A widely distributed e-mail I received last month from "Sol" adopted Penn's "lack of American roots" libel against Obama, but more crudely. Sol was taken aback by Obama's assertion that "we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists. . ." I never thought," wrote Sol, "I'd see the day that I'd hear something like that from a presidential candidate in this Country.".... "To think our forefathers fought and died for the right for our nation to be a Christian nation -- and to have this 'wannabe raghead' say with pride that 'we are no longer a Christian nation.' ".... "How far will the good people of the USA let these 'minorities' tell us what we can and cannot do?".... "With God's help, He will still take control of this Nation and we can show this 'anti-Christ' and all his boot-lickers . . ."
Earlier this year, I and many like me watching in horror as Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Democratic nomination seemed to be sliding down the slippery slope to racism and race-baiting. I suppose this is what happens when winning becomes not just everything, but the only thing. It had to have been difficult for HRC to stand idly by as her star was eclipsed by a perceived interloper, an inexperience miscreant who aimed to block her rightful ascension to the throne. Given some of the advice that she was provided, it would appear that "Sol" was just the type of American idjit HRC was appealing to.
HRC didn't come up with this strategy on her own, of course. No, she surrounded herself with some of the best and brightest...and Mark Penn, who at this point seems a logical candidate for "Dumbest (&^%$#@ Human Being On The Face Of The Planet". he's not so dumb, however that he was unable to translate his "slash and burn" political philosophy into a workable and viable political strategy for the Clinton campaign.
What the ascension of Mark Penn means is that Democrats have no claim to any moral high ground when it comes to campaign strategy. Penn and Clinton proved that for some Democrats winning isn't everything; it's the ONLY thing. If beating a fellow Democrat requires character assassination and whisper campaigns...well, then that's what will be done.
What Penn is guilty of is forgetting- if indeed he ever knew this to begin with- that an election is not just and only about political power and who wins. An election should be about a conversation- about what we want our country to be, about making America the best it can be, about protecting our interests and our security. When an election becomes all about winning, you can bet that money, influence, and corruption will follow closely behind. If you doubt the veracity of that statement, all you really have to do is to look at the McCain campaign, which is fueled by money, influence, and corruption...much as the last eight years have been.
He's a longtime Clinton insider, the chief executive of the public relations giant Burson-Marsteller and an adviser to Fortune 500 chieftains. He's accorded respectability, access to the powerful and a fat bank account.
We have, thanks to Penn's own hand, a glimpse into his ethics and values. We can see how he would exploit heritage, background and class and use misleading and offensive characterizations in his work. We understand how he would go about challenging and demeaning Obama's American identity by suggesting that the Hawaii-born, Columbia- and Harvard-educated U.S. senator from Illinois is not American enough.
Cynically, he would make Obama out to be a threat to American values and culture.
It's clear from the memo exactly what type of politics Penn would practice.
What is unclear, though, in an increasingly diverse and multicultural America, where merit and not lineage or class should be deciding factors, is why the salons of Washington, the boardrooms of corporate America and the doors of foreign governments are open to such a divider and fear-exploiter as Mark Penn.
It's fair to ask about his roots in basic American values. Why do business with him?
Why do business with him? Because as Penn himself will tell you, negative ads really do work. And when it's all about winning, you're going to be willing to do whatever it takes to emerge victorious. Again, look at the McCain campaign if you doubt me. I understand that winning is important; no candidate goes into a campaign nonchalant about their prospects. No one is going to be willing to put their life and their family on hold for the long months of required campaigning without harboring a burning desire to win. Whether you're willing to believe this or not, though, there are things bigger than winning. Would that Mark Penn (and Hillary Clinton) could reign in their devotion to their self-interest long enough to recognize this.
It's fashionable to blame the Karl Rove and the late Lee Atwater for loosing the beasts of negative campaigning...and perhaps they do bear responsibility. Nonetheless, there's absolutely no excuse for Democrats like Mark Penn taking a page from that book. More importantly, there's even less excuse for Hillary Clinton wading through that gutter.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
