It once sounded like a lofty approach to politics, suggesting deep thought had been given to the important choice about to be made.

It went like this: “I vote for the candidate, not for the party.”

Today, however, that might mean you won’t be voting at all, or you’ll do so holding your nose because this food fight masquerading as a presidential election is absolutely rancid.

Indeed, it’s become a stain on democracy with no high roads; they’re all traveling the low road, attacking one another other with the randomness of buckshot, indifferent to whatever collateral damage they inflict.

If he lived today, the Greek philosopher Diogenes, remembered for holding a lantern before the citizens of Athens in hopes of discovering an honest man, would find his arm throbbing as he searched the presidential field in vain for a wannabe worthy of inhabiting the White House.

If he pondered the party instead of the candidate he’d be just as flummoxed, finding both in the hands of bottom-feeders.

Hillary Clinton, stepping out of well-deserved oblivion, thought it would be witty to tweet an unbecoming parody of President Trump’s letter to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It was seen as a cheap stunt when Adam Schiff, chairman of the ironically named House Intelligence Committee, did the same thing in parodying Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

In fact it was in such poor taste, especially for a congressman entrusted with leading a charge for impeachment, that the House went through the motions of censuring Schiff before deciding by a straight party-line vote of 218-185 that maybe it wasn’t such a big deal after all.

Did Clinton think it would be funnier if she did it?

Is she that tone deaf?

The question is rhetorical.

Meanwhile the Republicans stay busy fouling their own nest.

Whatever made Mitt Romney think it would be a good idea to open a phony Twitter account which he could then use to anonymously undercut Trump without having to be identified?

His intellectual cowardice was stunning, resulting in a self-inflicted wound to his image. He looks presidential, and has a smoothness that contrasts well with Trump’s bluster, and can bask in the image of his Mormon faith where family values and core beliefs prevail.

That’s an attractive package to place before the electorate, almost impossible to screw up unless you’re caught doing something incredibly dumb, such as denouncing opponents while ducking any responsibility.

Whatever happened to having the courage of one’s convictions?

Good grief, this whole bunch is pathetic.

God help America.

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(c)2019 the Boston Herald

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