Forty years ago, the worst thing that you could say about your political opponent was that he was a communist sympathizer or that there programs were “communistic “or “socialistic”. Of course, none of that was true, but it was a successful tactic, a type of fear card, if you will. Socialism is still used to this day as a form of fear card. Especially aimed at those voters that are old enough to remember Communism.

After the fall of the USSR, the newer term for democrats was “tax and spend”, yet another fear tactic to try and make people think that that is the whole purpose of democrats is to raise taxes and spend the money frivolously. But unfortunately, the term “Fiscal policy” means just that taxation and spending the revenue. Guess what? Every candidate no matter the party will have a Fiscal Policy.

And then more recently it was using the reference to terrorists and 9/11. To try and paint the candidate as soft on terrorism or less patriotic. Yet another fear card. And with the American voter, fear is a prime motivator.

But with this election cycle the newest fear card is “Celebrity”. Comparing a candidate to the vacuous blondes, Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, to emphasize the inexperience of the person. To try and paint them as having no substance other than popularity and have no message at all. These pundits and surrogates are trying to turn popularity or celebrity, if you will, into some dirty word.

All one can ask is why would a popular candidate be bad for the country? I guess the answer is if the other candidate is not as popular, then jealous runs the campaign. The use of any fear cardis usually effective and that says volumes about the ignorance of the American voter, that they can to sidetracked with utter manure and ignore the issues completely. This tactic will ALWAYS work on low information voters.

In conclusion I will leave the reader with the words of H.L. Menken, “The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”