(Last in the series of reports on the presidential candidates)
I have lost track. Lindsey Graham, Martin O’Malley, George Pataki, Rick Perry, etc. The list goes on….
Too many to bother with. Because, in the end, it does not matter what any candidate stands for. It may help justify a vote. But do people really analyze the candidates? Do they think about the future? Do they challenge the premises behind the candidates statements? It matters little what the candidates put on their websites or the speeches they make. Because in the end, most people make decisions about voting based on emotion.
They “like” someone or “not like” someone. Elections are not about analyzing the candidates. They are about throwing as much crap as possible at your opponents . The more the merrier. Truth be damned. Because it does not matter how many lies you tell, if you tell them often enough people will believe it. Appeal to stereotypes.
There is an old saying: “Where there is smoke there must be fire”. Which is what many folks believe. Although sometimes, where there is smoke there is just a machine that makes smoke. A scam. A farce. (Watch Fox News for examples)
Thus, negative campaigning works. Downgrading the other guy to make your own candidate seem big by comparison works. Intentionally misleading the public is the name of the game. Who can forget “Willie Horton” ? Or the birthers? Or the “murder” of Vince Foster?
I suspect that by the time next July (2016) rolls around most of these “candidates” will be doing the talk show gigs, mainly on Fox. They will be considered “experts” because they ran for president. They will be dipping into their unregulated PACS and enjoying the good life. And who will be left…
Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush .
What we really need, of course, is Pat Paulsen. He was a candidate who was perfect for this election cycle. He epitomized the consummate politician .We could (and probably will) do a lot worse.
The Old Liberal 