fandomhigh | American Political Campaiging (Wednesday, September 27, 1st period)

Josh was holding onto his coffee mug like a lifeline when the students arrived for the morning class.

He waited until they were seated, then cleared his throat. "We've covered the broad strokes of campaigning. Today we're gonna talk ethics." He raised an eyebrow and looked at ~~Marty~~ Clarence. "And yes, before you ask, there are ethics in politics. This is a matter of finding out where you stand. And some people stand a little more in the gray area than others."

He pulled up a piece of paper. "There aren't any right and wrong answers to these. Some of the scenarios I'm giving you fall onto the illegal side of the line, but they aren't anything that haven't been done, and repeatedly, in recent campaigns. It's better to be prepared for what your opponents might be throwing at you than to be surprised later.

"That being said, here are five scenarios that come up all the time in campaigns. Pick one, pick all five. Tell me what you think, how you would react to the situation." He pointed to Isabel. "But first, how many days until the election?"

1.You are sitting in a diner. The campaign manager and the communications director from the other campaign are talking strategy. Do you write down what they are saying and use it to counter their plans?

2. There's a dumpster behind their campaign headquarters full of paper. Do you go through it? Do you send someone else to go through it?

3. You have been told that your opponent has had an affair. You have no proof other than rumor. Do you use it? What if you have proof other than rumor?

4. You've been given medical records that show your opponent has a potentially serious medical condition he hasn't disclosed. Do you tell? What if he has a psychological disorder? What if his spouse does?

5. The election is going to be close. It's been shown that a police presence has a chilling effect on your opponent's voter turnout. Do you station people in uniform, who might not even be police, near polling stations? Do you put up pamphlets saying the election date has changed? Do you start rumors that there might be background checks to see if a voter has paid child support payments before they are allowed at the polls?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Marty listens to all the scenarios and scoffs. "Are you telling me there hasn't been a documented case where another campaign takes advantage of these situations? People will do anything to win. If they can't do it themselves they arrange for a Political Action Committee to do the dirty work."

"Oh, campaigns have done all of these," Josh said. "Campaigns have stooped to breaking and entering, blackmail, slander, libel...all of it. The question today is where you'd draw the line. Would you agree to do these things? Would you want to work for someone who would?"

"I'll have to paraphrase Groucho Marx on this one," Marty replied. "I'd never vote for anyone who wanted to be a politician. Sooner or later they'd all cross the line to get what they want. I couldn't be or work for someone like that. ~~Anymore~~."

Marty paused for a second and decided to put Josh on the spot. "Have you ever crossed the line in anything like this?"

"Everyone crosses lines," Josh said. "The question then becomes if you can live with yourself after you've done it." He scrubbed his hands through his hair. "I was the deputy chief of staff for the President of the United States," he said. "I've done things I'm not particularly proud of." He gave Marty a serious look. "I'm not going to tell you about them, though."

"So what makes you cross the line? Is it just to win? Or do you rationalize it by saying it's for the greater good?" Marty said knowing he's probably pushing his luck with these questions. "Did the ends justify the means?

"For me, it depends entirely onn the candidate--if he or she is the real thing. If they are in public service to serve, and don't get me wrong, they're still out there," Josh said, beginning to warm to his subject. "There are good, decent men and women who have decided that devoting their lives to making sure that the government of the United States works in an effective and fair manner is worthwhile and all the politician jokes in the world won't make their efforts less incredible. For all the little aggravations, there is someone making sure that Grandma gets her Social Security check on time, that our water is clean and our military is paid and that person works for the government."

He began pacing. "Behind every hairdo on the Sunday morning programs there's a staff of incredibly competent and underpaid staffers who do their jobs because they love it. Not for glory or fame because you're not going to get any of that. And for most politicians, they won't either. There are 435 members of the House of Representatives, 100 Senators, 9 members of the Supreme Court and thousands of people in state houses and city councils across this country. If you could name more than, say, 30 of them, I'd be impressed."

Josh smiled. "So when I cross a line--and it's not that often, let me tell you--it's because I'm working for one of the good guys, and it's not a rationalization. I've been in politics a long time. I know most of the tricks the other side will pull and I've invented a few moves of my own. I know we've gotten to a point where it seems we're chosing between the lesser of 'who cares?' in national elections. But I do this because I still think I can make a difference for the guy I'm working for. And when I think of it in those terms, I don't have any regrets."

A teal deer butted its head against the classroom window. Josh ignored it.

Marty also ignored the teal deer. "So who would you point out as the 'real thing'?"

"Jed Bartlet," Josh answered immediately.

American Political Campaiging (Wednesday, September 27, 1st period)

Re: General discussion

Re: General discussion

Re: General discussion

Re: General discussion

Re: General discussion

Re: General discussion

Re: General discussion

Re: General discussion