From cheap shots to pot shots, it’s political nasty season
Buckle up — we’re heading into Nasty Season. It’s bad enough that we have to endure the restricted “new normal” course created by a virus that has more convolutions than some of the tropical storms that have hit us this summer, with more to come. Most of us have enough on our plates to deal with — our children’s safety as the school year starts, unemployment, financial insecurity and a spike in mental health issues because of the many pressures. Lack of leadership from the top doesn’t help to solve the problems. The unnecessary meanspiritedness during this election season adds insult to injury. We just don’t need it.
Take President Trump’s latest cheap shot — tagging Democratic VP pick Kamala Harris as “nasty.” That has brought out the social media “nasties” big time — even those who typically hide under rocks. They are airing their crude rudeness out in the open, with many displaying a penchant for degrading and sexualizing women — particularly Black women. Like the “Joe and the Ho” meme that’s morphed into posters.
The Nasties also like to bash and demonize gays as well. Take the smear campaign against Alex Morse, the openly gay Holyoke mayor running against Congressman Richie Neal. Morse has been been accused by three college Democrat student groups of acting inappropriately toward its members. Kudos to the Stonewall Democrats who are rallying to his side and demanding answers.
The Kennedy-Markey debacle masquerading as debate is also wearing many down. The campaign is starting to look more like a juvenile insult-a-thon with each disparaging the other and their family members. Enough, guys. All of this nonsense detracts from your ability to connect with voters to make your case. It’s also a total turnoff. I know politics is a contact sport, but you need to stay on point so your message doesn’t get lost in the gutter. Folks are getting tired of the vitriol.
One of the nastier turns has to be “kneecapping the postal service” as former President Obama calls it. So many people are impacted — not to mention the intentional hamstringing of the democratic process in an election year. New Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major Trump donor, has been a busy little bee “improving efficiency” as he calls it. Please. In the middle of a pandemic, one would think he would be busy putting systems in place to ensure the timely arrival of mail-in ballots. Instead, mail boxes disappeared from city streets. And the funding to help the cash-strapped post office is on hold indefinitely as the clock to the election winds down.
So what if seniors aren’t getting their lifesaving drugs delivered by mail — and a few might die waiting for them — it can all be blamed on the pandemic. Stamp DeJoy “return to sender.”
This nasty guy needs to be fired.
And he’s not the only one.