Lee Atwater

I watched this last night on PBS's Frontline (you can watch it online if you missed it, and I recommend it.  It will help you wrap your brain around the inaneness of the current Republican party). It was, as always, super interesting.  It was also surprisingly sympathetic to this incredibly Machiavellian man.  Apparantly on his deathbed he felt wretched for his dirty tricks. 

Anyway, it is an interesting insight into how he took the Republican Party to where it is today and it gives insight into how easy it was for him to exploit the electorate.  Atwater thought it was hilarious how easy it was to get people to vote against their best interest by exploiting social issues, division, and fear.  His worst trick, many believe, was the infamous Willie Horton ad against Dukakis during the G.H.W. Bush campaign.  He made a not so subtly racist ad, and turned the election into a silly debate about whether Dukakis would let scary black men out of prison to rape and pillage (ironically the furlough program Dukakis had sancitoned as governor was based on the succesful program none other than Reagan had implemented in California).  It was a dirty trick and it worked.  On his deathbed he wrote many apology letters to those that were victims of his tactics.  He was the master of lying to the press, leaking bits of juicy information (mostly lies and innuendo) that sent the media in a direction helpful to his candidates.  Another favorite tactic was introducing third party candidates who would bring up incendiary irrelevant issues (like a Jewish candidate who got slandered by the "third party" candidate for not believing in Jesus. The poor man didn't see it coming.  He had been a very popular figure before being exploited by Atwater).  He believed (and rightly) that the media liked gossip, thought policy was boring, would report anything (slander and lies) before factchecking, and had the attention span of a pea.  He brilliantly manipulated the media, all the while they thought he was their good friend.   He was extremely affable and charismatic. He was the master of spin, and the Bush administration has been very adept at adopting his tactics. He shaped the Republican Party into the Southern Moral issues party, although personally he thought Pro-lifers "had extra chromosomes" and were wacko.  He didn't believe in any of the principles of the party.  He was not a conservative.  He didn't give a flying rip about conservatism.  He wasn't in it for ideology.  He loved power, he loved the fickle nature of politics, and he loved to win.   He passionately loved the game (I think the Iraq war has clearly demonstrated that politics is not and should never be viewed as a game).  For Atwater  politics was a game and he would win at any cost.  He stabbed allies in the back, manipulated, and always got his way. Papa Bush and especially Mama Bush didn't trust him, but wanted to play to win, so they kept him close while holding their noses.  But Jr. loved him from the instant he met him.  He loved his tactics and loved the political game.  Karl Rove was Atwater's protege, and well we all know why/what we have these last 8 years.  

Anyway, two points I want to make.  The last election showed that the Atwater tactics didn't work anymore.  I don't know if this is temporary or if the course of divide and conquer politics has run its course.  I certainly hope it is the latter. The racially underpinned attacks lobbed by Obama's political opponents only resonated with the Atwater built base, but fear was largely rejected by the majority.  I felt like for once there was genuine public outrage, (which we didn't see in 2004) when the McCain/Palin camp tried to assert that there are pro-American parts of the country.  Perhaps, I give the electorate more credit than they deserve.  Maybe the attacks didn't stick because Obama, a political genius who actually seems to believe in his cause,  fought back, unlike Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry.  

Second, exploiting the fears of a nation in order to win, must feel pretty crappy as election day fades into history.  I can't see McCain really enjoying the dirtier aspects of his campaign.  In 2000 he was a victim; slaughtered by the unscrupulous Atwater fans, Bush/Rove.  He has openly discussed how it is only those without any good ideas run a campaign based on fear and hate.  He and his wife took those mean-spirited attacks very personally. I wonder if Papa Bush feels as badly about Willie Horton as Atwater claimed to feel as he died his terrible death.  Some of the below the belt attacks were taken very personally by Dukakis and Dole.  They were blind sided and appalled. I actually felt bad for Atwater as one political opponent he had destroyed read on camera the deathbed apology letter he had received.  Atwater told him that he had learned through his illness (a brain tumor) that human relationships were what mattered and that power (his drug) had no meaning. I wonder if he was sincere, or if he was spinning, as he had been doing his whole life.