sent them, in an effort to inflame voters and turn them against the Democrat. Talk about dirty pool. Despicable behavior.

Answer 3

Although smear campaigning is nothing new it is NEVER a sign of good leadership...quite the opposite actually. Case and point the Bush Administration.
Excellent honest question. Thank you so much for your posting, it's a nice break from the usual finger pointing, sock response nonsense.

Answer 4

Its all fun distractions from the real world we live in. I dont care about any of them. I get their talking points here and thats plenty for me. I havent watched the news since they sold us on Iraq KNOWING all along there was dissent about WMD and Iraq nuclear program. They simply say what they are told. A great example for me is the new vaccine for HPV. People everywhere are getting it with the idea that it prevents cervical cancer. All the while the company leaves out 2 important virus types and includes two for genital warts. The reason this is important is that or another company will come out with a vaccine for all the important virus types and women will have to get another shot. More money for the drug companies more shots for the people. In the meantime many women will get virulent cervical cancer that could have been prevented. The reason I include this anecdote is I talked to a reporter personally who could have cared and done some research. Never heard back from her.

Answer 5

I couldn't have put it better.

I've got one!

How come during the debates last night, Guiliani and Romney couldn't answer a single question? After each question was giving, they'd change the subject and talk about something different. Wolf Blitzer even called them out on it.

Answer 6

Don't get too worked up. It is an American tradition. In fact, if you do a little research you will be amazed at some of the horrendous mud hurling that has gone on in the past. Some of the things said about Lincoln for example.

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Answer 7

It used to be much worse and really personal in some of the early American presidential campaigns. It has been around almost as long as the country.

Answer 8

It's been around, but Karl Rove perfected and turned it into the flagship of campaigning.

Answer 9

well for one thing it was the brain child of Carl Rove known as "Bush's Brain" and it worked to lure in the Christian Right so long as it gets the agenda past the public it is ok

Answer 10

Thank You very much! The reason is that sensationalism sells and the over reactive are hungry for this type of nonsense.