Ga. politics are uglier than ever
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| Marilyn Langford |
Unfair and Unbalanced
BY MARILYN LANGFORD
Dear Reader:
I’m not used to this column writing stuff. My meager writing experience consists of writing as part of my job description, or writing for the entertainment of my family and friends. After sitting at the computer for two hours last night, I had written only one paragraph. To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. But when I awoke this morning, something amazing happened. As usual, my husband and my best friend for 45 years, made me see things in a new light. He said, “You are writing an opinion column. You have plenty of those! Write what you know and write from your heart!” With his help, I saw things from a different perspective. I hope to become your best friend and help you see things you may have overlooked due to your own frustrations about an issue.
- Marilyn
I’ve never seen so much hate in politics as now. Name-calling and lies have become the norm. When you turn on the television and watch a news story, you think you understand what was said, what is happening, and what is going to happen. After all, you’re an intelligent person, right? Then the political pundits and twenty-five year old blonde analysts tell you something totally different than what you thought you heard. I long for the by-gone days of Walter Cronkite when he would simply tell us the news and we made up our own minds how we felt about an issue.
LABOR DAY has come and gone and political season is in full swing. My excitement about this time of year has been tempered by dread of the disgusting and disrespectful comments permeating the airwaves and print media. I am not opposed to negative campaigning. Regardless of our disdain for it, it works! I have a problem with degrading a candidate by personal attacks that have nothing to do with qualifications, experience or past record.
I WILL give you an example. Michelle Nunn, Democratic candidate for the U. S. Senate is a class act. However, last week, the State Insurance Commissioner, Ralph Hudgens, spoke at a public gathering of high level Republicans in Cherokee County. His comments about Michelle Nunn were videoed. He said, “All Michelle does is talk about consensus building and working together. She makes me puke!” Mr. Hudgens, you are not a class act! His comment lacked clarity, though. I could not tell if Michelle personally makes him puke or if it was the fact that she wants to stop the gridlock in Washington. Surely he meant the latter.
THEN THERE are the people who can’t find anything bad to say about Michelle, so they resort to pettiness regarding her name. In an attempt to disrespect her, they cleverly call her Michelle Martin, or Michelle Nunn Martin. I’ve even heard people accuse her of not being married, or being ashamed of her husband. Come on people! This is 2014! To set the record straight, her legal name is Michelle Nunn. Her professional career was established by the time she and Ron married. She chose to keep her maiden name. This is common practice among professional women. She’s also accused of capitalizing on her father’s name. So what? She has every right to be proud of her father’s name. After all, Sam Nunn is the most prominent Senator from Georgia since Richard Russell.
I EXPECT the personal attacks will become more vicious the closer we get to Nov. 4. That’s the new normal in Georgia politics. Sad.
Marilyn Langford of High Falls writes a regular op-ed column in the Reporter sharing the liberal perspective on events.
I’m not used to this column writing stuff. My meager writing experience consists of writing as part of my job description, or writing for the entertainment of my family and friends. After sitting at the computer for two hours last night, I had written only one paragraph. To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. But when I awoke this morning, something amazing happened. As usual, my husband and my best friend for 45 years, made me see things in a new light. He said, “You are writing an opinion column. You have plenty of those! Write what you know and write from your heart!” With his help, I saw things from a different perspective. I hope to become your best friend and help you see things you may have overlooked due to your own frustrations about an issue.
- Marilyn
I’ve never seen so much hate in politics as now. Name-calling and lies have become the norm. When you turn on the television and watch a news story, you think you understand what was said, what is happening, and what is going to happen. After all, you’re an intelligent person, right? Then the political pundits and twenty-five year old blonde analysts tell you something totally different than what you thought you heard. I long for the by-gone days of Walter Cronkite when he would simply tell us the news and we made up our own minds how we felt about an issue.
LABOR DAY has come and gone and political season is in full swing. My excitement about this time of year has been tempered by dread of the disgusting and disrespectful comments permeating the airwaves and print media. I am not opposed to negative campaigning. Regardless of our disdain for it, it works! I have a problem with degrading a candidate by personal attacks that have nothing to do with qualifications, experience or past record.
I WILL give you an example. Michelle Nunn, Democratic candidate for the U. S. Senate is a class act. However, last week, the State Insurance Commissioner, Ralph Hudgens, spoke at a public gathering of high level Republicans in Cherokee County. His comments about Michelle Nunn were videoed. He said, “All Michelle does is talk about consensus building and working together. She makes me puke!” Mr. Hudgens, you are not a class act! His comment lacked clarity, though. I could not tell if Michelle personally makes him puke or if it was the fact that she wants to stop the gridlock in Washington. Surely he meant the latter.
THEN THERE are the people who can’t find anything bad to say about Michelle, so they resort to pettiness regarding her name. In an attempt to disrespect her, they cleverly call her Michelle Martin, or Michelle Nunn Martin. I’ve even heard people accuse her of not being married, or being ashamed of her husband. Come on people! This is 2014! To set the record straight, her legal name is Michelle Nunn. Her professional career was established by the time she and Ron married. She chose to keep her maiden name. This is common practice among professional women. She’s also accused of capitalizing on her father’s name. So what? She has every right to be proud of her father’s name. After all, Sam Nunn is the most prominent Senator from Georgia since Richard Russell.
I EXPECT the personal attacks will become more vicious the closer we get to Nov. 4. That’s the new normal in Georgia politics. Sad.
Marilyn Langford of High Falls writes a regular op-ed column in the Reporter sharing the liberal perspective on events.
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