PaceAdvantage
10-20-2008, 11:08 AM
The Democratic nominee scorned the "prejudice and bigotry and hatred and division" on display in the Arizona senator's campaign. As for his own platform, he said that "we will do all these things because we love people instead of hate them. ... Beware of those who fear and doubt and those who rave and rant about the dangers of progress."
This wasn't last week, but 44 years ago. The Republican from Arizona - demonized by the entire Democratic and journalistic establishment - was Sen. Barry Goldwater. And the Democrat, of course, was LBJ.
There are differences between then and now, to be sure. For starters, there was still a great deal of work left to be done on civil rights in 1964 (and Sen. John McCain (http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/elections/u.s.-elections/john-mccain-PEPLT004278.topic) is no libertarian). But even then, the attempt to paint Mr. Goldwater as a hate-monger was idiotic and dishonorable. It was almost as dishonorable as Harry Truman (http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/harry-s-truman-PEPLT006702.topic)'s attempt 16 years earlier to cast his opponent, businessman Thomas Dewey, as an American Hitler (http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/adolf-hitler-PECLB002403.topic).
Liberal Democrats have a long tradition of tarring opponents as the monolithic forces of hatred and prejudice while casting themselves as the enlightened proponents of peace, love and decency. And this election shows that tradition is alive and well.
The rest:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.viewpoint20oct20,0,1285795.story
This wasn't last week, but 44 years ago. The Republican from Arizona - demonized by the entire Democratic and journalistic establishment - was Sen. Barry Goldwater. And the Democrat, of course, was LBJ.
There are differences between then and now, to be sure. For starters, there was still a great deal of work left to be done on civil rights in 1964 (and Sen. John McCain (http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/elections/u.s.-elections/john-mccain-PEPLT004278.topic) is no libertarian). But even then, the attempt to paint Mr. Goldwater as a hate-monger was idiotic and dishonorable. It was almost as dishonorable as Harry Truman (http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/politics/harry-s-truman-PEPLT006702.topic)'s attempt 16 years earlier to cast his opponent, businessman Thomas Dewey, as an American Hitler (http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/adolf-hitler-PECLB002403.topic).
Liberal Democrats have a long tradition of tarring opponents as the monolithic forces of hatred and prejudice while casting themselves as the enlightened proponents of peace, love and decency. And this election shows that tradition is alive and well.
The rest:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.viewpoint20oct20,0,1285795.story