Columnist Jeff German: Governor's race comes between two friends

A MONTH AGO, no one would have believed that Kenny Guinn and Jan Laverty Jones, two friends who travel in the same social circles, could be so mean to each other this campaign season.

But that was a month ago.

Today, the well-mannered Republican businessman and the graceful Democratic mayor of Las Vegas have turned into the king and queen of mean, as they head into the last three weeks of their heated race for governor.

Television viewers bombarded with attack ads from the two candidates probably have no idea such nastiness is out of character for the two candidates, each of whom have devoted years of their lives to countless civic and charitable projects in Las Vegas.

It's an indication of how badly both want to be your governor. They're willing to go to any length -- even hit each other below the belt -- to win your vote on Nov. 3.

Some say that's just politics.

Well, that's true.

But how has our political system evolved to a point where two good friends, like Jones and Guinn, can viciously attack each over the television airwaves?

Maybe we have only to look to Washington this past week, where the nation's attention has been focused on talk of impeaching President Clinton.

House Republican head-hunters have persuaded their colleagues to hold impeachment hearings on a sitting president for only the third time in the nation's history.

And for what? Because Clinton had an extramarital relationship with an intern and lied about it to the American people.

The people are devastated over the president's conduct. It's reprehensible and demeaning to his high office. At the same time, however, in nearly every national poll being conducted, the voters have indicated that they don't want him removed from office. They love the job he's doing for them.

So why have House Republicans pushed so hard to drive him out of the White House?

The answer is pure politics.

Today, the goal in politics is not just to win an election. It's to humiliate and destroy your opponent along the road to victory.

The rules have changed once you get into office, too. Your job no longer is safe until your re-election several years down the road. Even if you're doing a good job, your political adversaries will look for ways to undue the voice of the electorate. They'll try to recall you from office, persuade an independent prosecutor or grand jury to investigate you, and in Clinton's case, impeach you.

There is no honor today in being a politician. Elected officials probably rank a notch below lawyers and journalists on the scale of public opinion.

If I see one more television ad from Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., displaying an unflattering photo of his Republican opponent, Rep. John Ensign, I'm going to vomit. And the same goes for those Ensign commercials accusing Reid of being a liar.

Unfortunately, in politics today the more you distort and demean you're opponent's record the better your chances of winning.

In the governor's race, Guinn accuses Jones of conducting the public's business behind closed doors.

Jones charges that Guinn is "out for himself. Not us."

Both allegations are ludicrous and contradict the hard-earned reputations the two candidates have established for themselves. Yet both candidates are willing to harm each other's integrity this way in their quest to reach the state's highest office.

Mind-boggling.

Eventually, the voters will get wise to these insincere tactics.

There will come a time, maybe not in our lifetime, when talking about the issues will be the only way to get elected.

It would be nice, for example, if Guinn and Jones would stop hitting each other for a moment and tell us what they plan to do about our growth problems in Southern Nevada.

Polls here have shown that growth is the No. 1 issue on the minds of valley residents.

But maybe that's too much to ask in the middle of the mean season.

Maybe it's easier to attack an opponent's record than come up with meaningful ideas to improve our quality of life.

Why do we always have to take the easy route in politics?

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