Politicians excel at turning words around and turning the world on its ear (or rear).

I have spent most of my life avoiding politics. Oh, I vote and even serve as an Election Judge in my adopted Maryland County. But the electioneering has always left me a bit cold.

Decades ago, when I did political cartoons for the Spring Lake (NC) News, I watched politics from afar with bemusement at what politicians were willing to do in order to get elected. Here in Washington seeing it close up and frequently, I am no less bemused.

It always amazes me, for instance, to watch politicians use innuendo and sometimes outright falsehoods against their opponents in order to create doubt in the minds of voters. Attacking an opponents character in this manner, something akin to hitting below the belt in boxing, is considered acceptable if it gets people to doubt your opponent, thus giving you an advantage. Now, maybe I’m just naïve, but this kind of activity says more to me about the practitioner’s character (or lack thereof) than it does the target.

What astounds me even more is that this tactic often works. People will pick up a rumor that has been debunked repeatedly and actually let it guide their decision at the polls. Take, for instance, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth’s outrageous slander of John Kerry in the 2004 elections. This was a blatant smear campaign that, by the way, also dishonored many of the other veterans who served in Vietnam with Kerry, but it worked. The rumors and outright lies spread like kudzu, eating away at Kerry’s poll numbers.

The 2008 election seems to be no exception. As I watch the detritus swirl around the airwaves, I am reminded of campaigns of the past, and I marvel. Its like deja vu all over again, folks. I’ll vote this election, and try not to pay too much attention to the smut and grime that hangs over the process, and then I’ll go back to something else. If you like sausage, you should never visit a sausage factory. If you want to maintain respect for the legislative process, don’t look too closely at how laws are made. The election process, unfortunately, is out there and hard to miss. I guess the only advice I can give is – try not to notice too much.