Connect with us

Contributors

Mitchell: Fear Of The Other Person Is Hallmark Of This Campaign

Published

on

Have people always engaged in gutter talk? Is it just that recording devices are everywhere? Or are politics and public discourse really becoming more and more polluted?

We know entertainment has changed.

In every episode of “Bonanza,” Pa, Adam, Hoss or Little Joe would get into a scrape and the others would ride to the rescue. It was clear who were the good guys and who were the bad guys, and the good guys always prevailed.

A script for “Bonanza 2016” would likely feature angst over whether Hop Sing’s boyfriend could be his live-in at the Ponderosa. Or whether it was Hoss or Little Joe who impregnated Adam’s girlfriend.

Seriously.

Those are those who say that television and movies have simply become more honest, more reflective of real life. That’s true. Rare glimpses into the bedrooms of Rob and Laura Petrie or Lucy and Ricky Ricardo revealed twin beds, which were unlikely for couples even in the 1960s.

Updated, the show would have Rob and Laura speculating endlessly over whether Buddy and Sally had a thing going on. Lucy would be helping Ethel through a meth addiction.

People who are adults today could sit down and watch TV with their parents without events unfolding on the screen that made any of them squirm. Only the most irresponsible parent today would leave a preteen alone with a TV unless settings excluded everything but Disney and Nickelodian (and some of their shows are dicey).

Somewhat differently, the verbiage of American politics, even a brief amount of research shows, has long been harsh.

The first reference to male potency may have been in 1800. One candidate described his opponent as a “hideous hermaphroditical (look it up) character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.”

The comment is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, revered founder and prime author of the Declaration of Independence. In today’s vocabulary, he called his opponent a “girly-man.”

As for hyperbole, such as we’re hearing from the Hillary Clinton camp about Donald Trump’s dismissal of climate change, consider John Adams’ response to Jefferson: “Are you prepared to see your dwellings in flames … female chastity violated … children writhing on a pike? Great God of compassion and justice, shield my country destruction.”

Yes. Two hundred and sixteen years ago.

People are saying that never before have Americans had such poor choices on their presidential ballots. With plenty of evidence to support that view, Trump supporters say they can’t imagine a Clinton presidency. They believe the Democratic Party has nominated a deeply flawed person. Just the same, Clinton supporters say they cannot imagine Americans electing a person who’s language is not only raw, but who stands accused of what amounts to criminal sexual battery.

This fear and loathing of the other person may be what truly distinguishes the current contest.

The more important question is, “Can (or will) we go back?”

In the world of entertainment, it’s hard to imagine that world reverting. The slide from “The Beverly Hillbillies” to “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” has been steady.

The political context is of greater concern. Will Americans will ever again see elections featuring candidates of character, substance and accomplishment?

Think about it. Adams and Jefferson loathed each other, but both were serious scholars of governance. Clinton has used “public service” to become fabulously wealthy. Trump has never worked in any collaborative setting.

The last president who brought a solid resume to the White House was George H.W. Bush — veteran, businessman, member of Congress, agency leader, vice president for eight years. Clinton has a resume, but almost no public trust. Barack Obama was a community organizer, state lawmaker who often voted “present” and a junior senator. George W. Bush had been a governor. Bill Clinton had been a governor, too, but he was a default nominee when few thought George H.W. Bush could be denied a second term.

The experience and quality of candidates matters, and it’s the absence of candidates with proven ability that threatens cities, states and the nation more than “extreme carelessness” with national security or casual regard for sexual assault.

Through history, voters have sometimes chosen leaders who trended to the political left, others who trended to the political right. The combination has kept the nation afloat, if not always prosperous.

The nation can survive gutter talk by candidates. The nation can’t survive self-serving or inexperienced leadership.


Charlie Mitchell mugshot 2014Charlie Mitchell is a Mississippi journalist. Write to him at cmitchell43@yahoo.com.

