Moving Past a Destructive Campaign

Moving past a destructive campaign. (2014, Nov 16). Portland Press Herald Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1625166630?accountid=17222

1. The editorial’s central claim is that the direction and governing of our state is becoming secondary to the malicious campaign tactics and their residual effects on politicians. 

2. A significant piece of evidence used by the author are the attacks on the politicians, especially Paul LePage. Media has maliciously attacked LePage, calling him an “embarrassment”, a “joke”, a “buffoon”, a “sleaze ball”, and a “bully”. It is essential that our politicians are respected by the people, the media, and each other. In their campaigns, incumbent and aspiring politicians use this as ammunition against each other in order to vilify opposing candidates. We think that after these attacks, and officials are elected to office, that they can put aside what happened during the campaigns. These campaigns hinder the effectiveness with which politicians can work together. The people of Maine deserve a productive government, which means two parties that can work together without negative afterthoughts from campaigns.

3. I agree with this editorial. During the campaign season I have seen at least 50 malicious attack ads against politicians. They do work, as I am left with a negative view of the attacked politician. What I realize though is that most of these advertisements emphasize negative, yet somewhat trivial aspects of politicians, and often from a very radical perspective. In the end, each of these delegates are hardworking, good people, and deserve to be treated and recognized as so. For the politicians personally, and for the state and its government as a whole.