The Politics of Personal Destruction

[SwampG8r]

i was watching KO give his comments and thought him spot on

http://salon.glenrose.net/default.asp?view=plink&id=6701

clinton supporters are already attributing it to the continued policy of personal destruction

the phrase made me think
its pretty new as a political idea
not muckrakeing or slinging mud
we all know how to do that
but the actual use of all power available to crush any opponent and all who stand with them
and i started to think
when was the first time this policy was defined and who defined it?
i say in advance that all political happenings throught history have been accompanied by "negative" campaigning
but who developed a plan to bring down every opponent through all means at every level of their lives
work family religon marriage
whatever their lives are
what can you ruin for them if they dont play your way?
it seems nixonian but i couldnt find it being attributed to him
the actual coordinated policy
he just had an enemies list
so i googled it up and this is what i got and who it seems named and defined this policy for our times

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Politics_of_personal_destruction

im not a big noonan fan but this has good stuff at the end
http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110009700

cohen has a say
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/17/AR2007091701394.html
i can go on and on but every one i find lays the term on bill or hillary clinton
so why are any of us surprised when we see her using it again
when you finally remove the glasses and see the reality
all you want is to distance yourself from hillary

[niceypoo]

1. Obamas media supporters have no interest in bringing Hillary supporters to Obamas side

...instead they are more interested in destroying Hillary, which is driving her supporters AWAY from Obama.

So, when do they start touting Obamas policy positions?

[Adelante]

2. It's what's turned me against Hillary

I didn't start out anti-Hillary this primary season. But her willingness to make use of the politics of personal destruction, after my 15 years defense of the Clintons against it, is immoral, and simply unacceptable to me.

[niceypoo]

3. Does this mean you will start touting Obama on his policies?

Instead of endlessly attacking Hillary and her supporters?

[Adelante]

4. First of all, I have never attacked Clinton supporters, not even once

I have never attacked Hillary or smeared her. I do criticize at times I disagree with her behavior or words, which is my right and obligation as a Democrat. In addition, I have spent a good deal of time on DU promoting Obama's policies.

So go lecture somebody else, maybe have a good talk with yourself. :hi:

[wain]

5. Vince Foster used the term in a note

found after his tragic suicide. As I recall he used the term in reference to what he found disturbing about Washington politics.

[neoteric lefty]

6. that's a fine opinion

but when you cite Peggy Noonan and Richard Cohen... I'm left to wonder. No doubt that HRC's campaign has turned negative (and that she has made some huge gaffes), but that's what you do when you are down in the polls. You have to fight to claw your way back up, or bring your opponent back down. Love it or hate it, that is politics in America. Many smart people havep ut years of their lives towards getting a person into office, and they won't go down without a fight.