As in 2004, these tactics are beginning to have an affect on public opinion. Obama’s lead in the polls is slowly being chipped away at and, while he may still be slightly ahead, his previous advantage over McCain is now nothing more than a statistical tie.

While some commentators, such as CNN’s James Carville (“Why Obama has to get mad to win”), have suggested that it’s time for Obama to get negative or even exhibit a modicum of anger, the fact remains that these kinds of tactics undermine the democratic process and only lead to further cynicism among the electorate. Attack ads, created by “independent” groups whose associations with the candidate are often murky, blur fact and fiction together so that the average viewer, who might not be all that interested in politics to begin with and who might not otherwise have the time or inclination to ferret out the truth, serve merely to pull the wool over society’s collective eye. Their ultimate affect: is to turn voters against the candidates or to keep them home on Election Day altogether.

The use of dirty tricks in elections, particularly by candidates who might not otherwise have a reasonable chance of winning, is nothing new. Richard Nixon was famous for them. Nor are they limited to any one party. The affect, however, that is has on the electorate and on the very fabric of our democracy is nothing that should be brushed aside lightly.

The United States is often touted as the world’s greatest democracy. While I often take exception to this notion (how many other democracies, after all, systemically shut the door on, what we like to call, third party candidates or, in the more sanitized version, independent candidates? Just look at Italy and France and some of the other western democracies and you’ll see Communists, Socialists, and other “marginal” groups openly participating in and often winning elections) – so while I may not believe that our country is the epitome of democratic rule, I do believe in the fundamental basics of our system of government. And while the United States may be forever locked in to a two-party system, we must make every effort to guarantee that the mechanisms that have been put in place to assure a say in that system by every citizen in the country are not, at best, minimized, or, at worst, destroyed. And two of the most dangerous elements currently at work at undermining that system are lobbyists and their bastard child, Swift Boating, both of which go hand in hand and both of which are systemically allowed, if not imprimatured, by the powers that be.

This is what allowed George W. Bush, who lost the popular vote in 2000, to ultimately occupy the presidency. This is what allowed the defeat of John Kerry in 2004 who, until the Swift Boat campaign was waged against him, was holding a solid lead against his Republican rival. And, what is worse, this is what allowed the electorate to remain complacent in both instances.

So what is to be done to restore the people’s confidence in the system so that we may truly believe that whoever wins the election in November ultimately deserves the victory?

We’ve already seen our elected officials, including John McCain, attempt to address the lobbyist issue. This is a truly thorny matter because those who are entrusted with the task of unraveling this tightly knit ball, are themselves under the influence. How, then, can we expect them to fix a problem that they themselves are a part of if not addicted to? Unfortunately, there are not enough “independents,” such as Kucinich and Sanders (both of whom are Socialists, though God forbid the media try to use that word) to effectively untangle the knot.

As for Swift Boating – well it is, after all, protected by “free speech.” Waging a war against it would be tantamount to waging a war against the constitution, as un-American, it would be argued, attacking our free market system. Though, truth be told, I did think deceit (and John McCain did approve those messages) was against the rules.

So maybe the commentators are right. Maybe Obama needs to get mad. Damn spanking mad. That way he can regain his lead in the polls again and, perhaps, win the election.

Still, if the current status quo in American electoral politics is allowed to fester, the ultimate loser will be our most cherished national treasure: democracy.