So what could contribute to a fickle electorate? Is it apathy? Whim? Perhaps people don't take American politics seriously enough. Perhaps they feel so removed from what actually happens, that they use the only tool they have, in a manner that garners the most attention. "Revolutionary voting" certainly feels more empowering, than voting along an allegiance to a donkey or elephant. Certainly voter upheavals allow your average American their proverbial 15 minutes of fame, and having a placard and soundbytable philosophy helps. But merely bleating a barbaric yawp is not the same as contributing a verse.
Or it could be fear. I cannot help but think of the line; " A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it" The fickle electorate could be afraid. And would have right to be. This is Fear and Loathing in Politics all over again. It then is no suprise that this sober political reflection, absent of rancor is a difficult challenge for Americans. Consider that most of our political discourse is force fed to us through agencies with a sole motivation to maintain viewership and keep us "infotained". If all news commentary was like the McNeil Lehrer report sleep might be promoted, but not ratings. So we are given a buffet of high sodium, highly inflamatory, factually challenge "infortainment". What is sadder still is that a number of these media personalities are least qualified to speak on the issues. While some of us were hard at work putting ourselves through school or building careers. These people were spending their youth smoking pot, and trying to out do each other with "shock jock" journalism. Basically they have made their success on seeing who could come up with the most outrageous claim, and amused the masses. But eventually, it became more than just amusement.
Somewhere along the line, we slipped off track, and people began accepting their brand of entertainment as fact in and of itself. It seeped into the political dialog of America, like cholestoral into the blood. Massive blood clots obstructed true fact from getting through. Hyperbole, demagougery all taken at face value. Qualifiable, quantifiable facts became irrellevant to the political process. And in the end electorate has suffered, just as any individual would suffer from a consistent diet of cheeseburgers and high fructose corn syrup.. What happens to 30 days straight of this political diet? "Stupify Me". (I should call Morgan Sprulock).
Now I should disclose my personal bias in that I find it insulting that Hannity, Limbaugh and Beck have the timerity to "educate" America on moral virtue and living, when none of them was able to complete college. It's not just that I am an education elitist (I am), but they simply failed to set out what they intended to do. They quit. Gave up. And decided to get behind a microphone. Perhaps I am just upset that instead of washing dishing, and bagging groceries to pay for my education, I could have just gotten high and taken a job at some non-descript radio station, saying whatever gibberish came to mind. Lord knows I am capable of gibberish. And it seems all you have to do to be successful as a high ratings pundit is adbandon any responsibility in what you say, and how it affects people. How is it Glenn Beck get's to play history professor and value sherpa without having had to do the hard work to obtain bonifides? And why are people upset with an Ivy league president who uses those bonifides to lead the country. Do we really want a celebrate leaders who take short cuts to their success? While freedom of speech insures a person's right to say what they want, common sense dictates that we call someone on their bullshit. Not vote on it. Not run a country on it.
So now, we have "authorities" on both side, flamming misinformation. (Perhaps Keith Obberman is worse, because he did finish college and should somehow know better). And the electorate now is subject to gross misinformation. The Democrats sit back and say "How could they not get this?". (coming off as Ivy School elitis) Well sometime's it not enough to say "Hey morons....those dragons are just windmills." You have to put logic aside and say "How can we make those dragons, back into windmills."
This could very well be that time for the democracts. And perhaps as a a nation we need to overcome the urge to be divisive and cynical, and focus our attention on salient and sustainable progress. Right now the right is gloating a little. They are castigating Obama for attempting to reach across the aisle a measure too late. Though none of us can afford it to be too late. (And in fairness he did convene bipartisan meetings previous to the election to work out solutions on healthcare, but didn't get any warm and fuzzy reception from Republicans than either).
Hopefully as the nation soberly looks ahead at what needs to happen, we can put the divisive instincts aside. The "I told you so". Let's not elate in our difference, but find solutions in what is common between us: a need for a better economy, more jobs, a pro-business economic environment; and the foundation for a strong middle class. These are ideas in unison toward a common goal. It is only the lesser angles of our nature that dictate division over who does this, and who gets credit. If we cannot get this right...now , when we need it. Aren't we all then to blame?
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