Election 2012: Character Counts

As I write this, the 2012 Presidential Election is winding down to its long awaited conclusion. It cannot come a moment too soon. The nation is weary of this election…not because it has been waged for a year, but because it has been waged for four years.

In fact, the right wing effort to deny Barack Obama a second term in the White House began on the very evening that he celebrated his first inauguration. The gathering of Republicans leaders to plot the end of the Obama Administration in Washington on the night of January 20, 2009 as the President and First Lady danced at the many inaugural balls, is well documented. The dust had barely settled on the 2008 election when the GOP began plotting to undo its results. And thus was born the most negative, divisive effort to undermine a president in recent memory.

Character counts, and the character of this opposition cannot go without note. I am reminded of the line from President Roosevelt’s speech to Congress on December 8, 1941 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, when Roosevelt said “always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.”

So let’s examine the character of the onslaught against Barack Obama. It has manifested itself in many ways.

For four years, we’ve had to endure the false accusations of Socialism. The President is not a real American, and he’s destroying America! If re-elected, claimed Newt Gingrich, Obama will turn us into a “European Socialist society.”

For four years, we’ve had to endure the false accusations of Islamism. The president’s father was from Kenya, and even though he has proclaimed time and again that he is a Christian, he is constantly labeled as a Muslim, and by some as a terrorist. "We’ve got a Muslim for a President who hates cowboys, hates cowgirls, hates fishing, hates farming, loves gays, and we hate him," said Hank Williams Jr. at a concert in Texas in September.

For four years, we’ve had to endure the false accusations of birtherism. The president wasn’t born in America! His parents plotted 50 years ago to give birth to an alien baby that would somehow later in life complete the daunting task of running a successful campaign for president!  So says Donald Trump!

For four years, we’ve had to endure the false accusations of reverse racism. Fox News commentator Dinesh D’Souza has repeatedly implied that Obama hates white people – despite the fact that his mother and grandparents were white, his Vice President and most of his cabinet is white, and his most senior political advisers are white. I guess he’s keeping his real anti-white agenda for the second term there’s no guarantee he’ll get.

For four years, we’ve had to endure the false accusations of anti Americanism. “I think it can now be said, without equivocation - without equivocation - that this man hates this country. He is trying - Barack Obama is trying - to dismantle, brick by brick, the American Dream,” said Rush Limbaugh. 

How much more ridiculous can it get?

Well let’s examine one aspect of the campaign that is being waged against his re-election. We’ll ignore the negative television and radio ads that claim he is wrong for America and his policies are destroying America, all evidence to the contrary. We’ll ignore the same messages in the direct mail and the online ads. Let’s look at just one small aspect of the right wing campaign against him – the lawn signs.

In typical elections, voters put signs on their lawns professing their support for their chosen candidate. Not this year.

This year, Republicans have all sorts of nasty messages on their lawns…they’ve turned suburban lawns and interstate medians into nasty, billboards of intolerance. For example, here are signs I’ve seen in recent days:

“Keep America Free: Fire Obama.”

“Obama: Sorry Yet?”

“Pro-America. Anti-Obama.”

“Defend Freedom. Defeat Obama.”

“Obama: Weak Growth and Blames Everyone (including you). Romney: Strong Growth and Integrity.” (as if anyone will even stop to read this sign).

And it doesn’t stop with the president! “Casey Kills Jobs!” “Stop Casey’s War on Coal.” 

These right wing crazies can’t be satisfied expressing their support for their candidate. They have to take their hate one step further and insult their neighbors who may think differently than they do.

And that’s what it is all about, really. Its fear…mostly white fear…of someone who doesn’t look and think like them.

And in the face of it all, what has Obama done to piss these people off?

He has run a competent administration that has been scandal free. He put in place a health care reform program that is not increasing costs, it is decreasing them. My health care renewal premium with Independence Blue Cross for 2013 is going down – the first time ever my premiums are not going up. He saved the American auto industry and a million jobs along with it, while Mitt Romney advocated letting Detroit go bankrupt. He took the worst economic recession since the Great Depression (also caused by laissez fair Republican policies) and turned it around so that we now have had 25 months of private sector job growth in a row. Consumer confidence is at its highest in years and housing prices are rebounding across the nation. He has protected America and used American military strength around the world with care and to great effect, decimating al Qaeda, ending the war in Iraq and killing our number one enemy, Osama bin Laden.

His response to the hurricane that ravaged the northeast last week has been universally praised. As it turns out, the president is not incompetent and unable to make government work, as we’ve been told by those on the right. Even Chris Christie heaped praise on the president for his leadership. Of course, for that, Christie is being destroyed by the right wing fanatics for going off message.

The right wing hate machine has pulled off the most impressive onslaught of character assassination since Richard Nixon was in charge.

If his last name was Reagan, Obama’s face would be on Mt. Rushmore by now.

If you need further evidence of the character of both candidates, look no further than those who stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Just last week, Colin Powell and Michael Bloomberg endorsed Barack Obama. Who stands with Romney? Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Rick Santorum and legions of bigots on the right.

If you’re having trouble making up your mind, perhaps you should judge the candidates by the company they keep.

I believe that many Americans will remember the character of the onslaught against him when they vote on November 6. And Mitt Romney will, justly, pay the price.

Character counts. Too few people on the right have it. And that’s what’s really wrong with our politics today.