Character Doesn't Count After All

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Character Doesn't Count After All
by James Hall, Senior Associate Editor

October 17, 2003

"Leaning Left"

James Hall The one word missing in action on conservative radio and in conservative media during the recent California recall was "character." It's still missing in the aftermath of the Schwarzenegger election. How could that be? Moral character was the dominant theme of conservative politics during the Clinton era and the Bush v. Gore election of 2000.

Republicans were the party of "moral values." President Bush's strong suit was supposed to have been character. Character defined conduct, which included acting in a principled way and not doing whatever it took to win. If you believe what conservatives said back then, that was the path of morally bankrupt, poll-watching, win-at-all costs Democrats.

But then in California, faced with the choice of a candidate of character, Tom McClintock, who might lose, or a candidate if questionable morals who could definitely win, state and national Republicans leaped on Arnold Schwarzenegger's bandwagon, proving that winning means more to them than their candidate's moral character ever did.

When faced with emerging evidence of Arnold's libertine ways, with some episodes that may have occurred as late as in the year 2000, Republicans chose to attack the messengers instead. "Dirty tricks," said Arnold himself, even as he apologized for "acting badly," and the nation's conservatives backed him up.

Then and there on the spot, their semblance of moral superiority was Terminated.

We heard instead a defense of Arnold's leadership qualities: his discipline and focus honed by weightlifting, his business success and strong man presence. We heard that all the partying and drug use and outright molestation of women was in the past.

The conservative flip-flop was all the more entertaining because of Arnold's Hollywood actor status. Conservatives who had heretofore loathed Hollywood's liberalism and who expressed resentment when Hollywood celebrities embraced left-wing causes were suddenly fawning over their Conan the Barbarian. There was even talk among some Republicans, like Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, for a constitutional amendment that would allow immigrant Arnold to run for the office of President of the United States.

Talk of Arnold's tail-grabbing and breast-groping will now be off-limits for conservatives, and those of us Democrats who mention it will be reminded of our defense of Bill Clinton's conduct in the White House. Fair enough. But we never made a politician's horny behavior a political issue.

Conservatives did, and now will have to live with their repudiation of their own words. Because the accusation aren't likely to go away. Look for them to resurface after Arnold's honeymoon period is over. And if there is any truth to them (and Arnold himself seemed to imply that there was), they'll be thoroughly vetted.

Republicans now have their Action Hero in Sacramento, even if they can't be proud of all his actions. But at least now we'll hear the end of all this blather about Democrats "winning at any cost." When it was their turn, Republicans never hesitated to embrace their own Bill Clinton. ***

James Hall
Orlando, FL USA

Photo of the author courtesy of staff files