Consistency is often a good thing. A business which never strays from its great customer service, or a grocery store which never varies in its quality of good food at reasonable prices are worthy of loyalty. However, when GOP candidates have but a single tactic, and that tactic is mean-spirited attacks on other candidates, that type of consistency is not such a great thing.

Donald Trump set the tone, and instead of falling on deaf ears, GOP voters embraced it. They decided that they wanted to take the ‘low road’ on the way to the 2016 nomination. Now Rand Paul is jumping in.

Senator Paul’s campaign is on the decline and he is desperately trying to find a way to keep it alive. Whether his remarks are accurate and truthful or not is of no concern; it’s the methodology of the GOP which concerns me.

During a radio broadcast in Charlotte, Paul poked fun at Ben Carson’s belief that the pyramids were built by Joseph to be used as grain silos. “I’m really big into conspiracy theories, I think they were probably built by the aliens as grain silos,” Paul quipped.

In any campaign season for the general election the front runner becomes a target. In the case of Ben Carson, he is destroying himself with revelations of lies and outlandish beliefs. I don’t need to mention his failure regarding the issues, or his impossible revision of income tax.

I recently wrote about Carson’s fairytale regarding his anger and violence in his youth, but he has added another falsehood which was contained in his autobiography. He had claimed that he was offered a full scholarship at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He now admits none of it was true; he never applied to become a cadet.

What actually happened is during a meeting with General Westmoreland, he was told that if he applied, he would likely be accepted.

I do know one thing about habitual liars; the more they fabricate stories, the less they are able to know the difference between a lie and the truth. Can Carson be trusted about anything?

It doesn’t seem as though GOP voters care who becomes the presidential nominee. Carson and Trump continue to receive more than 50 percent in the polls. Jeb Bush is attacking Rubio, Paul is attacking Carson, and Trump is attacking everyone.

It seems as though the day when campaigning on the issues never existed. I can no longer remember a time when intelligent politicians debated ideas instead of being forced to defend their personal lives.

The biggest question is; will that ever be the norm again?

Op-Ed

By James Turnage

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