To My College History Professor: I beg to differ
When I was in college I took an American history class on the Early Republic. We read a book about how personal politics was for Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and George Washington. I wrote a response to the book asking “what has changed?” Politics is still personal and one’s reputation is still everything. On that particular response I received a minus. My Professor explained in red pen under the response that todays political arena is not as personal as that of pre-1800s America or at least personal reputation is not as frequently taken after as a political tactic.
I beg to differ.
Over the weekend my mom received some anonomous mail alerting her to the fact that people were sending out attacks not only about her but also about her husband (my dad). It is a gneral rule of political engagement that family members are strictly off limits, not in this race and not in politics today. Character attacks are still every bit as brutal and frequent in the modern political arena as they were in the Early Republic. This arena is not for the faint of heart or conviction.
Politics is personal and it requires a candidate to assess herself, her beliefs and her family’s belief in her run because each of those things will be tested early and often. Only a candidate who can candidly and honestly face her critics, her family, her friends and herself has what it takes to win.