The Right Gets it Wrong, and the Left Doesn't Get it

By Rich Bordner

(The title of this post borrows a book title from left-leaning author Jim Wallis. I don't buy the guy's views really, but the title fits this blog, so I'm stealing it.)

Ever since McCain picked Palin as his running mate, I've been getting more into politics. It is interesting stuff.

One thing I've noticed is that, though the left is crossing the ethical line in campaigning more egregious ways, the right is as well.

Those familiar with my views know that I'm a conservative. Not only are my views conservative, aligning much more with Republicans than Democrats, but I also think that McCain will make a much, much better president than Obama. However, I am disappointed not just with some of the things the McCain campaign has done and said, but I am disappointed at the conservative commentators as well.

Do you ever get the feeling that both sides are playing this shell game, trying to make their base super-confident while making the other side uncertain? I can understand the strategy, on the one hand, but on the other hand, this can backfire; when folks see the shell game for what it is, the gig's up and it hurts you more than helps.

Then again, most of the time the public falls for pretty silly stuff, so whatever.

Some of the things the Obama campaign and democratic commentators have done is pretty below-the-belt. It seems like they are stopping at nothing to smear Palin, make McCain sound panicky, and make Palin sound like a fundie nutjob without a clue. One skimming of the Daily Kos, or the Atlantic, or one look at the full text of Charlie Gibson's interview with Palin (the edits are astounding) will show that in spades. Palin's personal email has been hacked. The AP has info on who did it but is refusing to cooperate with the feds. In fact, they blame Palin for the crime! Obama's dodges of Gianna Jessen's ads (saying she is lying) are despicable.

But the right doesn't have completely clean hands either. McCain waaaay overplayed the "lipstick on a pig" line. It wasn't a malicious attack. At worst for Obama, it just revealed inexperience; he should have known how his audience would interpret it, but I don't think he was intentionally targeting Palin. Even if he was, McCain/Palin came off as a bit whiny by making such a big issue about it, rather than just plain ignoring it.

The conservative commentators are even worse. Some make a big to do about Palin smears, but then they call names and make insinuations as well. For example, I'm on Michelle Malkin's blog every day. She has some good stuff. But boy can she be downright nasty! Go to her blog and scroll down the side. Notice how just about every picture she has of Obama and/or his wife depicts them in the most ugly fashion? Just about every picture of Michelle Obama is of her snarling her face. That, or she looks like trailer trash. The pics of Obama are no better. Malkin knows what she is doing. It might be an effective tactic, but its manipulative.

Others call Obama names like Obumble or Dalibama.

One Conservative Canadian blogger wrote a great post about the tactics of the far left...or at least it was a great post, until he said the following about Arianna Huffington and her appearance (opposite Chuck Norris) on Larry King Live:

"..she is just jealous of a woman who worked to get where she is instead of making the journey on her knees and back (you heard me right, she married rich). I just wish Chuck Norris, who was also on Larry King, would have nailed her with his signature roundhouse kick (a dream yes, but one I wish would have come true)."

So the far left's attacks against Palin are out of bounds, but an assertion that Huffington used sexual favors to climb the ladder of success is a-ok?

Huffington might be pretty astonishing in the drivel she writes, but what the heck is wrong with Canadian Conservative?!

At the end of the day, my vote is still solidly conservative. No matter how bad the cacophony gets, that won't outweigh the bad effects an Obama presidency will have on this country.

But I want to say to both sides: what good does it do you if you "gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? (Matthew 16:26)"