Please someone tell me–how many more days until the election? SIGH.  Although this highly charged political year has been exciting and entertaining, it’s also been exhausting. Now nearing the home stretch, it appears that nerves are becoming frayed and a sense of common sense has been lost.

We all know the historic nature of this year’s presidential election, and we know why it is historic. With that said, communication directors of both campaign’s owe it to their candidates to advise against the use of inflammatory language and innuendo to “rally their base of support”.

We’ve all heard it, we know that Senator Obama was the first of any presidential candidate to receive Secret Service Protection.  If you have ever paid attention to Senator Obama work a crowd, the Secret Service detail is rather thick, especially if you compare the number of suits guarding the other candidates.

Though our country has come so far in terms of race relations, we still have a ways to go in becoming color-blind. There is unfortunately a small segment of our society that would rather live in the past, and in fear. As communications professionals we know what terms and buzz words that will incite certain emotions.  When criticized these colleagues have submitted statements that spoke specifically to the demographic that they knew those comments by Palin would incite. So much for responsiblity and respect.

Likewise, I do not think that Senator McCain would have anything to do with the horrible legacy of the late George Wallace (prior to his conversion).  I do believe that Senator McCain wants the highest good for our country, and would not want our nation to be divided by racial discord. I was relieved to hear Senator McCain state during a rally that he indeed respected Senator Obama, and thought of him as a decent man….a family man, and that there was no need for anyone to fear him if he were to be elected president.

Thank you Senator McCain, and I do hope that your handlers and those who are committed to your campaign stop the race and fear baiting. We are all Americans actively engaged in this wonderful thing called democracy. The entire world is watching, let them see us at our best.

Pamela R. Purifoy is the principal of P R Communications Group, LLC in Durham, North Carolina, a boutique agency specializing in multi-cultural markets. The agency serves a variety of clients in the literary, music and entertainment, political and green industries.

Article Tags: Communications | democracy | fear baiting | George Wallace | incite | race baiting | Senator Barack Obama | Senator John McCain

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