Keep politics a little civil Keep politics a little civil

By Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier

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The hope going into 2012 and what promises to be a superheated presidential campaign season is a level of discourse and debate worthy of the office.

That's not to say we must agree or even, necessarily, maintain perfect civility. In the American political tradition, that's probably too much to hope for.

Remember, for instance, attacks on Abraham Lincoln. Opponents slammed him as “a slang-whanging stump speaker” and “horrid looking wretch.”

A lampoon published during the campaign of 1864 described one of the country's greatest leaders like this: “Mr. Lincoln stands six feet twelve in his socks, which he changes once every ten days. His anatomy is composed mostly of bones, and when walking he resembles the offspring of a happy marriage between a derrick and a windmill ... “

Perhaps less well-known is the vitriol hurled by those backing John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Jackson's folks accused Adams of being a “pimp” during his time as ambassador to Russia. Adams' advocates vilified Jackson as guilty of adultery and war crimes.

Not even Thomas Jefferson - author of the Declaration of Independence - could escape the mud. Friends of his opponent, John Adams, suggested Jefferson in the White House would mean “murder, robbery, rape, adultery and incest will be openly taught and practiced, the air will be rent with the cries of the distressed, the soil will be soaked with blood and the nation black with crimes.”

One of the more heinous examples so far this cycle focused on the death of Rick and Karen Santorum's son, Daniel. The couple knew chances of his survival were nil, and the baby was indeed born prematurely. He lived about two hours.

Commentator Alan Colmes said voters should examine “some of the crazy things (Santorum's) said and done, like taking his 2-hour-old baby when it died right after child birth home and played with it ... “

The fact of the matter is many grief counselors recommend parents spend time with stillborn infants as one way of coming to grips with the loss. That Colmes would characterize the episode as play time is truly reprehensible.

To his credit, Colmes later told Santorum he was sorry.

“He and Karen graciously accepted my apology for a hurtful comment,” Colmes wrote on Twitter.

Candidates and their camps rely on negative campaigns for a simple reason: they work. Still, how refreshing would it be to have some actual substantive discussion as we move toward November?

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