Letter to the Editor of the Post and Courier

I've seen so much disturbing nonsense in the last couple weeks that I just didn't know where to begin, but summarized just a shade of what I've been thinking in a letter to the editor thismorning:

"I considered John McCain a worthy Presidential candidate in 2000, but, through his continuous stream of misinformation and hypocritical rhetoric, he has last lost my respect. The advertisements run during coverage of Tropical Storm Hanna which presented the gross distortion if not lie that Senator Obama will "raise taxes on working families" were the final straw. The fact is that Obama's tax plan will increase taxes on only 5% of Americans who earn the most--hardly your typical "working families." McCain has chosen to undermine the rational selection of a President by overwhelming reason with emotional appeals, indicating not only that he believes Americans are intellectually poor enough to fall for it but that he is willing to exploit them. He has said repeatedly, "more unites us than divides us," but out of the other side of his mouth he implies that democrats don't put their "country first"--that their interests are contrary to America's. The slogan "change we can trust" implies that you can't trust his opponent, Senator Obama; whether you agree with this sentiment or not, it is just a sentiment. We have just as much, or more, reason to trust Obama as we do McCain. Surely, we all have America's best interests—national security, economic health, individual liberty and prosperity--in mind; we Americans just disagree on how to best achieve these ends.

"The facts that we don't all agree on the course of action we should take and that we deliberate the best course and vote on the resulting consensus are what makes this a democracy. The fact of disagreement and the process of resolution are fundamental to the American system. Slogans and propaganda steer people away from thinking rationally about issues that matter and undermine our democracy. McCain's voices opposition to "legislation from the bench" but contradicts himself by supporting "constructionist judges" who will incrementally undermine Roe vs. Wade. This hypocrisy illustrates the manner in which he is using loaded phrases to appeal to individuals' predispositions rather selling them on a rational policy. McCain Advisor Rick Davis said "this election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of ... these candidates." Davis clarifies that they're not selling policy; they're selling an image and an abstraction. The McCain camp has repeatedly called Obama's speech empty rhetoric, even though it's based on well-defined policy positions available online for months—as if his own campaign's slogans are anything but empty rhetoric. I hope South Carolinians have the strength of character to look beyond the hype, slogans and insinuations to compare these candidates on the virtues of their policies."