I don't think of myself as wildly out of the mainstream in my views but I grasp politicians don't cater to me because my views are somewhat complicated (and perhaps not even such they are ideologically consistent), and not easily wrapped up into an easy demographic picture.
And thus I am a freak on the political landscape.
There is no message a politician could craft to appeal to all of my beliefs (nor should any politician try) but what sounds most appealing is when a candidate speaks frankly, eschewing crafted talking points, and sounding like he/she grasps the complexity of the challenges our country faces. Even I don't agree entirely with what is said, the suggestion of being able to actually think about a situation and have a position that applies to that (rather than forcing some ideology on to every situation) gives me some sense that this person might represent me—not necessarily my views exactly (as that's never going to happen) but the relative complexity of those views (which may very well connote a certain lack of absolute coherence that, while perhaps less than laudable, is more realistically human). It's not a lack of tact or indifference to diplomacy I seek, as those are necessary in human interactions if one wishes to get anything from others out of cooperation rather than coercion, but some shred of actual humanity instead of an electable automaton who spews a polished message.
Of course, that's not to say the energizing rhetoric that appeals to our optimism is out of the question, but blithe affirmations don't get the budget balanced.
However, any candidate who'd admit that frankness during the campaign would never get the nomination. Honesty is not electable.
That's why it's such a rare commodity in politics, and any hint of it proves so refreshing for the few seconds before it's dismissed by the establishment.
That's why politicians are not trying to appeal to me. I know it, and I've accepted it. As noted, I have the capacity (and even the propensity) toward complexity, so it's not difficult for me to do.
(No wonder I have no affiliation with a political party, and never have had one. I vote, but I'm a life-long "Decline to State" voter, trying to make the best of the situation. Nobody represents me, and I shudder to imagine anyone who would try.)
And thus I am a freak on the political landscape.
There is no message a politician could craft to appeal to all of my beliefs (nor should any politician try) but what sounds most appealing is when a candidate speaks frankly, eschewing crafted talking points, and sounding like he/she grasps the complexity of the challenges our country faces. Even I don't agree entirely with what is said, the suggestion of being able to actually think about a situation and have a position that applies to that (rather than forcing some ideology on to every situation) gives me some sense that this person might represent me—not necessarily my views exactly (as that's never going to happen) but the relative complexity of those views (which may very well connote a certain lack of absolute coherence that, while perhaps less than laudable, is more realistically human). It's not a lack of tact or indifference to diplomacy I seek, as those are necessary in human interactions if one wishes to get anything from others out of cooperation rather than coercion, but some shred of actual humanity instead of an electable automaton who spews a polished message.
Of course, that's not to say the energizing rhetoric that appeals to our optimism is out of the question, but blithe affirmations don't get the budget balanced.
However, any candidate who'd admit that frankness during the campaign would never get the nomination. Honesty is not electable.
That's why it's such a rare commodity in politics, and any hint of it proves so refreshing for the few seconds before it's dismissed by the establishment.
That's why politicians are not trying to appeal to me. I know it, and I've accepted it. As noted, I have the capacity (and even the propensity) toward complexity, so it's not difficult for me to do.
(No wonder I have no affiliation with a political party, and never have had one. I vote, but I'm a life-long "Decline to State" voter, trying to make the best of the situation. Nobody represents me, and I shudder to imagine anyone who would try.)
What a crazy, fringe kind of sentiment is that.
~
(I spared you the gory details of those beliefs. Let's not pretend any of us are interested in that.)
~
(I spared you the gory details of those beliefs. Let's not pretend any of us are interested in that.)
Hey, does that new Get Tough Obama appeal to ya?
ReplyDeleteGeorge Carlin said it best: "If you vote, you have no right to complain."
ReplyDeleteGeorge Carlin said it best: "If you vote, you have no right to complain."
ReplyDeleteWasn't it Groucho Marx who said, "I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member"? I think that's appropriate for politics too.
ReplyDelete