Garment on Negative Campaigns
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* Re Suzanne Garment’s article on mudslinging, Opinion, Oct. 20: Garment is wrong on several accounts. First she thinks Bob Dole’s commenting on Bill Clinton’s character, or lack thereof, is going negative. She also thinks questioning Clinton’s administration is going negative.
Unfortunately, the Democrats, ably supported by the mainstream media, have wrongly characterized this part of the debate. Clinton’s lack of character is a major and serious campaign issue all by itself. When the voters cannot trust what Clinton says or in what he says he will do, then his views on other issues don’t count for much.
Why is commenting on these serious issues negative campaigning?
ROBERT L. FRANZ
Placentia
* Garment bypasses the most reprehensible period of negative campaigning--the McCarthy, Nixon, Goldwater et al. smears of their Democratic opponents as “appeasers,” “pinks,” “Reds” and “Commies.” These contemptible charges befouled the political process for two decades or more.
JAMES PETERS
San Diego
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