I believe I found out today at the supermarket just how nasty this Presidential campaign will be.

I met an old acquaintance, someone who had taken a lot of interest in public affairs and in the old days (say the 1970s) she would feed what she learned in her own investigations of public bodies to reporters around town, including me.

So I stopped to talk to her. She asked what I thought about Obama and I said that I felt he was a thoughtful guy and I liked him.

A woman – looking to me as an ordinary middle-aged afternoon shopper – said boldly, “He’s a communist.”

She wasn’t part of the conversation but felt apparently she had to say that to two people she didn’t know.

I said he was not a communist.

“He’s a communist,” she repeated.

I said, “If he’s a communist, you’re a fascist.” I wish I had been quick enough to add, “and probably a racist” because that’s likely the basis of her false charge.
She quickly disappeared from my sight.

What strikes me as disturbing about this is that this woman, unknown to either of us, would feel comfortable breaking into someone else’s conversation with a vile lie.

I believe it says something basic about this election. Something about how Republican supporters of John McCain – with his acceptance or not – feel they can act and know they can get away with it.

This will be a down-in-the-gutter election – Lee Atwater, Mary Matalin, James Carville, Carl Rove style. Take no prisoners. Make things up. Lie when needed. Get others to do some smearing.