Jeremiah Wright Meets Willie Horton

Right now, as I blog away, I'm sure that there is a camera whirring away (well, they don't whir anymore, but you get the picture) making an ad that hangs Barack Obama's preacher around his neck. We'll see Rev. Wright hourly throughout the fall making Willie Horton look like a choir boy. I'm also sure that similar ads will be running hanging the "Keating 5" around John McCain's neck. In the scheme of things, the weight of Rev. Wright will weigh heavier on Obama. Despite his statements to the contrary, Obama runs a major risk of being "swiftboated". In the eyes of many Americans, Rev. Wright is a racist, and Obama's guilt by association will be a major influence on how the majority of the electorate will vote.

Is this unfair? No, and I didn't think that the Genesis of "swiftboating" four years ago was unfair either. Enough facts were out there to make a case that a candidate for commander in chief was unfit for duty. The public has a right to know. The former gatekeepers of information, such as the TV network news broadcasters, weren't going to break the story. Therefore, I'm glad that other individuals stepped up to the plate and presented the information to the public.

Does this mean that I like the increasingly shrill tone of our political campaigns? No, but I'm not going to hold my breath and wait for a campaign where candidates debate how far they intend to stray from, or return to, the vision of our Republic outlined on the Federalist Papers. What we have now is imperfect, but certainly better than returning control of information to the mainstream media gatekeepers.

At the local level, things are different and the old information gatekeepers still hold sway. Because of the expense, no one is going to advertise in the Salisbury media market to win a Ridgely election. What is now starting to happen, however, is that free blogs and podcasts are providing local candidates the opportunity to make their case. The "everyman" running for office now has the means to an end run around expensive media markets and other information gatekeepers.

Some of this might be termed "negative" campaigning. However, candidates for local office are just as likely to be flawed and the public has the right to know the whole story about those seeking our votes. Because there is no media access, local politicians can often rest "on their laurels" earned from years in the community performing some service well with a local institution. Unfortunately, good service in one area of endeavor doesn't guarantee competence in the civic/political arena. For instance, if a local candidate or office holder states that "if we take out a loan, we won't be in debt anymore", they need to be held accountable. Candidates also need to have a means to get their message out and counter the all to common whispering campaigns that plague local politics. In all of this, blogs mean access and information for voters.

Technology in the service of democracy is never a bad thing.