A candidate I once worked for launched a political campaign on a television program, pledging to stay positive throughout the race.  The interviewer burst out laughing on the set –genuinely. I remember thinking at the time, “We’ll show him.”  A month later, we were in the thick of one of the nastiest campaigns in memory. 

The Ron Paul ad above made me think about that race. The spot is one of a gazillion vitriolic ads running in South Carolina and Florida right now. Those halcyon days of GOP primary love are surely over. Summer pledges of party unity are now burst-out-loud funny.

Politics. ‘Tis a blood sport. Invariably.