Political Arena – Page 3

Politics At Work…Or Anywhere Else For That Matter

August 8, 2012August 8, 2012admin47 Comments

Always a touchy subject, I know, but I don’t know how far etiquette goes in this instance.

My workplace is about 95% awesome. My coworkers and I all have private offices with doors. We frequently must consult each other about our jobs; we do complex tasks and each of us has different areas of expertise. This is expected. Most of us also either listen to music, the radio, podcasts, etc while we do our work. I use headphones but not everyone does. Typically it isn’t a noise issue.

I have one coworker who is intelligent and personable, and is always happy to answer my questions when I have them. My problem is that when I go to his office to ask him a question, he is often listening to radio broadcasts talking about political views that I find very objectionable, even upsetting. I stand there and grit my teeth and focus on the question I am asking and the answer he’s giving me and pretend I don’t hear what’s coming over his radio, and get out as fast as I can.

It’s his office and his radio. He can listen to whatever he likes. Am I within the bounds of office etiquette to ask him to turn it down while I’m talking to him? Or because I am coming into his space, should I just do what I’ve been doing and ignore it…and try to find others who can answer my questions before I have to go to him for help? 0807-12

So, it isn’t the noise level that disturbs you but rather the content of what you are hearing. You can ask him to please turn down the volume of his radio while you and he are engaged in the business of working together under the premise that the radio distracts you from concentrating on the problem at hand. Here’s your quandary, in my opinion. To be consistent, I believe you must ask ALL your co-workers to turn down the volume of whatever they are listening to whenever you and they engage in work related interactions. Otherwise you simply look intolerant.

I think one reason why being tolerant is a challenge for many people is that they see an opposing opinion as being the entire sum total of the personality and character of the person(s) who embraces that opinion. Considerable weight is given to that one area of a person’s life so that it completely confines them into a narrow definition or even stereotype. It’s like having tunnel vision and only seeing that one thing and not noticing that there is a whole lot of others areas of our lives where we have a lot more in common than we think. Sometimes it takes a shared tragedy to bring about an awareness of the commonality we have with others.

In my extended family there are polar opposite politics and lifestyles but while we all know where each other stands on particular issues, those get “boxed” neatly away in the mind and the focus is on common areas we share like memories, love of certain relatives, children, vacation destinations, food, similar sense of humor and jokes, shared work ethics,health problems, money, and on and on. Every once in a blue moon, the “politics box” gets taken off the mental shelf, dusted off and we debate the issues civilly but once the debate is exhausted, the box goes right back on the mental shelf for another day and we go right back to working to love each other for the things we do share in common.

So OP,unless your co-worker is listening to radio instructions on how to make bombs and destroy a specific group of people, I think you would foolish to continue to focus on your affable co-worker’s choice of listening material and lose sight of the fact that he appears to be a decent person who cheerfully and consistently helps you succeed in your job. 0807-12

A Political Registry

June 27, 2012June 26, 2012admin58 Comments

At Ehell we’re not afraid to confront etiquette faux pas committed in the name of politics but it’s not a topic that usually appears here. But I received so many submissions for the following “story” that ignoring it did not seem to be an option. So, for your consideration, I give you the…..

Obama Re Election Event Registry

Got a birthday, anniversary, or wedding coming up?

Let your friends know how important this election is to you—register with Obama 2012, and ask for a donation in lieu of a gift. It’s a great way to support the President on your big day. Plus, it’s a gift that we can all appreciate—and goes a lot further than a gravy bowl.

Hmmm…not since Newt Gingrich’s extravagant (and greedy) registry for his third wedding went online viral have I seen a more tackier use of a registry by a politician. Veteran Ehellions recognize every wrong thing about this….1) Weddings are not fundraisers regardless if it benefits the happy couple or some political campaign or cause. 2) Registries exist to suggest gift ideas to inquiring guests. There is no “asking”, aka “directing”, guests for specific gifts as if one expected to receive the very things one has registered for.

The worst, imo, is the politicization of a private celebration such as a wedding which should be a solemn occasion free of any entanglements to a particular political party or cause. I prefer to not be placed in the awkward situation where my acceptance of the invitation is a tacit endorsement of a candidate.

Why Do Political Attack Ads Persist?

December 5, 2011December 16, 2011admin40 Comments

The reason is simple. They work. The US is just four weeks away from the first presidential primary elections and the year of campaigning for the November 2012 presidential elections has started. Professor John Geer, professor of political science at Vanderbilt University and author of In Defense of Negativity: Attack Advertising in Presidential Campaigns states a very good case for why we should overlook the incivility of negative campaigns ads.

The reality is that politics is a rough-and-tumble game, and campaigns are pitched battles for control of the government. The stakes are often high, and the competition is usually fierce. Attack ads may be uncivil, but what’s so important about civility when the future of the country is at stake? They may constitute scare tactics, but fear also may be appropriate. The real issue should not be the tone of an ad but whether the information presented is useful to voters.

Still, only about 50% of the ads run by John Kerry and George W. Bush were negative. Is that an alarming percentage? Not by historical standards. During the debate over the ratification of the Constitution, the anti-Federalists, according to political scientist William Riker, attacked the Federalists 90% of the time in pamphlets and public statements. Our new government was not even in place and critics were waging a fiercely negative campaign. Not only did the nation survive, these attacks helped forge the passage of the Bill of Rights to ensure the protection of key liberties.

For one thing, negative ads are much more likely to discuss issues than positive ads. The general view is that negative ads are just personal attacks. That is wrong. And even when the attacks do get personal, more than three-quarters of them deal with the issues of experience or honesty pieces of information that are important and relevant when selecting a president.

