Well, how do we beat the bitch?”
The question above, which has been making its rounds on national media wires, was uttered by a mild-mannered, middle-aged Caucasian woman at a recent South Carolina rally for republican presidential hopeful John McCain. While such a question would seem bold in most settings, the barb, which was directed at democratic senator Hillary Clinton, didn’t cause anyone to flinch — not even McCain himself. Welcome to the world of presidential politics, where your opponent isn’t just an obstacle to victory; adversaries and their followers are viewed instead as mortal enemies — ones that must be destroyed by any means necessary.
But does it have to be this way? Aren’t those that are vying for the position of “most powerful person in the world” supposed to have the needs of the American people in mind instead of victory? Unfortunately, that’s not our reality. The machismo of today’s politicians, Clinton included, prevents them from seeing the bigger picture, which is the betterment of this country. Instead, they focus only on the thrill of coming out on top, which in their minds proves who possesses the biggest pair of (insert your own term for male genitalia).
So, what can we do as a society to encourage a shift in the mindset of our politicians? An effective strategy may be our collective refusal to feed into the competitive hype and hate that is created by the likes of those like the woman at that rally. There’s no need to hate just for the hell of it. After all, don’t we all just want a better America when it’s all said and done? I contend, we do. –dewayne rogers
