Perhaps it was wishful thinking or naivety to think that, somehow, the upcoming general election campaign would be different.Perhaps it was wishful thinking to believe that with Paula Cox and Craig Cannonier leading their respective parties, these seemingly moderate people, who seem to take a measured approach to politics and policy, would lead campaigns that debated the issues in a fair and accurate way.Perhaps it was foolish to think that when the parties’ records and candidates’ individual lives were examined, that too would be fair and accurate and not shaped by character assassination and innuendo. Perhaps it was too much to ask when the stakes are so high, that Bermuda could have a political campaign it could be proud of, and when we looked elsewhere at negative campaigns, we could say, with justice: “We are not like that in Bermuda.”Instead, it looks like this general election is set to follow the recent trend and it will be characterised by racial undertones, scaremongering and blatant untruths. In some ways, it would be a relief to be able to accuse both parties of the same bad behaviour, but that’s not the case either. Neither may be perfect, but the reality is that the Progressive Labour Party, so far, has deliberately misled the public and lowered the tone of debate.If it wishes to, the PLP has the right to say that the One Bermuda Alliance has not produced new policies and ideas. And it can point out that some of the businesses featured in its advertising as being closed have recently reopened. And the OBA can respond.But no party is entitled to make things up, as the PLP did in the case of the EEZ zones, and to then take that falsehood and build a fantasy out of it which bears about as much relation to the truth as Disney’s Cinderella does to a work of serious historical research on women’s lives in the Middle Ages.But that is what the PLP did. First they took a statement made by Shadow Finance Minister ET Bob Richards about his opposition to grants for small businesses in the EEZ zones. That statement was given in the context of a bill that was so flawed that the Government itself had to amend it before it became law.Having taken the statement, the PLP extrapolated it to a “pledge” to end the grants. No such pledge has ever been made. Then the PLP took that nonexistent pledge and turned it into a pledge to eliminate the EEZs entirely. The OBA has never made any such pledge. In fact, they have talked about expanding the zones and benefits to more small businesses.Then the PLP used that nonexistent pledge to claim the OBA does not care about businesses in the EEZs and: “They are only looking out for the wealthy families who have historically controlled the Island”, which, of course, is code for white families.When Premier Paula Cox became leader of the PLP, she said she “was going to lower the dial” on race and she promised a more constructive and less confrontational approach to politics, apparently recognising how costly and destructive the previous approach had been, both to the national psyche and to the economy. Now the PLP seems to have decided to take the low road, even before the election has begun, and to play out a campaign based on race, exploiting economic insecurities and lies.There’s still time to do better. And Bermuda deserves better.