It puts a strain on the whole family when Grampy gets grumpy, but, hey, it's a natural thing. A Journal & Courier columnist spots "Richard Lugar on an unfamiliar low road":
Lugar's guys ask whether the state treasurer, who keeps gaining in the polls ahead of the May 8 primary, is: "Incompetent? Careless? Tax Cheat?"
It's the kind of ball peen hammer nuance you'd expect from a state party-paid campaign for a Statehouse candidate who has little power to reel in the nastiness caused by outsiders' money. (We've seen our share of those hapless and mean campaigns around here.)
But from Dick Lugar? Never thought it would come to this.
The columnist later asks "Who can imagine either side pulling back now" as the race tightens to a dead heat. I dunno. I think if one of them right now stopped all the negativity and campaigned positively from now on, that might earn him enough votes to get over the top. All of us in the media keep saying "they use negative campaigns because they work," but I wonder how many voters cast their ballots in spite of the negative ads?
