“He’s Crazy, a kook” appears to be the only strategy used by the Democratic Party strategists these days.  Instead of laying out their position on policies and defending them with any level of rational thought and proof of desired outcomes from past actions, they resort to making commercials about how their opponents are crazy and have crazy ideas.  This was used against Sarah Palin (with a lot of judgment thrown out about her intelligence) and appears to be what is used a lot in these mid term elections.

We’re seeing it close up in Massachusetts in the Tierney/Hudak race for representative.  Now, to be very clear, I don’t know either of these men.  What I know of them is from reading their positions on various issues (easier done with the challenger) and what I read and see from the journalist community.  In the case of Hudak, I do know people, that I respect, that have spoken with him, interacted with him, and challenged him on issues.  In the case of Tierney, I’ve tried to speak with him but have never been allowed a meeting and he has not been available to the community other than through one-way phone calls, never allowing anyone to challenge him on any issue.

With all that as a baseline, I find it amazing how the main topic in this race is Hudak’s mental acuteness.  As I mentioned above, I know people that I think are sane that have dealt with him in small settings and have come away impressed.  So, to have so much air time debating his sanity appears to be a sideshow.  And who appears to want to spend the most time talking about it?  His opponent, John Tierney.  He even made a commercial about it where he has 3 people quoted saying he’s nuts.  Why do they have this impression?  Because he wants to rid us of the Department of Education.  For me, that is far from insane.  Find a qualified expert and ask for their opinion on nationally-based standardized tests, or ask your local principal how much paperwork is filled out each month/year and the number of regulations he has to abide by that have no real impact on the educational process.  I suspect, if you get as close to the issue as I have, you will want to get rid of that corrupt and inept bureaucratic mess too.

So, without belaboring this topic anymore than needed, let’s just focus on the issues and put sanity to the side (all politicians have to be a little insane, no?).  And, for those of you that will vote because you think Hudak is a kook because of the well televised 30 second Tierney commercial quoting 3 ‘actors’, it suggests more about your sanity than it does about his.  Vote well… and often.