What Goes Around Comes Around
Last year Republican politicians lambasted 2008 Democratic presidential contender John Edwards for spending $400 on a haircut. Some of those who joined in on the insult fest must now wish they had remained silent. If the Democrats had nominated John Edwards for president, he would have spent the fall attempting to explain his marital infidelities.
Now Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her husband are in the news for dressing extravagantly while trying to portray themselves as everyday Americans. Predictably, Governor Palin’s representatives have castigated the media for focusing on her $150,000 wardrobe when the country faces so many difficulties. But no one is suggesting that John Edwards deserves an apology as well.
Of course politicians spend ridiculous amounts of money on clothes and accessories. They appear in public regularly, give interviews on TV and meet with foreign dignitaries. We expect our public representatives to look like professionals. Dressing well is part of the job. And since there’s no apparent relationship between how much leaders spend on clothes and how well they govern, the cost of Governor Palin’s wardrobe is indeed a bogus issue.
After this election Republicans will probably be looking for ways to broaden their base. They could take a giant step in that direction by dropping their derisive attitude towards Democrats. Having a liberal point of view is not un-American. Attempting to suppress open debate through intimidation is un-American.
In the United States politicians present their plans for the country to the voters, and the voters decide which plan wins the contract. George W. Bush’s policies have dominated the political agenda over the past eight years. Republicans need a new plan for 2010.
Leave a Reply