The Price of Victory

The election of the Republican candidate is upon us. To me this is a pretty serious thing- I mean one of these men could be potentially the President of the United States! Ok, I must admit that I really have never paid much attention to...well, any election. But I am 23 years old and dangit I am going to start voting for who I really want instead of the guy my dad says is the best. As I have started watching the debates and reading the New York Times, I can see first of all that Mitt Romney is, for lack of better words, in first place, with Santorum, Huntsman, and Paul close behind (kind of...), and Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich pulling up the rear.

Recently Romney won both the states of Iowa and New Hampshire, which is a first ever for a non-incumbent Republican. If you, like me, don't really know what incumbent means, than I advise you to google it. Anyway, I have seen something that really bothers me as Romney pulls further and further ahead, especially in Gingrich's campaign. It seems the more desperate the candidates become, the less they focus on real political issues (like, I don't know.. maybe how to keep our country from self destruction and our national debt from surpassing whatever comes after the trillions), and the more they result to backstabbing and trash talking, which is a word I never thought I would use when referring to possible Presidents of the United States.

But it gets worse. So Gingrich's friend/billionaire/casino owner funded a pro-Newt Gingrich super PAC called Winning Our Future, which has invested 1.6 million dollars in producing a 30-minute campaign ad that labels Romney as a money loving "vulture" that only eliminated jobs at the company at which he was CEO, Bain Capital. Now that the next election is in South Carolina, the super PAC plans to litter both the television and the radio with the ad in their attempt to sabotage Mitt Romney and his campaign. In the end, it makes me sick knowing that over a million dollars was just spent solely for the purpose of defaming another man. Wow. Excuse me while I go throw up.

But so why do you think Mr. Gingrich has abandoned all attempts at being civil? Well, in a CNN interview he said that "Romney attacked him first". I'm pretty sure that I used to say that when I was ten. I suppose what really depresses me is that these men are in a position to present a plan for change, a plan for better times. They could be talking about how to end the recession or decrease spending or at least figure out what troops are (or should) be doing overseas. And that money! My goodness, think of the charities and hospitals and non-profit organizations that could have used it toward something that actually matters.

But let's step back for just a moment. As much as I'd like to make this just about Gingrich, I can't. Interestingly enough, Romney did do the same thing in the 2008 election, running similar ads to give himself the advantage, and Rick Perry did it when he was running to be governor of Texas. Sadly, this tactic has become a normal part of politics. And for what? To get ahead a little? To save face? To get revenge? So much money has already gone down the drain at our expense. Wasted. All I have to say is that we don't have to support this kind of petty political childishness. I will never vote for any man who spends his time and money putting others down. I don't want anyone like that anywhere near the Presidential office. Let's support only those that teach, uplift, and inspire. Let's vote for only those that offer us plans for improvement and hope for a better future, not those that will only use their millions to put you down when you get in their way. It doesn't matter that it is what people do. We do no have to support it.
The price of victory is not worth more than our integrity.