Opinion: A New Low for Our Nation's Politics

(Aug. 26) -- There are so many warning signs that negativity is devouring honest political discourse in our country, and one of these recently made me a very unwilling part of it. When misogyny becomes part of victory at any price, our democracy is embarrassed and endangered.

Here's what happened, and here's why I'm angry and why I feel any American of whatever party or gender should be furious too.

Suddenly it was widely reported on the Internet that a GOP political blog in Minnesota had posted a disgusting video that proclaimed Republican women -- candidates and supporters -- are attractive and that their Democratic counterparts are, in the most disturbing and distorted photo presentations in their video, just the opposite. This vulgarity and flat-out misrepresentation of all women identified as Democrats was to the accompaniment of the rock song "Who Let the Dogs Out?" That shows the level of maturity.

The more appropriate question is, "Who in the Minnesota Republican campaign let these people near a computer?" Everything about this sordid business was vile. But the most awful fact is that it is absolutely representative of the tastelessness and negativity that is now the American political landscape.

I had become personally involved in this low point of political conniving because these bloggers identified me by name and photo (in swimwear, of course) as one of the "Republican babes" about whom they were boasting. My assumption is that my open position on the life issue has caused the video makers to place me in a Republican box. I'm too odd-shaped to fit into any neat little box. I vote for integrity, character, leadership and policy, regardless of party label.

But my fury derives from the way these "leaders," and a bipartisan collection of other political negativists on both sides of the aisle, are debasing our democracy and the essential exercise of our privilege to vote our leaders in or out. Political candidates of every stripe are responsible for holding their supporters and campaign teams to their own ethical standards, or else we have to assume that these excesses (whether their prejudices are misogyny or any other form of ignorance) represent what the candidates stand for.

Candidates, please send these people packing back to where you found them. Please tell us what you think, not what cruel ugliness you think will sway our prejudices. We don't want to vote our prejudices. We want to vote our honestly researched knowledge. Show us your aspiration and not your ambition. Show us you have respect for us as women (which the above campaign misfire did not) or men, as people, as voters and partners in our economy and our civil society.

I think my Twitter friends were a bit surprised when they read my response to that video. They know I try to accentuate the positive, but there was nothing positive in that sophomoric effort. Here's what I wrote ... and I meant it!

www.twitter.com/kathyireland

Vile. Ugly. Lies. Someone wasn't thinking @ Minnesota Republican legislative district produced "video" comparing Republican&Democratic WOMEN on appearance vs. policy! Deeply regret that such negativity is our political scene. Resent my image was used in this offensive way.

Our legal bills are high enough, but if this happens again, they will get higher! This was hate speak. Why does anyone assume that I am Democrat or Republican? Am about the person and the policy. There is good and evil on both sides of the aisle. And this wasn't good. MISOGYNY!

Kathy Ireland is CEO and chief designer of kathy ireland Worldwide.