The birth of political dirty tricks

An interesting op-ed on just how the politics of fear and derision became rooted in our political process. Here's a clip:

A fateful meeting took place in 1993 when Rove was then special assistant to the Republican National Committee. Bush elder asked Rove to deliver a set of car keys to his son. Just home from Harvard, George W. and the man who was later to catapult him to the presidency had never met. Here is how Rove remembers the fateful meeting: "Huge amounts of charisma, swagger, cowboy boots, flight jacket, wonderful smile, just charisma, you know? Wow."

Since that fateful day, it's been a long journey for Rove with the man who calls him "Turdblossom." One wonders if the memory of Atwater still lingers. Did he lift a glass to his old mentor and teacher when he "swiftboated" John Kerry?

There was a time in American history when candidates appealed to our hopes and dreams rather than our fears and prejudices, our divisions and hates. As long as winning is achieved through the kind of tactics that Atwater and Rove have honed to perfection, don't expect to see a change.

It's short, read it all for yourself.