Stop It. Just Stop It. Now.

Yesterday I went to the polling place here in Virginia and cast my ballot in the Republican primary.  It really, really did not need to be as difficult as it was.  If it were going to be difficult, I would have preferred it be so because, say, multiple attractive candidates running attractive campaigns had conducted themselves in such a way as to make choosing one difficult.

Well, that wasn't it.

I found myself in philosophical agreement with pretty much all the candidates, when it came to the issues.  I might have differed with some on the ranking of priorities -- I, for one, want the tax code overhaul process started on presidency day one, along with reversing all of Obama's illegal executive orders.  Big deal.

Unfortunately, I had to look at the top three candidates and find certain actions in their campaigns to be a real challenge.  My best girl and I, who have the TV tuned to Fox News in the background of our day fairly often, have done a lot of shaking of our heads the past week.  This is junior high school, not a presidential campaign.

I mean, I don't need for candidates to appear presidential in the campaign in order to vote for them.  Sure, Mitt Romney looked presidential as heck in his campaign.  So did Reagan and others since that time who actually won.  But I can't countenance what is going on now, and I want it to stop somewhere around this second, if not sooner.

Sweating.

Hand size.

Lack of stature.

Hair.

Con man.

Tanning salons.

I want that garbage to leave right now, and certainly in time for the debate tomorrow night.  What is particularly scary, to me, is that a guy like Marco Rubio ought to know so much better than to escalate that war.  Not, mind you, just because it is unbecoming of him and in no way makes him look good -- especially being the "young candidate" -- but because the judgment call that he made in jumping into that insult cesspool showed lack of, well, judgment.

Donald Trump does what Donald Trump has always done.  He is from New York and quintessentially so; it seems typically junior-high for him to engage in that sort of thing.  It is still bad, mind you, that he does, but he always has, and supporters simply tolerate that.  Marco Rubio flat-out looks completely wrong playing that game.

You see, here is the simple alternative.  Marco Rubio is a talented speaker who can make a persuasive argument for his points.  If not for his slip-up in New Hampshire, he could be substantially higher in the polls and this could be a real race, just on his speaking ability alone.  But his alternative approach would be this, and he needs to say this before tomorrow night:

"I am a United States Senator running for the presidency.  Donald Trump and, for that matter, Senator Cruz and the others in the race have their own views on how to advance their agendas and I respect that.  So regardless of what any other candidate says, including Mr. Trump, I will immediately cease challenging my opponents on anything other than the issues, and I will confine myself to promoting the conservative vision I have for America.  I will not stoop to personal attack and apologize for having done so.

"I will speak to my own approach rather than attacking the others' views.  If the voters support my views and my approach, I will win the nomination and the election.  If they do not, then I would concede that America does not agree with me right now -- but I believe the voters do, and that I will be their choice."

It is called the "high road."  Had Rubio taken that tack, Donald Trump would have looked pretty bad going after him in that junior-high style.  In fact, he probably would have left Rubio alone, knowing that he would have appeared much smaller himself going into the gutter after someone who had stepped out of it.

Most importantly, though, the current tone of these candidates is embarrassing them to themselves, as well as staining the good ideas they actually have to bring to the table.  I am beyond sick of having to watch it.  I don't want to see it, ever again, and I ask the five remaining candidates -- OK, I don't suppose you could accuse Gov. Kasich and certainly not Dr. Carson of doing that -- to step out of the gutter, clean off their suits and get this campaign back where it belongs.

To a forum of ideas.  Not perspiration.

Copyright 2016 by Robert Sutton
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