Political debate is really just a competition between different visions of the public good.
But lately, instead of treating their opponents as good people with bad policies, politicians and their cheerleaders have been calling them bad people.
In the democratic arena of good versus good, this is like drug use in sports. It鈥檚 a shortcut to success that bypasses hard work.
After all, comparing one vision of good with another is hard work for the whole community.
But portray politics as a battle of good versus evil and it becomes easy. Supporters of one side can ignore the policies of the other, because they鈥檙e based on bad intentions.
Then, of course, with nothing to compare them to, there is no need to look at the policies of their own side either.
In the politics of good versus evil, it is enough merely to believe that one side is morally superior to the other.
In this environment, some will support candidates for one qualification alone: the side they鈥檙e on.
During her presidential bid, Michele Bachmann had the civil war starting in the wrong state, wished Elvis a Happy Birthday on the anniversary of his death, and mixed up John Wayne with John Wayne Gacy.
鈥淚 may not always get my words right,鈥� she explained, 鈥渂ut I know that my heart is right.鈥�
In this seemingly endless presidential campaign there have been more than a million TV ads. And a record four out of five were negative.
鈥淭he evidence is, if anything, negative advertisements tend to engage the electorate,鈥� says Ken Goldstein, president of the Campaign Media Analysis Group.
In other words, the story of good guys and bad guys works. But at what cost?
Democracy requires one thing above all. Respect for the will of the electorate. But in a political landscape of moral absolutes -- good versus evil -- can either side recognize the legitimacy of the other?
Or do so-called 鈥渂irthers鈥� try to claim the president is not really American in the first place? Or does the head of the Teamsters call for Tea Partiers to be thrown out of office, as if someone has a greater claim to a congressional seat than the duly elected representative?
On the eve of the presidential election, it is worth remembering that the measure of a democracy is not just what the winners do with their victory, but what the losers do with their defeat.
