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By: Loran Smith

On a recent trip out West, I did as most travelers are wont to do. I engaged in a brief period of unpacking, took a rest, and turned on the television to catch up on the news.

It was just like it is at home or “Anywhere U. S. A.” The personal injury lawyers were barking that they could get you more money than the next guy. And there were those repugnant political ads promoting the fact that the candidate’s opponent is the devil’s brother. Or sister. Mark Twain’s advice is as relevant as it was in the late 1800’s: “Why waste your money looking up your family tree? Just go into politics and your opponent will do it for you.”

This was before “Ancestry.com” and Internet genealogy options, but Twain’s logic and advice is as insightful today as it was in his time. Everywhere I go, and I am sure this is the case with everybody: How did the nastiness of politics come to be so degrading and despicable? Only takes cursory research to confirm that political bashing has been around a long time. I hear many complaints about the negative political advertising but have concluded that the politicians are not spending all that money without knowing what they are doing. Castigating your opponent apparently is persuasive with a great number of the voters.

However, I would like to live to see the day when a political candidate outlines what he/she stands for and underscores those points and refrains from attacking the person he/she is running against. Lately, with all the enmity that is spewed forth by political candidates, I recalled conversations with the late Carl Sanders who was Georgia’s 74 the governor, serving, 1963-67.

In his bid for re-election in 1970, he lost to Jimmy Carter which was very tough on him emotionally. He rallied to bring about one of the most successful law firms in Atlanta. We didn’t talk very often about his crushing defeat to Carter, but he never allocated much time for castigating Carter. Later, a friend from Americus won a charity auction in which he could take a few friends to the Carter Center for dinner and conversation with President Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn. I was very happy to make the guest list for that very interesting and informal evening.

While I have forgotten how it came up, the former President noted in his remarks that he and Sanders were “okay.” He said he had a cordial relationship with his onetime political adversary.

I often stopped by Sanders’ law office at the corner of North Avenue and Peachtree mostly to reminisce about his business and political career and, of course, UGA football. He was proud of his time as a Georgia quarterback and was grateful that athletics paid for his education.

One day, he reminisced about his election as governor in 1962. He was the first modern governor elected by popular vote as the long-time county unit system was struck down by the Supreme Court. His opponent was former governor, Marvin Griffin, a devout segregationist, while Sanders was a progressive and said he would not close public schools if a federal order to do that came about. Griffin was a classic raconteur. He could spin a yarn as well as anybody. He could take over a party and leave everybody refreshed and uplifted. He was the Jerry Clower of the political brigade.

One Friday night, Sanders was having dinner at the Cloister at Sea Island before the annual Georgia Florida game. He was hosting and entertaining a group of VIP guests who were prospects for doing business with the state.

Early in the evening, he saw Marvin Griffin appear at the hostess stand, obviously without a reservation, which prompted the hostess to negatively shake her head—a signal that the former governor was not going to be seated. Sanders went over and invited Griffin and his wife to join his party. In no time Griffin began his classic storytelling. Sanders’ guests were soon overwhelmed, captivated, and spellbound by Griffin’s enrapturing humor.

When dinner was over, Sanders’ guests kept asking him, “How in the world did you defeat a fellow like that?” Will those days ever return? Doubtful. Mudslinging seems entrenched forever, but it is nice to remember when it was different.