2008 Primaries, Grass Roots Organization, Report from the Field, Signage, Views on News • October 13th, 2008

Here come the thugs

by Chris Lato

Right about this time we start seeing the stories about political vandalism – this story being one example.

In 2004, at the Republican Party of Wisconsin, I fielded numerous calls about stolen yard signs, damaged 4×8s, destruction at local GOP campaign offices, etc.

Sign theft or destruction, while childish and unacceptable, is nothing new. However, in recent years the targeted destruction has become increasingly alarming.

I recall some dolt burning a swastika into the lawn of a Bush supporter during the ’04 campaign. The Republican Party of Wisconsin offices were repeated targets of vandalism in the four years I worked there – including the potentially dangerous move some idiots made, throwing paint-filled vegetables (peppers, I believe) through some windows at the Madison office while staffers were there working.

Of course, the most infamous campaign vandalism in recent times was the tire-slashing conducted by Democrat operatives against Republican get-out-the-vote vehicles in 2004. That went beyond merely stealing or damaging signs, and was intended to hamper GOTV efforts on the ground.

This year, there are reports of vandalism taking on a distinctly racial element, which is reprehensible and actually can have the opposite effect that its moronic practitioners intend. Undecideds see these stories, the appalling hatred coupled with brutish stupidity, and may very well ask themselves, “Do I really want to be affiliated with that?”

I will admit the conspiracy theorist in me has wondered about some past campaign vandalism – and whether those engaged in such acts are doing it against their own candidates in an effort to make the other side look bad. I have no proof of that but the thought has crossed my mind more than once.

The bottom line is that this behavior is not condoned by campaigns or any credible operatives. Even the 2004 tire slashing, while conducted by several Democrat campaign workers and clearly targeted GOTV efforts, was never proven to be an action planned by local campaign managers.

After all this blood, sweat and tears being put into the campaigns, tension and passion is running very high in the closing days of the election cycle. While those emotions are easy to understand, it can be all too easy for certain elements to tip over into thuggish behavior. It is unacceptable, and anyone who condones this type of bullying is condoning a criminal act – which automatically invalidates their opinion.

Of course this election is important – but acting like a bully on a playground does nothing to forward the debate.

 

This entry was posted on Monday, October 13th, 2008 at 8:47 am and is filed under 2008 Primaries, Grass Roots Organization, Report from the Field, Signage, Views on News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.