An Ugly Month Ahead

Loose ends got tied in the last few days, didn't they?

OJ Simpson becomes the King of Banality, now heading off to prison for busting into a hotel room to steal some stuff.

He had earlier beaten double-homicide charges also related to a sick sense of possession and control, yet goes down over sports memorabilia.

And the Brewers closed out their season this weekend, too. I was at the game. An electric atmosphere for sure, but a performance dulled by bad, overpaid starting pitching and a sleepwalking offense. Wait until next year. So it goes.

Which leaves the deck cleared for the last month of the presidential campaign.

Behind in the polls and with nothing new of substance to offer voters, the McCain campaign is promising 30 days of personal attacks and ugly, negative ads.

They're calling it a change in tactics. In reality, it's just Swiftboating, but announced in advance - - some odd, straight talk about the tall tales to come.

Republicans find this behavior easy, reflexive and comfortable in political campaigns, whether aimed at Michael Dukakis, John Kerry or Louis Butler. Calling it shameless doesn't even come close.

Reprehensible more accurately describes the 30-day sliming coming our way.

Or winning at all costs. I'm reminded of the title of David Maraniss's book about Vince Lombardi: When Pride Mattered.

I can't see any McCain biographers stealing that title for their books.

I hope voters will see through the tactic for what it is: desperation and demagoguery.

Negative campaign usually works. Appeals to fear are somehow effective, stampeding otherwise reasonable people towards an irrational response.

If Barack Obama defeats John McCain, it'll be a defeat for the old way of winning.

Wouldn't that be something?