Fowler discusses bullying campaign strategies
In the recent weeks of campaigning, President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have resorted to immature and bullying tactics as they race to the polls in November.
Government professor Linda Fowler said she believes Obama and Romney are taking cues from their childhoods.
The tactics to which Fowler refers include dueling Twitter posts and heckling by both sides at campaign stops.
In one recent incident, the Romney campaign sent aides and supporters to blow bubbles at an event where representatives from the Obama campaign criticized Romney’s record as Massachusetts governor, according to The Boston Globe.
At another event over the weekend, the liberal group MoveOn.orgtrailed Romney’s bus tour aimed at the middle class. Their vehicle of choice? A Cadillac with a fake dog tied to the roof, The Boston Globe reported.
In an interview with Fox News Radio on Tuesday, Romney said he did not believe in “unilateral disarmament.” Shortly thereafter, Obama adviser David Axelrod tweeted about Romney’s acceptance of heckling. It seems Obama and Romney’s snarky Twitter battle shows no sign of cooling down anytime soon.
Though Twitter was created in 2006, this election marks the first time it has played a central role in a presidential campaign. Junior high schoolers eventually mature out of the bullying phase. Here’s hoping that by November both sides will grow up.