I voted today in the runoff election between Saxby Chambliss and Jim Martin, which will help decide whether the Democratic party will get a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate or not. Both candidates ran campaigns that were not only negative, they were downright deceptive and certainly less than straightforward. Both ran ads that reached back many years and ran them with headlines and sound bites that highly distorted what really happened. Neither candidate came across as honest and ethical. The entire campaign on both sides was exceedingly shabby.
I have recently been reading the biography of Alexander Hamilton, and the rumors, intrigues, and outright lies and libels that were written of him by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and their partisans that are discussed in the book seem sadly contemporary in light of the recent political campaign. Hamilton induldged in some of the same things to them in return, of course. As I have read the biographies of Hamilton and John Adams along with Truman, Teddy Roosevelt, Eleanor and FDR, and other books about the Founding Fathers the past couple of years I have been repeatedly reminded how familiar a theme dirty campaigning, falsehoods, vote stealing/buying, and other unethical behaviors have been in elections ever since the 1790's. Our exposure to the current campaigns impresses this upon us for elections in our experience, but it seems that the same behaviors have been common throughout our history. In spite of this, the Founders were able to establish the freedoms we hold dear today and the nation managed to move forward.
With having just had the Thanksgiving holidays a few days ago, besides being thankful for the end of this campaign season, I am thankful that somehow our nation has been guided by Providence despite our many failings and the often unethical and often immoral behavior of our leaders. Let us pray that continues.
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