F.A.D.S.

Test Post.

The entire country seems to be tightening its belt. The city of Chicago is not exempt from any of this. City Hall announced the abrupt halt of spending for private public relations consultants, individuals once deemed “worth it” by Mayor Richard M. Daley. Continue Reading »

If you listen to the pundits – or possibly even your neighbors, friends or family – today’s election marks a stark choice between either the future safety of the free world – or the absolute destruction of  our economy, security and life as we know it.

While narrow definitions of opposing candidates are hardly new, this year’s anticipated record turnout of voters is a reflection of the stark and easily-delineated differences between – and spin about – John McCain and Barack Obama.

If you consider the more objective professional, personal and life  differences inherent in being pro-surge vs. anti-surge; African-American vs. Caucasian; older vs. younger; experienced vs. academic; passionate vs. even-tempered; or war veteran/ prisoner of war vs. no military experience, we’re still rational in our evaluation of candidates and their unique qualifications at this time in our nation’s history.

However, one reason for the record-breaking voter turnout expected today is that this election has not been cast in those terms.  Instead, consider the sound bites that pass as evaluation criteria:  grumpy old man vs. effete intellectual; Muslim terrorist vs. Christian wife-cheater; war hero vs. community organizer; patriot vs. a “flag-hater;” hopeless naiveté vs. cynical realism – and that’s even before we get into the caricatures of the vice presidential candidates.

Lost in all this hyperbole and spin is the fact that an anticipated 40% – 49% of your fellow voters will wake up tomorrow having supported “the loser.”  Many supporters of either candidate will either crow or cry – still speaking in the bitter, negative and unproductive soundbites of the campaign.

And that would be a tragedy:  regardless of who wins, November 5, 2008 represents a new chapter in the future of the United States (and the free world, for that matter.)    We are fortunate that  regardless who wins this election, we have had the opportunity to select between two very fine, very smart, very decent, very dedicated, very competent – and extraordinarily different – candidates.  And that should never get lost in the “spin…”

On election day, I’d like to discuss a memo written by McCain’s campaign manager:

McCain campaign manager Rick Davis, in a memo explaining why his candidate remains confident despite trailing by an average of 6.5 in national polls: “Today, he expanded his buy into North Dakota, Georgia and Arizona in an attempt to widen the playing field and find his 270 Electoral Votes. This is a very tall order and trying to expand into new states in the final hours shows he doesn’t have the votes to win.”

I think this is spin to the ultimate degree.  Why would McCain have to extend his buy into traditionally red states if he wasn’t worried about losing?  I mean, ARIZONA is his home state.  He should have the electoral votes in his home state nailed down and not have to buy any media there at all.

Nice try, Davis.  How about if you can’t tell the truth, don’t release a memo at all?