The Wisdom of Bismarck and the US election

"A man never lies so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election."
-Otto Von Bismarck

With the election day voting just mere hours from starting, it started me thinking about those very words uttered by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in the late 19th century, and look in retrospect at the actions of both Kerry and Bush in this campaign and in their careers and private lives. 

So let's start with the hunt. 

Now, it would be easy to talk about George W. Bush's relationship with the outdoor lifestyle... I mean, as President he appeared on an Outdoor Life Network fishing show in April. Of course, he appeared on the show well after he had all but given up on another hunt... the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, a prey he had vowed to capture in less than a year or two. Contrast that with John Kerry's experiences with the hunt... the hunt for a consistent message or position and the hunt for any form of camera-likable quality. Then there was his little foray into "real" hunting, which, let's be honest, was a little bit more.... opportunistic, but of course we all knew that Kerry has a penchant for creating a photo-op, even if he comes out looking a little silly. 

Of course, both Kerry and Bush have come out of the wilderness and into this election empty-handed in this regard, exaggerating how well they've done. 

Then there is war.... which has had a number of dubious allegations on both sides. Of course, one candidates lies are mostly in the distant past (aside from claiming to vote for and against the same thing), while the others lies are much, much more recent (aside from allegations made against his character in the past), but both have lied before, after and during at least one war. 

And then there is the election... and where to begin with the lies, because anything I say would be the tip of the iceberg. Both used negative campaign techniques and deliberate deceptions, both in their official ads and statements, which should come as no surprise to anyone really. And through both major parties back channels, there has been implicit support for the work of the 527 groups... though the Republicans and the Democrats would vehemently deny that, but deep down, we all know its the truth. It has been a brutal, divisive campaign, filled with false scandals based on the past, mistaken and misleading information and more mud to sling than the entire Western Front in WW I could ever provide. If we believed all the statements and innuendos flying around, we would have to conclude as rational human beings that both of the men running for the Presidency not only shouldn't be elected, but that they are the most horrible political figures in the history of the country.... the evil neoconservative warmongering moronic cowboy vs. the evil effete ultraliberal flip-flopping overly-intellectual aristocrat... which is a no win situation. This campaign was so dirty, I think it will take at least 2-3 more elections just to get rid of some of the aftertaste. 

And after all these thoughts, I wonder if the Machiavellian Bismarck knew how the democratic world was going to progress... but I have my doubts about that. After all, he was also the man who said: When you want to fool the world, tell the truth, which contradicts this whole premise of this article.