I woke up this morning, read another story about American politics, and thought to myself:
Have we completely lost our fucking minds?
I mean, seriously.
We’ve got a country facing enormous challenges. People can’t afford houses. Healthcare costs are ridiculous. Young people are drowning in debt. Families are struggling to buy groceries.
And what are we talking about?
A political advertisement featuring a candidate’s estranged mother!
You cannot make this stuff up.
Let me tell you what’s happening in Ohio.
Vivek Ramaswamy is running for governor against a woman named Amy Acton.
Now, apparently, Vivek decided that debating the economy, education, healthcare, and infrastructure just wasn’t exciting enough.
Nope.
He decided to bring in Amy Acton’s mother.
Her estranged mother.
A woman Amy reportedly hasn’t spoken to since she was 12 years old.
And why haven’t they spoken?
Because Amy was removed from her mother’s custody following allegations that her stepfather had sexually assaulted her.
Think about that for a second.
A little girl experiences something horrific, gets removed from her home, grows up, builds a career, becomes a physician, serves as Ohio’s health director, and eventually decides to run for governor.
And decades later, her political opponent puts her estranged mother in a campaign commercial to call her a liar.
What the hell does any of that have to do with governing Ohio?
Seriously!
Does her mother have a comprehensive transportation plan?
Does she know how to balance the state budget?
Has she developed a strategy for affordable housing?
No!
She’s in a political advertisement attacking her daughter.
And somehow, somebody in a campaign meeting thought this was a brilliant idea.
Can you imagine that meeting?
“Okay, team, we’re behind in the polls. We need something big.”
“How about a tax reform proposal?”
“No.”
“Affordable healthcare?”
“Boring.”
“Education?”
“Next!”
“I’ve got it! Let’s find her estranged mother!”
And everybody goes:
“BRILLIANT! GET THE CAMERAS!”
Now, here’s where this gets interesting.
Even Republicans are divided over this thing.
Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, called the advertisement deeply troubling and urged Ramaswamy to take it down.
Other Republicans distanced themselves.
But Donald Trump and JD Vance defended it.
And Vivek?
He says he has no regrets.
In fact, his campaign reportedly spent more than $4 million putting this advertisement on television.
Four million dollars!
Imagine what four million dollars could do for struggling families in Ohio.
Or imagine spending four million dollars explaining your plans to improve their lives.
But no.
We’re spending millions broadcasting a family dispute.
And here’s what really bothers me.
We’ve become so accustomed to political cruelty that we’re starting to confuse it with strength.
Somewhere along the way, we decided that the nastier you are, the tougher you must be.
The louder you yell, the more courageous you are.
The more personal the attack, the more effective the politician.
When did that happen?
When did humiliating another human being become a substitute for leadership?
Now, don’t misunderstand me.
Politics has never
Join the Conversation