Contact
Subscribe
Rejecting negative campaigning
Heath Haussamen
The candidate with the best negative ads – and the most money to spread them – will probably win the governor’s race. But at what cost to society?
That’s what has been on my mind as Democratic gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish and Republican opponent Susana Martinez have been locked in a battle about who can hit the other harder.
Negative campaigning is nothing new. But as I’ve covered politics intimately for the last four years, I’ve watched the impact it has on elections. If it helps a candidate win, it does so by discouraging people from voting or getting involved in the political process in other ways.
Effectively engaging in negative campaigning requires believing the worst about someone else, or lying. Most people – especially the moderate and independent-minded voters who are turned off most by negative campaigning – understand that the portrayals in negative ads are, at best, spin.
Political campaigns are the opportunity people have to compare different approaches to governing. It should be the time we consider different ideas for how to solve our society’s problems.
Negative campaigning diverts the focus to the partisan divide. It grows that divide and makes it more difficult to solve our problems. It threatens our democracy’s ability to function.
Neither Palin nor Pelosi is the devil
I’ve written before about my involvement in a conservative, evangelical church in Las Cruces. I didn’t come from that background. I grew up in a fairly liberal home. My mom remains a big supporter of Hillary Clinton.
I have worked hard over the years to understand people of varying ideologies. The fact that I’m a journalist is not the reason I’m registered to vote as an independent. My declining to state a party is genuine: Getting to know people on the right and left – and trying to understand their viewpoints – has led me to some pretty liberal beliefs, some pretty conservative beliefs and many moderate beliefs.
In my exploration of various ideologies, I’ve learned that the political right isn’t evil. Neither is the political left. There are people on both sides – and some in the middle – who make me uncomfortable, but I believe most people who hold differing beliefs do so for genuine reasons.
In short, Sarah Palin isn’t the devil. Neither is Nancy Pelosi.
I wish Palin and Pelosi understood that about each other. But too many politicians believe the worst about each other and stop communicating.
The result is potentially catastrophic: I’m not convinced that Washington or Santa Fe, in the current political climate, has the ability to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century. Both parties are to blame.
Growing up
It’s a shame that more voters don’t reject negative campaigning and elect candidates who understand that governing is about compromise between people with varying and genuine beliefs.
So let me state my rejection of negative campaigning. Regardless of what anyone says about either of them, Denish and Martinez have both stood up for the people of this state during their many years working for taxpayers. Some may not think one or the other did her job well. But I don’t doubt that either has tried to make a difference.
Regardless of what Republicans claim, Denish has stood up to corruption. She spoke out against efforts by the speaker of the House to kill housing authority reform and was instrumental in helping the legislation pass. I watched her do it.
Regardless of what Democrats claim, Martinez is tough on crime. She has aggressively gone after murderers and has been especially tenacious about locking up child killers. Martinez was instrumental in the successful effort to lobby the state Legislature to toughen penalties for child abuse resulting in death. I watched her do it.
As a journalist, I have to cover the negative spin. It’s an integral part of campaigns and a factor in who wins. But, in the spirit of rejecting negative campaigning, I’m going to do my best to cover it in a way that cuts through their spin and gets to the truth.
I hope you’ll join me in rejecting the negative campaigning. Our society’s future depends on us growing up and learning how to work together, instead of against each other.
|
Share
Tweet
|
Advertisements
|
11 comments so far. Scroll down to submit your own comment.
Leave a response
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Susana Martinez hired PR Campaign Manager Danny Diaz, Republican National Committee Communication Director. Time Magazine call’s him The GOP’s Ambassador of Ill Will. To think Ms. Martinez is not going to go negative is absolutely insane!
A great article, but it is important to remember that Martinez offered a hand of truce which was rejected by Denish. Maybe Denish simply has no creditablity to stand on and her only measure of success is to continue the negative ads. If each candidate would simple stick to the facts and issues concerning their own accomplishments each of them would be more appealing and received by the voting public.
Extrememly well said Heath. I think you are speaking for the vast majority of Americans who are feed up with government from Santa Fe to DC that continues to operate in a mode of personal destruction-hyper partisanship. This is one reason people don’t trust government to solve problems or do anything right. The other reason is the incompetence and corruption of course.
Perhaps we can brain storm a way to have some impact; a venue to make our dissatisfaction with campaign ads from either side more immediately than Nov 2.
I hate these negative ads also. I mute both candidates ads because they make me sick. To think this will go on all summer is disgusting. Have made up my mind already. Will be voting for Denish.
Heath, I love you man. But to be fair: every reporter in the state has written news pieces that have taken a critical eye at what Denish has done in office. That can’t be said about Martinez’s record as a DA. Sure, nobody likes negative ads, but the ones that Denish has run have begun to pull the curtain back on Susana Martinez and her record. Maybe this exchange will encourage some of our state’s esteemed reporters to take a real look at her record.
KSPARKS – Ms. Martinez has no record of accomplishment – a literal “tabula rasa” politician. You called Ms. Denish a “lap dog” but you have NO facts. Based on your reasoning, Ms. Martinez with no experience except in the Dona Ana State’s Attornry since 1986 you can say she is a lapdog to the oil and gas industry. My evidence is that she wants to eliminate regulations safeguarding New Mexico for the benefit of the gas and oil industry. Plus she wants to eliminate the pit rule which prevents water contamination.
I am scratching my head trying to think of one major accomphlistment of Ms. Martinez. Oh yes she won a couple of elections. She did imply that the Mexican cartel lords are shaking in their boots at the thought of her as governor. She threatened to take their driver’s license from them.
Heath, great article but, while equally turned off by the constant negativity from both camps, realistically we are living in a state who re-elected Bill Richardson w/o regard for the nightmarish policies of his first term. Also, the Diane Denish record needs to be publicized and, sad to say, it’s largely negative. She has very little positive light to show for seven and a half years as Lt. Governor. She was the “loyal soldier” who could have called, “time out,” I don’t feel this way, I disagree with this or that. She didn’t she appears as I have stated over and over as the “lap dog” of this administration and it’s failed policies. For her to now come out and paint herself as a “moderate” who continuosly advocated for the best interest of New Mexicans is disingenuous at best.
I think Susana has made her point and she should remain very positive from here on out, stressing her vision of what New Mexico can be. In that note, Susana must be able to respond to Denish’s false and misleading attacks.
Well said Heath. I watched a commercial this morning put out by Denish with the negative and false spin on DWI numbers.
Literally, I turned the TV off and thought… “Do I have to listen to 5 more months of this garbage.”
I wish Denish would accept Martinez’s request to stop so we can enjoy our summer. If this keeps up, nobody is going to want to vote on November 2nd.
It appears to me that the recent negative campaigning will get Martinez and Denish supporters committed and excited but nobody else. Most voters, who are indifferent will be so turned off that they are less likely to vote. It lessens the election turnout dramatically. The goal is simply to turn out your most committed supporters and ensure nobody else turns out. In other words they want low voter turnout. This is a disgrace. Both the campaign strategists for Martinez and Denish should be fired ASAP. New Mexicans want to hear the candidates talk about their views of the issues not avoid them. I have NOT heard ONE rational discussion of the issues by these two candidates except they love to wallow in mud.
Your remarks apply not only to negative campaigning but to how we evaluate all candidates. Do we subconsciously evaluate all candidates on their negatives? If we do, then every person who considers running for election must be willing to endure biased, negative views, and a very incomplete portrayal. Many will not choose to run for public office under these conditions.