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Recently, during a presidential campaign rally for her husband Senator Barack Obama, Michelle Obama made a comment that has riled conservative commentators and republican strategists. While referencing the energy surrounding Senator Obama's campaign and the reinvigoration of the political process, she stated, "People in this country are ready for a change and hungry for a different kind of politics. And let me tell you something: for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback."

Alone, the comment seems innocent enough; Michelle Obama says that she is proud of the direction the country is following. However, the political opponents of her husband have decided to turn her comment into another cog in the negative campaign machine. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Pat Buchanan, and other right-wing commentators quickly concluded that this was an opportunity to make petty attacks.

The comment was not a threat to national security, but they're sure treating it as if it were. This strikes at the heart of what is wrong with our electoral process. Smear campaigns, swift-boating, and other negative campaign techniques take center stage, leaving policy positions and the qualities of the candidates as second-tier factors of electability. Eventually, what is supposed to be a decision about who can best lead the country turns into a popularity contest.

An argument over which candidate's spouse is the proudest is not productive in any way. Even if you take what Michelle Obama said literally, past moods are not going to resolve the situation in Iraq any more quickly. What Mrs. Obama says she was feeling in 1990 in no way affects the country's health care policy. Flag-waving and blind patriotism do not have any bearing on a candidate's competency. If saying "I love America" while wearing a flag lapel pin somehow enhances a politician's ability to lead, then the Bush administration must be doing it wrong.

This type of environment is part of what encourages politicians to develop meaningless talking points. As long as you use your words to effectively say nothing, they can't be held against you. When a politician or a politician's spouse finally says something that wasn't scripted beforehand, this type of absurdity ensues: what Senator Obama called the "silly season" of politics. When we focus on things as pointless as what Michelle Obama was feeling ten years ago, we lose sight of the true issues.

Ironically enough, this is exactly what the Obama campaign has been talking about since day one. Rather than like this, he wants to engage in a new kind of politics. He talks about a type of political discourse that is not preoccupied with petty accusations and smear campaigns - a kind of politics that doesn't ask which candidate you would rather have a beer with, but rather who you think is the best for the job. This country needs politics to work for them again. Decide who to vote for based on which candidate is best for the country, not based on which candidate made the latest gaffe.

The good news is that the American people are becoming increasingly unlikely to buy these petty attacks. Negative campaigning and smear tactics are resonating less and less with average people as they are becoming more involved in the political process. Each election this decade has witnessed remarkable turnout compared to those of years past, and it bodes well for the future of the country.

Learn more about this author, Art Vandelay.
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