Water is not the only thing Americans are thirsting for this summer. We seem to also be experiencing a drought of political responsibility that will certainly make its way into the record books.
While it is easy to just blame a ubiquitous “current political climate,” the clouds of this particular climate began forming long ago —1992 to be more precise.
When the Bill Clinton presidential campaign began deploying its “politics of personal destruction” tactics on a broad scale, it may have secured the first two-term Democratic president since World War II, but the damage inflicted upon our national political psyche has been devastating and the depth is still not fully known.
The bipartisan, grand bargains like the welfare reform act of 1996, NAFTA, and a balanced federal budget were all achieved before the unforeseen consequences of those tactics had fully set in.
Two decades later, the political sea is so acerbic we actually have politicians stating they’d rather let the country go over the “financial cliff” looming at the end of the year than work a deal for the sake of the nation.
Rep. Todd Akin would do well to think about those unforeseen damages as he now vows to remain in the race against Sen. Claire McCaskill.
The damage done by his “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down” to prevent pregnancy during a “legitimate rape” comment will extend far beyond the immediate and the seen, and it will spread far beyond Missouri’s borders.
Democratic political ads tying Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and the entire Republican Party to Akin’s comments are going up, and President Barack Obama has enjoined the attack with his “the interesting thing here is this individual is on the House Science and Technology Committee but somehow missed science class” comment, and that’s just in the first week.
Throw in a Rasmussen poll on Friday showing Romney’s previous six-percentage point Missouri lead has been wiped out and he is now trailing President Obama 47-46, and the Akin damage is more than clear and present.
What should be an election about the very real fiscal and foreign dangers facing this nation will continue to shrink down to “do you agree with Akin?”
We cannot predict how much more damage will be inflicted as Akin drags his party, his state and perhaps the entire country down his personal path of denial, but we can predict he won’t even see it coming.
Opinion
Our View: Akin’s unforeseen damage
- Opinion
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Our View: Finding the way forward
Communication failures and the lack of a clear mission have given rise to turmoil and discord at Missouri Southern State University. The antidote to this is openness, frankness and the articulation of a well-defined purpose as the school moves forward.
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Your View: Finding audience for Bard
It was interesting to see Globe columnist Mike Pound’s recollection of college studies of the Bard of Avon in association with the upcoming production of “Macbeth.”
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Your View: Shifting opinions
I have a suggestion for a Joplin Globe feature. Reprint all the letters and columns from years past that were in favor of the Patriot Act and how people who showed any concern over it “wanted the terrorists to win.”
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James Whitford, guest columnist: New definition needed
I remember meeting a man on the main road through Fond Parisien, a small community on the eastern side of Haiti.
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Our View: Connecting the town
Well before the 2011 tornado, Joplin had a problem with “connectivity.” That’s right. The flow of traffic — whether it be cars, pedestrians or bicyclists — has been a sore spot with us for years.
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Your View: Bold leadership needed
Dear City Council Members, Let me first thank you for your service to our community.
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Other Views: Debt of honor
In Afghanistan, the Taliban have promised to kill Afghans who worked for the Americans and their families. In Iraq, similar threats were made by radical Islamic insurgents.
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Herb Van Fleet, guest columnist: Big Brother is always watching and listening
Sen. Church made that statement 38 years ago. He chaired a committee that was formed to develop legislation to rein in the CIA, FBI, NSA and other intelligence agencies, which had been operating outside the bounds of the law, including the Constitution.
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Geoff Caldwell, guest columnist: Jury still out on whistle-blower’s actions
Whether you see Edward Snowden as a hero, a traitor or something in between, there is no denying that the admitted “leaker” has opened up an industrial-size can of National Security Agency worms.
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Trish Patton, guest columnist: Downtown group needs stakeholders' support
On Tuesday the Downtown Joplin Alliance (DJA) tabled the Community Improvement District (CID) initiative.
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