In Aaron Sorkin's "The American President," the title character during a news conference in response to his rival's suggestion that being president was, to a certain extent, about character, says: "...Being president of this country is entirely about character."
Yet, if you who haven't developed the penchant for changing channels when TV ads come on, you have probably been witness to a myriad of the most blatant, negative political ads that not only prove all evidence to the contrary but insult the intelligence of all who watch them.
Half truths, outright lies, and, yes, character assassination are central to them all. Forget about the issues. These are campaigns of fear, targeting the elderly and the ones who have suffered the most in this recession; an interesting dichotomy for purported men of honor running for office — the highest office in our country.
Never in our history has the need for leadership in our government been more acutely felt.
The electorate has not only been shortchanged by the candidates' reluctance to discuss the issues but also subjected to these pointless, negative ads. Conversely, this reticence only leads us to assume that they don't have the answers.
If we listen to what the candidates are purporting in their ads, then I suppose what we all face on Nov. 6 is not to choose the best man but to decide between the lesser of two evils.
Perhaps this contrived negativism is a precursor to the decline and fall of politics as we know it. We can always hope.
BOB HENDRICK
Colonie