As someone who has managed, worked on, and volunteered for political campaigns, believe me, I understand one thing—it is all about winning.

There is no Ms Congeniality Award. You win or you lose. Period.

But as much of a hard ass as I am about that, I also think campaigns are ultimately about what kind of locality, state, nation and democracy we want.

And as hard ass as I may be about winning, like many voters and citizens, I am also an idealist.  I want intelligent campaigns. I want clean campaigns. I want campaigns that inspire. I prefer the politics of hope over the politics of fear.

Silly me.

And usually, I am bitching about the Republicans not adhering to these values. John Thune’s campaign smears Tom Daschle for being “a DC resident.” Bruce Whalen’s campaign tries to start an absurd pregnancy rumor about Stephanie Herseth. George Bush, the Vietnam combat avoider, Swift Boats John Kerry, a real war hero.

And on and on.

But I’m afraid it is my party—the Democratic Party—that has killed Hope and Class so early in this 2008 election.

Exhibit A is Sen. Hillary Clinton’s use of fear mongering about Sen. Barack Obama with the “3 a.m.” TV ad. Worse, though, is her belittling of Obama’s message of hope—the calculating pantsuited pol dismisses the young black Senator as a dreamer—and by implication—all of us—young and old, black and white, rich and poor—who support Obama and wish for hope and change in our politics.

It is cynical and disgusting—and as Rhode Island, Texas, and Ohio showed yesterday—apparently effective.

Exhibit B is Sen. Tim Johnson’s campaign and its strident pre-emptive attack on possible GOP U.S. Senate candidate Steve Kirby. Yes, I know, I’m good at calling folks like Steve crony capitalists. But the ferocity of the Johnson campaign’s preemptive strike on Kirby, in my recollection, is unprecedented in South Dakota politics. We normally have to get into the bowels of a campaign before such personal attack crops up.

The attacks are unseemly and nonsubstantive. They are the politics of personal destruction. It is “politics as usual.”

What really bothers me is that Tim Johnson is in no way like this personally. He is a kind, good humored, hard working, intelligent, and mild mannered man. This is not who Tim Johnson is. The attacks and other dirty tricks use up in nearly an instant all the good will he had acquired after coming back from near death.

And it all disengages the voters.

My wife Donna, also a big fan of Tim Johnson and the Johnson family, probably said it best when were discussing all this the other day.

“This type of politics just makes me sick,” she said.

Indeed.

And all for what? To try and scare off Steve Kirby, an intelligent and capable grown man who will make a reasoned decision about whether to run for the U.S. Senate? Does anyone believe Kirby will think twice just because he has to endure such childishness if he really wants to run for the Senate?

Get real.  It’s frat boy crap.

I typically expect hope and class to die at some point in a major political campaign. I just never figured it would be my side wielding the knife so early in the process.

Photo: Add “hope killer” to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s resume. (wireimage.com photo)

Technorati Tags: Tim Johnson, Steve Kirby, Hillary Clinton, Bruce Whalen, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, John Thune, U.S. Senate, Presidential election, 2008 election, hope, class