Negative ads are also much more likely to be buttressed by evidence than positive ads. Candidates can talk about supporting a strong national defense. Negative ads have to go further. It was not credible for Kerry simply to claim that the president’s policies were weakening national defense; he needed to demonstrate just how Bush’s policies undermined our security. Candidates face a burden of proof when they go on the attack.

The simple fact is that if negativity were to disappear from our electoral battles, so would our claim to being a democratic nation.

It is worth it to read the entire LA Times op ed piece by Professor John Geer. NPR also has a segment interviewing Geer http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5359586

But what does Miss Manners have to say about negative political campaigning?

Dear Miss Manners,
I am currently running for an elected position in my community. At this stage in the game, people are starting to ask questions about how I feel about my opponent and his background. Because he and I have worked together in the past, I know what a bad leader he is.

I would like to run a campaign devoid of rude comments, but I of course am bombarded with questions from voters and the press. How do I politely express myself towards this other person?

Gentle Reader,
Respectfully. You would be surprised how many candidates have lost by being treated respectfully.
But before you thank Miss Manners for nudging you to throw the election, please allow her to explain a dynamic of which every other politician seems to be unaware. That is that politeness helps, not hinders, in skewering an opponent.

When an opposing candidate calls his rival a cheat and a liar, voters tend to figure that oh, well, they both are, that’s just the way politicians talk. If you say what a nice person your opponent is, only unfortunately misguided on certain key issues and stymied when it comes to getting things done, they may actually listen to the rest of what you have to say. http://lifestyle.msn.com/Relationships/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=8319061

Note that she does not advise the Gentle Reader to not make mention of his opponent’s leadership deficits but rather advises HOW he does it.

Comment away, readers, however please note that I will not approve comments which attack specific political parties or candidates.

December 16, 2011 Addendum: Miss Manners column on rude politicians and her suggestion that the way to deal with them is to vote them out of office.

Rejoicing At Death

May 3, 2011admin86 Comments

With the recent news that US Navy Seals have killed 9/11 mastermind and Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden comes the inevitable reaction of some who would dance, literally if they could, on the grave of a dead man. On the Ehell forum, the decision was made by the moderators to block or delete threads in which people gleefully rejoiced of death.

We should carefully ponder our reactions to the death of any one, including the wicked and evil. The decision to mete out earthly retribution should be entered into with soberness, solemnity and calm befitting a choice to see justice served. Otherwise the taking of life becomes trivialized and we are no more civilized than the beasts who wantonly kill the innocent they view as worthlessly expendable. Nor do we want to rejoice at death lest we show ourselves to be no better than the savages who hung the burnt bodies of US contractors from street lights and danced in joy. No, I think we are much better than that.

I recently read the following on a Facebook status and it reflects my perspective:

“At this report of earthly justice, I am more sobered than celebratory. I pray that this moment will cause us all to treasure life and freedom, without honoring or affirming vengefulness or bloodlust. And please do not take pleasure in anyone’s entrance into hell or forget the mountain of mercy that we have received.” Don Shorey

Bin Laden was an evil man, he needed to be stopped and held accountable for his genocide. I won’t weep for him but I will soberly reflect in thankfulness that he can no longer lead others into evil and be grateful for the peace and safety and freedoms we enjoy.

Jesus Gandara, Ehell’s Father of The Year

April 4, 2011August 28, 2011admin42 Comments

Sweetwater Superintendent Jesus Gandara hosted a bridal shower for his daughter at a Bonita restaurant this month, inviting contractors who stood to benefit from his decision-making on district business.

The invitation, which indicated a money tree would be available, was also extended to employees who work for Gandara.

Gandara, along with three Sweetwater Union High School District board members who attended the March 5 event, said they saw nothing wrong with inviting district contractors to such an occasion.

When asked about the solicitation of gifts or cash for his daughter, who lives in Texas, Gandara said he was sharing a personal moment with the community he represents.

“Many of them may not know my daughter personally, but they have come to support my family’s happiness,” Gandara said.

To read the rest of the news article, click here.

A reader sent me the link to this news article because it’s such a good example of Etiquette In the News and the public faux pas of the famous. The quoted experts in business ethics explain the dilemma quite well from a political viewpoint, i.e. wow, this was really dumb because of the perceptions vendors and those in the community can come to. It has that taint of political graft by only inviting those who stand to gain some favor in exchange for their “gifts”.

From an etiquette perspective, it is beyond gauche to put “Money Tree Available” on the shower invitation but hey, once the line was crossed with Dad hosting his own daughter’s bridal shower, Dad’s conscience was seared so badly that justifying his begging for money was the next step down the road to Ehell perdition.

Gandara should be mortified that he advertised his inability to financially undertake his daughter’s wedding by hosting a shower for her. Instead he deceives himself into thinking “this is for the community” so they can “share” in his family’s happiness. It appears this “community” consisted of vendors who do business with the district of Sweetwater and was not open to any old taxpaying resident. And of course we here at Ehell aren’t fooled one iota by that dissembling claim that guests will be all atwitter with the anticipation of plugging into some “shared joy” by means of coughing up some cash and material goods for someone they have never met.

Oh, there was some joy happening at that “shower” but it wasn’t what one would expect from the usual bridal shower. One construction company owner was quite transparent as to why he accepted the invitation….he wanted to network with “other important people there” and as an afterthought said, “… and I went for the daughter.” Uh huh…sure you did.

The comments section of this news article is filled with statements from people, obviously not members of the community that were invited to attend this lovely shower, who aren’t buying the justifications and actions of their elected officials. As well they should. The next election cycle could very well see a few politicians displaced solely for being tacky beyond belief.