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As the bubbles danced to and fro, reflecting the light of a beautiful Boston morning, it must have been difficult for passersby to comprehend the puerile politics taking place before their eyes.
Yesterday, David Axelrod, one of President Obama’s senior campaign officials, tried to give [7] a press conference on the steps of the Massachusetts State House. The topic of the event was Mitt Romney’s record as governor of Massachusetts.
I say “tried to give” because the event was constantly and fervently interrupted by a jubilant mass of Romney supporters and staffers – sent by the Romney campaign to shout down and distract Mr. Axelrod.
As Obama supporters chanted “Forward,” which is the slogan for Obama’s re-election campaign, the Romney supporters would add “off a cliff!”
Besides this one particularly hilarious taunt, there were other examples of juvenile behavior.
A Romney advance team member went so far as blowing bubbles at Mr. Axelrod, in an attempt (I can only imagine) to induce the strategist’s sense of childhood wonderment – thereby throwing him off his game.
As I’ve said in previous posts, this election is going to be one of the hardest to watch in recent history – and yesterday’s antics seem to be proving my point.
Obama and Romney are jostling over becoming the most important person in the free world, yet the seriousness of the office is being tarnished by the ridiculousness of the battle to fill it.
The campaigns are using the same tactics that we Cornellians use to taunt visiting fans at hockey games (mockingly chanting at them), and I used to utilize to annoy my little sister when I was five (blowing bubbles).
It has become standard practice for campaigns to send one of their representatives to events put on by their opposition. However, those representatives have not made it their prerogative to make it so that the other campaign cannot successfully hold their event. It is impossible to have a political debate, let alone an informed political debate, if one side will not let the other side talk.
I can only wonder if the Obama campaign will respond in kind, with a barrage of wet-willies or maybe a few wedgies aimed at Romney’s senior staff.