Personal Observations from My Mail Box in Chesterfield

I just grabbed the mail out of my mail box in Chesterfield and noticed yet another of the ever-arriving political ads from John Brunner staring me in my face. My mind began to wonder -

If you’re a wealthy businessman with a surplus of self-confidence and think you’d like to buy a seat in the U.S. Senate, where do you start?  Are you required to respect the party you signed on with and give credit to those who have stood in the gap, fighting constitutional erosion? Or do you consider other Republicans meritless and characterize them as undesirable? 

If you’re a newcomer with not an inkling of the nuances of public service, you can always call someone with wisdom and experience a career politician.  That’s become a negative term. Of course if you reach the goal to which you aspire, you yourself will fit that description. Career politicians are evil until you become one.

In a slash and burn mode, John Brunner identifies great threats to America: Barack Obama, Claire McCaskill, Todd Akin and Sarah Steelman.  Stalwart conservatives like Akin and Steelman must find at least a little humor in being likened to a socialist chief executive who doesn’t respect life, truth, marriage, laws or faith, and a senator who helped him push socialized medicine down our throats. The comparison is absurd.

But if you’re a beginner in mudslinging you might as well go for broke.  Democrats taught us the big smear usually works best.

One of Brunner’s eight-and-a-half by eleven-inch direct mail pieces that landed in West County mailboxes (and they are still arriving) proclaims: “We can’t afford big-spending politicians Todd Akin & Sarah Steelman.”  The two are shown with Missouri’s senior senator and her soul mate in the White House.

In all due respect, sir, many conservatives see Barack and Claire as the problem. They hope to replace her with someone who reveres our heritage, champions the inviolability of our founding documents, and who is qualified to wrestle with the arcane machinations of government. They’d prefer to see candidates who abide by Ronald Reagan’s eleventh commandment, as well.

They’re less comfortable with the neophyte who uses his ample resources to knock down the party faithful standing in his way of the title bout in November.  Having money is wonderful and we’ve seen examples of rich men grabbing the brass ring and then serving admirably. But it’s not often done by trashing fellow Republicans.

Well, I guess time will tell if this slash and burn mode will give John Brunner the primary victory he desires. Sadly, I only know that his campaign style does nothing for this constitutional conservative tea party grassroots gal.  I still remember that old saying my mother taught me: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”.  Seems to me that I should never have to “knock anyone down” to build myself up.  Perhaps not many follow that in today’s world. As I look at this latest ad touting faith and values, I guess I personally wonder what kind of faith and values makes one comfortable with any such big smear technique? Oh well, that’s why I would never make a politician.   Instead, my motto would be, “Thou shall not malign thy fellow conservative.”  Yep, I am certain I would never win. 

Enough pondering from the mail box in Chesterfield for the day. I’d better get back to work now.