Character Or Personality ?

I saw a headline in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram yesterday that got me thinking. The headline said "GOP Primary Now A Contest Of Character", but is that really true? I know what they were trying to say, that the Republican candidates agree on nearly all of the issues so the primary can't be decided on the basis of differences in issues. That is true. Any one of the candidates a Republican voter chooses will agree with the others on important issues.

My disagreement is not with the article itself, but with the headline -- specifically the use of the word "character". The Oxford American Desk Dictionary defines character as a person having morality, honesty, integrity, and uprightness. Frankly, using this definition, I don't think any of the Republicans qualify. Consider the following:

* All of them would slash social programs badly needed by the poorest Americans -- and that is immoral.

* All of them want to cut or abolish Medicare and Social Security while saying they would do that to save those programs -- and that is both dishonest and immoral.

* All of them say that giving bigger tax cuts to the rich and corporations will create jobs, even though repeated studies have shown that not to be true -- and that is dishonest.

* All of them would cut unemployment benefits, eliminate the minimum wage, and destroy unions to "help" American workers -- and that is both dishonest and immoral.

* All of them are bought and paid for by corporate interests -- and that shows a lack of integrity.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Character is not a term that defines any of the Republican candidates. The Republican primary will really be determined, not by issues or character, but by personality. The person with the personality that catches on with GOP voters will get the nomination.  All we can do is hope that the eventual nominee doesn't get elected in November 2012 -- because then the lack of character would show up, and that would be devastating for this country (as it was during the Bush administration).