The Politics of Smear in America: Kommersant, Russia
Is it reasonable to hear Russian criticism of U.S. election smears and mudslinging, when their national election, held recently, featured the outright arrest of opposition candidates?
Judge for yourself by reading this op-ed article by Nikolay Zlobin of the Russian newspaper Kommersant, which appears to be in the form of a warning to Barack Obama:
“The current election is a unique mixture of drama and soap opera, a mudslinging-struggle over ideals, well edited truths and even more carefully constructed lies. As they say in America, victors don’t win elections, the other aspirants lose them. And that’s one area in which these elections are no exception. It has to be won on TV screens by undermining the competitor with compromising information and by forcing him into fighting to preserve his reputation. The task isn’t to prove the truthfulness of your statements as it is to knock the wind out of your opponent.”
Later, Zlobin appears to warn Obama:
This is a war in which months of high ratings can be wiped out in an instant. Because elections aren’t won in August, September or October, but on the first Tuesday in November of every leap year.
By Nikolay Zlobin*
Translated By Igor Medvedev
October 7, 2008
Russia – Kommersant – Original Article (Russian)
It’s been a long time since we witnessed such a fascinating presidential campaign in the United States. An African American has never been so close to leading the world’s top power – and it’s the last time a hero of the Vietnam War – which has had such a monumental impact on the American psyche – will run. The era of “Vietnam” is passing, and only John McCain can extend it. Neither has an American woman – never mind a former first lady – been able to win the support of 19 million voters. Moreover, never in the United States has a woman been so close to the Vice President’s chair. The current election is a unique mixture of drama and soap opera, a mudslinging-struggle over ideals, well edited truths and even more carefully constructed lies.
As they say in America, victors don’t win elections, the other aspirants lose them. And that’s one area in which these elections are no exception. It has to be won on TV screens by undermining the competitor with compromising information and by forcing him into fighting to preserve his reputation. The task isn’t to prove the truthfulness of your statements as it is to knock the wind out of your opponent.
READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated and English-language foreign press coverage of the U.S. election.
