"Do unto others.." vs. "Just win, baby"

Written by: rich^kolker on Mar 13, 2008 8:56 AM EDT

I was just talking to someone at work about work matters, and it seems to me there's a parallel.

In the longer run, it's not about Obama and Clinton, it's about how we want to do politics in this country.

In business, as in politics, there are several theories of how to do it.  There's "win at all costs", there's "cover your ass", and on down the line is acting honorably, "do unto others..."

I think everybody began this campaign (and Obama made it his primary theme) trying to "do unto others..."  Yes, politics is about drawing contrasts, but that can be done honestly and honorably.  I think all the Democratic candidates pretty much went along this path for a while. 

Now, the stakes are higher.  It's one on one, and both remaining candidates can see the finish line -- that big desk in the funny shaped office, and it becomes tempting to transition to the Al Davis mode "Just win baby!"  Even more so for the staffers whose public faces are effectively invisible but whose private "name" will be made if they help a winning Presidential campaign.  So they start recommending to the candidate moving off the golden rule to win at all costs, and keep repeating "we're not going negative" or "politics ain't softball". 

Who loses?  The people.  The nation.  Anyone who thinks governing the "last, best hope" is about more than a game with winners and losers.

Some may call that attitude naive.  I call it patriotic.  More than that, I call it necessary.

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