Now is the time for tributes and reflections on the life of Senator Bob Dole, who died on Dec. 5 at age 98. Yet, it is important not to romanticize the former Senate Majority Leader from Kansas. Dole certainly did great things, like spearheading the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and co-sponsoring a landmark expansion of Food Stamps (now called SNAP) with Democratic Senator George McGovern, whom he considered a friend. He also loved humor and showed he could take a joke with his multiple Saturday Night Live appearances, alongside actors that satirized him.
That said, Dole was also a ruthless partisan. He defended the Nixon Administration during the Watergate hearings and for the rest of Nixon’s life. In the 1976 vice-presidential debate, Dole accused Democrats of starting every U.S.-involved war in the 20th century, including World Wars I and II—an absurd statement. In between, Dole introduced the nation to abortion as a wedge issue, using it to eke out a victory over Dr. Bill Roy in the 1974 midterm election. Dole was a tough politico who knew how to play the game and win, which he often did.
Politics back then were hardly kind, gentle, fair, bipartisan, or politically correct. Yet they were different. Dole could attack a rival on the Senate floor, then socialize with them afterward, as a friend. He could go the extra mile to kill legislation sponsored by another senator, then team up with that same senator to pass a different bill. Perhaps most importantly, Dole did not attack American democracy itself. He did not promote insurrections or conspiracy theories, nor did he tear away at the separation of powers in the U.S. Constitution. With the notable exception of Roy, Dole did not generally try to win by making personal attacks against his opponents. He kept the focus on their voting records and issue stances—and on that, he could be quite the attack dog. Still, certain aspects of his opponents’ personal lives remained off-limits. An excellent example was the 1996 Presidential campaign. Pressured by consultants to raise the “character issue” against President Clinton, Dole refused to gossip about his opponent’s tumultuous personal life. When Dole did raise the character issue, it was based upon Clinton’s issue stands and the Whitewater land deal.
In Dole’s time, American politics were hardly perfect. Still, there was at least one difference from today—most people seeking power wanted to use that power to do things, either for the country as a whole or for their constituents back home. Election and re-election were means to those ends. To get that done, they had to keep the U.S. system of checks and balances functioning at least reasonably well. The political climate of Dole’s day was complicated, partisan, frustrating, difficult, and sometimes disappointing—but in the end, things did get done. Politics were hardball, and Dole was a master of the game.
Politics today are toxic. Many people seeking office now promise to tear down the constitutional system that allowed them to get there in the first place. Some political speeches by elected officials are completely indistinguishable from the deranged conspiracy theories promoted by crackpots and foreign agents on social media.
By contrast, Bob Dole was a tough and controversial leader who made the difficult choices that kept an imperfect political system working. Even as current officeholders eulogize Dole himself, some of them appear intent on tearing down that system, and his legacy along with it.
Michael Smith is a professor at Emporia State University.