Rancid rhetoric from Democrats and Republicans pollutes our politics
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) lists his objections as the Senate Judiciary Committee begins the debate on Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination for the Supreme Court on Monday. Credit: AP
The rhetorical alienation between our major national parties seems to be getting firmer, more personal, and further out of bounds in the run-up to midterm elections. The soundscape resembles the verbal foreign-policy crossfire between rival nations rather than citizen debate within the republic.
It becomes difficult for the ordinary, generally apolitical American voter to ignore the mood of political tribalism when choosing among individual candidates for local, state, and federal office.
Labeling and demonization can inspire the adrenaline that leaders of the party duopoly rely on to galvanize voters to compete. But can this kind of noise pollution be healthy?
One sample of the moment came this week from Democratic National Committee Chairman
COLUMBIA, SC - NOVEMBER 03: Democratic Senate candidate Jaime Harrison speaks to supporters after conceding to his opponent, incumbent Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), on November 3, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. Graham won a fourth term in the senate with his reelection tonight. Credit: Getty Images/Michael Ciaglo
Jaime Harrison who blasted today’s Republican Party as “built on fraud, fear and fascism” — which to be clear, nobody would have called the 19th century GOP of the pro-Union, slavery-ending president, Abraham Lincoln.
Understandably triggered by Sen. Tom Cotton’s over-the-top attacks on Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s past work as a public defender — saying she might have gone to Nuremberg to defend Nazis — Harrison said: "It shows you who this little maggot-infested man is, he does not deserve to have that pen, he doesn't deserve to be in the United States Senate representing the good people of Arkansas.”
One could argue that Cotton's attacks were legitimately dramatic arguments crafted to defend his vote against the Senate confirmation of Jackson, who on Thursday prevailed, 53-47, despite all the noise. But the kind of demeaning GOP talk that led up to that vote can unjustifiably poison reputations.
Clearly, ex-Democratic first lady Michelle Obama’s famous partisan boast of “when they go low, we go high” has become ever more inoperative. The reason is clear. Our last Republican president used baseless group blame and character assassination nearly on a daily basis to fortify power, sell political snake oil, and try to intimidate enemies. Anyone remember four years ago when he called Democrats who didn't stand and applaud during his State of the Union speech “un-American” and “treasonous"?
No matter who started it, the downgrading and discouragement of thoughtful public dialogue across all party organizations continues. Just this week, the wild-punching, say-anything Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) attacked Republican senators who said they'd confirm Jackson, insanely calling them "pro-pedophile.”
Expect no genuine internal party shade to be thrown — for either Greene's attacks or Harrison's generalization about the opposing party. The practice known as "party discipline" applies to legislative votes and policy dissent — not the self-restraint it takes to be decent.
At one time, strategists considered “going negative” in a campaign to be risky, a sign of desperation. For some players now, smearing seems a reflexive, default tactic that party hierarchies promote or do not question.
This will change only when enough of the voting public gets sick of the slime.
Columnist Dan Janison's opinions are his own.
Dan Janison is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
