The 2012 elections will be monumentally important and furiously fought. Both houses of Congress will be up for grabs as will the re-election of America's first black President. The two parties have clearly defined philosophies that are diametrically opposed.
A total of four billion dollars was spent in the 2010 midterm elections. That sum will be dwarfed in 2012. The Citizens United decision by the U.S. Supreme Court will allow American corporations to spend untold sums with little or no accountability. President Obama has already announced a goal of one billion dollars for his re-election campaign. Few political analysts doubt he will achieve that goal or that he will be matched by his Republican opponent.
Every student of American history knows that campaigns have been brutal since the early years of the Republic. In his final years in office, even George Washington was attacked. Abraham Lincoln was called a baboon and pictured with his arms dangling to his knees. Franklin Roosevelt was called a traitor to his class as he fought for the rights of vulnerable Americans.
Obama took more than his share of verbal assaults during his 2008 campaign for the presidency. For the first time in history, a major candidate found his birth qualifications to be President questioned, in addition to false claims being made about his religion. In 1960, anti-Catholic bigots challenged John F. Kennedy because he was Catholic. In 2008, some denied Obama was a Christian. Both reflect bigotry but only one was deceitful. America needed serious discussion of the issues in 2008. We were losing jobs at the rate of 700,000 a month and were slipping into the most serious recession since 1929. Despite this compelling situation, countless Americans hostile to Obama were focused on lies about his birthplace and his religion.
To his everlasting credit, John McCain was not one of those bigots who spread such lies. At a campaign rally, when a woman said Obama was not a true American, McCain interrupted and softly but firmly said, no mam, you're wrong. He's as American as you or me.
From what I have seen so far, I hope but do not expect such decency and true patriotism in 2012. Four major candidates have spoken already about Barack Obama not being born in America or having a Kenyan worldview. The potential Republican candidates seem to be appealing to the worst elements of their own party. Instead of evidencing their own best traditions as a party committed to a strong national defense, a vigorous free market economy and fiscal discipline, today's Republican candidates seem terrified of confronting the bigotry that is often directed at the President. When Newt Gingrich calls Obama a "food stamp president," he is giving a dog whistle to racists. When Michelle Bachmann said she took President Obama at his word regarding his place of birth, she was winking at the birthers. America needs better than this in 2012.
Deceit has worked its way into important debates also, such as those regarding the health care bill and financial regulation in 2009 and 2010. While the financial regulation bill was being discussed, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell met with Wall Street leaders to discuss strategy and raise campaign funds. Soon, back in Washington, he began pounding the theme that the bill was an attempt to set up bailouts for banks. This was not spinning. This was an out and out lie to the American people. The debate about health care centered for a time on the theme of non-existent death panels after former Gov. Palin tweeted about them. Many who opposed the bill kept repeating the mantra that America had the best health care system in the world, which is certifiable nonsense, but it did distract the public from debating the issues the bill was designed to address and reaching conclusions about how that bill could be improved. The result of these distortions and distractions was that the two bills passed but they were badly flawed. Instead of debate on important issues, we had distortion. There were good reasons to oppose both bills, but those reasons did not drive the debate. Foolishness did.
We cannot allow Democrats or Republicans in 2012 to be distracted again by false charges, or racist dog whistles, or birther foolishness. Americans deserve a serious discussion of the policies that are needed to keep our exceptional nation truly exceptional.
The public expects spin in political debate and it can handle spin from both parties. But the public needs truth not lies. And it is ultimately the public which must make the final decisions about America.
This is where the American religious community can play a vital role by insisting on truth in public policy debates. It can call to account, through the media, through organizational life, through its multiple social networks, any politician who campaigns by cultural distractions and who appeals to the basest sentiments in our nation. The bishops can continue the strong work they are doing in defending the poor and vulnerable by insisting on honesty. In their various pronouncements, they and we should single out offenders and hold them to a higher standard.
Politicians campaign dishonestly because they can. Let's make it difficult and let them know they will pay a price for deceptive campaign tactics. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and our country.
