SSDD: Same Stink, Different Day

©by Gary Wood

November 28, 2007

As a young airman, in 1970s Grand Forks, I first heard the reply SSDD. It was a very common response when asking someone how they were doing. Some of you reading this are saying the second ‘S’ does not stand for ‘stink’ yet you can appreciate what substance caused the stink so for this article that is what I’ll use, staying politically correct and away from the word filter police. I was watching more of the news regarding the campaign going on for the POTUS and it sure reminded me of SSDD.

The first Presidential campaign I actively worked on was in 1972. It was a different campaign from today simply due to the fact a sitting President was running for reelection. Looking at modern history there is one way SSDD would not apply. The last time there was no sitting President or Vice President running was 1952. Eisenhower won on a campaign promise to personally end the Korean War while maintaining a strong defense against Communism abroad and sound, honest fiscal policies at home. Aside from the 1952 campaign each of the subsequent races for the White House have had someone running that currently held one of the two highest elected offices. Strangely, the media’s leading candidate for the Democratic nomination does have the full support and backing of a former President, Bill Clinton.

One thing that smacks of SSDD is the idea of a Clinton in the White House. Hillary Clinton, if elected, will join a 28 year tradition of having either a member of the Bush or Clinton family serving as either the President or Vice President. Some speculate after eight years of a Hillary White House perhaps another Bush will get elected and after yet another eight years of another Bush it will be time for Chelsea Clinton to take up residency for her eight years. If this gives you a reason to smile you see the humor in the scenario, if you awake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat you see the disaster in this scenario.

Listening to the debates and stump speeches of the candidates truly does embrace the pure essence of SSDD. The same stink being spewed in today’s campaign promises is similar in aromatic displeasure of campaign promises made in a different day, even a different decade. Remember the promise made in 1988 by George the First, something about “Read my lips...” and then came the taxes and then came Clinton in 1992. Go back a bit further and listen in as Richard Nixon promises to restore law and order while defeating Hubert Humphrey. Have you heard any candidate promise the same type of sentiment today? Here’s a hint, listen closely to Rudy Giuliani!

It was not long ago, especially if you are my age or older, we had a former governor from a small state talk about the advantages of electing a Washington D.C. outsider over corrupt politics within the beltway. Jimmy Carter beat Ford in 1976; Ronald Reagan returned the favor by championing outsider sentiment once again while defeating Carter in 1980. Have you heard anyone picking up the cry of being from outside the beltway this year? There are many, even a couple of small state governors, Richardson and Huckabee. SSDD.

Some will remember a time when religion finally took a back seat to policy discussions, when Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic to win in what was the narrowest popular vote ever. Today there is another trying to be the first to win the Presidency while being a member of a less than popular religion and opponents use the issue to cloud policy discussions. Will the Mormon question be silenced by actual policy? Perhaps not if the policy is not delivered as dynamically as Kennedy was able to deliver it and when one listens to the campaign promises of Mitt Romney one can easily sense SSDD.

If we listen closely we can hear much discussion from many candidates in favor of programs and policies which will create bigger government and higher taxes. This was not very popular throughout recent elections. The SSDD does not seem to be garnering the wrath it has in the past. Perhaps too many have promised, while on the campaign trail, the idea of smaller Federal government and lower taxes while citizens see the size and cost of their Federal government ever-expanding even after voting for the smaller promise.

Those candidates blatantly trumpeting promises that knowingly will enlarge both the size and cost of government seem to be even more popular than those who are not. Are we now so accustomed to the stink it actually smells funny without it? Simply look at the popular polls to find the big government candidates who are either leading or near the lead. There’s Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Giuliani, Romney, and McCain to name a few. As a matter of reflection note the names of candidates proposing smaller government and lower taxes...go ahead...look hard. There’s Paul and, well maybe Huckabee, oh, Hunter and Tancredo...what about Kucinich? Oh, nope, he wants the new Dept. of Peace and more.

Change, there is one SSDD that is everywhere in every election. How many state they represent true change? Perhaps the focus is on small variations rather than truly making things different and we misunderstand their meaning. Change is an extremely ambiguous concept but in the two-party political arena have we seen any major differences over the years or is it all becoming the same stink, different day?