It's Started

Pay attention, and you'll get a lesson in how American politics works today. You don't win by building yourself up in the eyes of the electorate - you win by tearing down your opponent by whatever means necessary. In view of the success of the Swift Boat Veterans for "Truth" during the last campaign, it looks like this tactic will become a part of the political toolbox. As you know, the Swift Boat Veterans injected a lie about Kerry's military service into the media. It circulated long enough to pull him down in the polls even though it was all fabricated.

Now, they've already started to "Swift Boat" Obama. You would expect the National Enquirer to pick up this stuff, but not the Washington Post. But, there it is - a big headline with the words Obama and Muslim on the same line. Millions of people will give this a quick read, believe it and start a conversation all over the country that will sound something like this:

Did you hear that Obama is a Muslim? If he's elected, he'll take the oath of office on the Koran instead of the Bible. This must be a new terrorist strategy - get one of their people on the inside so they can control our country. I ain't votin for no Muslim for president - that's for damn sure!

Of course, there is no truth to this, but truth has no place in today's campaign. That virus will do enough damage to severely weaken, and perhaps defeat Obama. A friend of mine recently told me that she sure was glad that Kerry didn't get elected. When I asked why, she looked at me incredulously and said, "because of that veteran thing." I finally uncovered what she meant - it was the Swift Boat campaign. After seven years, she still believed that she had the "truth" about Kerry.

Wake up. Think. Vote smart. It's probably the most important thing you'll do next year.