Follow HottyToddy.com on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat @hottytoddynews. Like its Facebook page: If You Love Oxford and Ole Miss…

Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2024 Ole Miss Football

Sat, Aug 31Furman Logovs Furman W, 76-0
Sat, Sep 7Middle Tennessee Logovs Middle TennesseeW, 52-3
Sat, Sep 14Wake Forest Logo@ Wake ForestW, 40-6
Sat, Sep 21Georgia Southern Logovs Georgia SouthernW, 52-13
Sat, Sep 28Kentucky Logovs KentuckyL, 20-17
Sat, Oct 5South Carolina Logo@ South CarolinaW, 27-3
Sat, Oct 12LSU Logovs LSUL, 29-26 (2 OT)
Sat, Oct 26Oklahoma Logovs OklahomaW, 26-14
Sat, Nov 2Arkansas Logo@ ArkansasW, 63-35
Sat, Nov 16Georgia Logovs GeorgiaW, 28-10
Sat, Nov 23Florida Logo@ FloridaL, 24-17
Sat, Nov 30Mississippi State Logovs Mississippi StateW, 26-14
Thu, Jan 2Duke Logovs Duke (Gator Bowl)W, 52-20

Ole Miss Men’s Basketball

Mon, Nov 4Long Island University Logovs Long Island University W, 90-60
Fri, Nov 8Grambling Logovs GramblingW, 66-64
Tue, Nov 12South Alabama Logovs South AlabamaW, 64-54
Sat, Nov 16Colorado State Logovs Colorado StateW, 84-69
Thu, Nov 21Oral Roberts Logovs Oral RobertsL, 100-68
Thu, Nov 28BYU Logovs BYUW, 96-85 OT
Fri, Nov 29Purdue Logovs 13 PurdueL, 80-78
Tue, Dec 3Louisville Logo@ LouisvilleW, 86-63
Sat, Dec 7Lindenwood Logovs LindenwoodW, 86-53
Sat, Dec 14Georgia Logovs Southern MissW, 77-46
Tue, Dec 17Southern Logovs SouthernW, 74-61
Sat, Dec 21Queens University Logovs Queens UniversityW, 80-62
Sat, Dec 28Memphis Logo@ MemphisL, 87-70
Sat, Jan 4Georgia Logovs Georgia11:00 AM
SECN
Wed, Jan 8Arkansas Logo@ 23 Arkansas6:00 PM
TBA
Sat, Jan 11LSU Logovs LSU5:00 PM
SECN
Tue, Jan 14Alabama Logo@ 5 Alabama6:00 PM
TBA
Sat, Jan 18Mississippi State Logo@ 17 Mississippi State5:00 PM
TBA
Wed, Jan 22Texas A&M State Logovs 13 Texas A&M8:00 PM
TBA
Sat, Jan 25Missouri Logo@ Missouri5:00 PM
SECN
Wed, Jan 29Texas Logovs Texas8:00 PM
ESPN2
Sat, Feb 1Auburn Logovs 2 Auburn3:00 PM
TBA
Tue, Feb 4Kentucky Logovs 10 Kentucky6:00 PM
ESPN
Sat, Feb 8LSU Logo@ LSU7:30 PM
SECN
Wed, Feb 12South Carolina Logo@ South Carolina6:00 PM
SECN
Sat, Feb 15Mississippi State Logovs 17 Mississippi State5:00 PM
TBA
Sat, Feb 22Auburn Logo@ Vanderbilt2:30 PM
SECN
Wed, Feb 26Auburn Logo@ 2 Auburn6:00 PM
TBA
Sat, Mar 1Oklahoma Logovs 12 Oklahoma1:00 PM
TBA
Wed, Mar 5Tennessee Logovs 1 Tennessee8:00 PM
TBA
Sat, Mar 8Florida Logo@ 6 Florida5:00 PM
SECN

@ COPYRIGHT 2024 BY HT MEDIA LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. HOTTYTODDY.COM IS AN INDEPENT DIGITAL ENTITY NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI.