“Why do you look at a speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother,’Brother let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Luke 6:41-42)

To me the Election of 2014 was the Invasion of the Carpet-baggers. The omnipresence of the Political Action Committees (PACs) on the airwaves gave the campaign the feel of a battle fought by stakeholders from remote regions, carrying messages composed in a think tank in Washington D.C. In Michigan the Americans for Prosperity, the PAC financed by the Koch brothers was heavily invested in the campaign for Terry Lynn Land for Senate and Rick Snyder for Governor.

But Land was unsuccessful and Snyder cruised to a victory hardly dependent on outside support, so what effect did this invasive media campaign have on Michigan or in the marginal purple states? I will always remember it as a dark cloud of negative campaigning, poisoning the atmosphere with unfounded accusations from both sides.

If we ask why Americans are cynical about the effectiveness of government, much of that can be blamed on the campaign bombs slandering the candidates on both sides. While voters may be savvy enough to know that somebody must be lying or distorting the truth in political ads, the underlying message is that anyone who seeks political office is probably a charlatan at best and a parasite of public office at worst. Nothing explains the outcome of the voting better than disillusionment with politicians and turning to the candidates who may not yet be corrupted by the system.

Negative campaigning allegedly helps push the needle for candidates, but it certainly did not help the Democrats. As the perceived Party-in-Power they succumbed to the mud-slinging without managing to stick much mud on their opponents. But the real losers are the voters who inhabit the muddy world portrayed by these profligate campaigns. We are all tainted with the muddy brush of Campaign 2014.

Since campaign budgets know no limits, it is time for good conscience to rule the political battlefield before the ultimate showdown in 2016. If one party can take the political high road they should command the respect of voters. If both parties can look to the planks in their own eyes, they can elevate the next campaign, which has already begun. If both parties continue to attack the specks in their opponents’ eyes they will face an increasingly disillusioned and polarized electorate. The blood sport of the political campaign will descend to new depths.

We can all benefit by taking a deep breath and taking an honest view of the planks that obscure our vision of democracy. Beware of those who relentlessly point to the faults of their opponents and send them a message. No more brinksmanship and half-truths. Our votes should go to those who take responsibility for building up, not tearing down. Those builders might be Republicans as well as Democrats. They are the ones who are willing to clear the air and send the unruly PAC’s packing.