Politics of Personal Destruction

Today, Sen. Barack Obama will address the controversy surrounding widely viewed statements by his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. As we've noted, the issue is being fanned by both the Clinton campaign (surreptitiously for now) and the wingnut/MSM media. Brave New Films has documented how the Rethug outlet, Fox News, is gleefully pouring gasoline and lighting matches while dimbulb MSM types like Timmeh and Wolfman Blitzer mimic Fox's attacks.

Those who have followed politics, especially since the Nixon/Agnew years, are familiar with the notion of the "politics of personal destruction." This is the tactic employed when you know your argument won't win, but smearing your opponent will do just fine. The Rethugs have been the prime users of this tactic over the past 25 years (Watergate/McGovern, Willie Horton, Clinton impeachment, Gore-the-resume- enhancer-and-environmental-elitist, Swift Boaters). Now they and their surrogates at Fox and the MSM are at it again with Sen. Obama, much to the delight of the Clinton camp, of course.

This will continue beyond Obama's speech today. He may calm the waters of the current fluff up, but doubtless will face more unscrupulous attacks, guilt by association, innuendo, and outright smears as the political season continues. We hope he will aggressively fight back and keep reminding voters what this election is really about: undoing the catastrophic incompetence of the Bush Rethug years and setting America on a firmer, fairer path to our future.