Youth speak: The descent into the maelstrom

By By Gary James / guest columnist
Oct. 31, 2004
At the Democratic National Convention of 1960, then-Sen. John Fitzgerald Kennedy opened his acceptance speech as follows:
I have not heard such seemingly sincere, bipartisan rhetoric of hope in all my life. Although I'm too young to vividly remember any campaign before the 2000 elections, I have paid close attention since, and the spirit of unity felt in the previous passage perfectly personifies the problem with the current state of campaign politics.
With Election Day just around the corner, emotions are high. In a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll released last Monday, 76 percent of those polled said they would be afraid if their candidate lost, and I have encountered similar sentiments at work and school.
And while the rhetoric heard during an election year is typically verbal shock and awe, no poll statistic or historical precedent could have curbed the disillusionment I've encountered these past few months.
Dirty politics
Everyone knows politics is a rough sport, and this political season has definitely affirmed it. The pundits, the media and the campaigns themselves have wholeheartedly sustained why political races have been coined "mudslinging." From the primaries to the present, both candidates and parties have almost unreservedly attacked the other.
Vice President Dick Cheney, for example, struck fear into the heart of the electorate when he basically said that if John Kerry were elected president, there would be another terrorist attack. Kerry responded by playing hooked-on-phonics with the president's middle initial, asserting "W. Wrong direction, wrong for America."
Then there were the debates, during which President Bush unveiled his air-tight policy that would solve our problems at home and abroad "HARD WORK."
And John Kerry, whom most would concede is the better debater, committed the irreconcilable sin of citing the known fact that Mary Cheney, the vice president's daughter, is a lesbian.
As if the candidates can't undermine their own credibility enough, the pundits and the news media continue to chime in with their pearl drops of partisan wisdom. During the debates, they cited the most superficial of reasons on who won, such as: who "looked" more presidential, who could keep his posture for the entire 90 minutes, who made the least facial expressions, and, my personal favorite, who is taller.
On the air
Speaking of height, I don't think the presidential race is about who presents the best policy at all. I think it's a race to see who can acquire the most commercial slots. The latest Kerry commercial accuses Bush of planning to gut Social Security and reinstate the draft, an accusation conservatives say is "simply untrue."
The latest Bush commercial, which liberals say is reminiscent of the Johnson Mushroom Cloud commercial, accuses Kerry of being so inconsistent that if he were elected, terrorists would prowl America like a pack of wolves.
It is because of these negative campaigns that I have grown disillusioned with both candidates, and it is because of irresponsible politics that the electorate is so divided.
If you're looking for the perfect candidate, I assure you he isn't in this race, and if you're convinced one candidate is "unfit to command" (no pun intended), I also assure you that there are just as many reasons why the other isn't either.
Just as Kerry has exploited his war record, Bush has exploited 9/11. And just as Kerry voted to limit funds to the CIA, Bush didn't push for full funding of No Child Left Behind. Just as Kerry didn't vote to fund the troops, Bush has allowed the reduction of funding for law enforcement.
The American people want something beyond reasons not to vote for the other guy. What is ostensibly good for campaign politics is not necessarily good for post-election policy.
No matter who is elected, the future of American politics (and quite possibly American prosperity and security) won't be resolved through hollow rhetoric and negative spins. It will be through selfless, informed and cooperative policy.
Neither candidate, in my opinion, has given us that brilliantly woven tapestry of hope, prosperity and peace that previous presidents have, and that is what makes this election such a close race.
Gary James, 17, is an 11th grader at Southeast Lauderdale High School. He can be reached by
e-mail at the_anti_prep03@yahoo.com.