Give It Up

You know what bugs me after a guy names his running mate? His opponents clamor for derogatory things the running mate said about the candidate earlier. Or what the candidate said of the running mate before he was a running mate.

Here's my advice: Give it up -- it's a waste of time.

Everyone knows the game. When you're running, you're criticizing.

Kerry said Edwards had no experience.

Edwards said Kerry had no new ideas.

I recall George Bush Sr. complaining about Ronald Reagan's "voodoo economics" (search) and Lyndon Johnson calling JFK a novice. Both of them proved to be loyal number twos and both got to be number ones!

That's politics.

So here's my advice to Republicans who are tempted to run to their files: Run to their records.

No one cares what either of these guys said about the other. Everyone cares what they want to do together.

If history teaches us anything it's that digging up tired old attacks candidates wage on each other in the heat of battle means nothing. It's what those candidates propose to do together that will mean everything.

We already know politics makes strange bedfellows. Here's a free tip to both parties: Less focus on the bedfellows -- more focus on the politics.

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