Tom Toles: Everything That's Wrong

[n2doc]

By Tom Toles October 6

I don’t mean to lay the blame for everything that’s wrong with American policy discourse on one small story, but today I think I might. It’s not the story itself, a simple question asked about some polling numbers, but still. That this question could be asked this way without seeing the rather glaring implications, tells us far too much about how we’ve come to talk about our democracy.

It is apparently now accepted understanding that someone running for office considers ONLY his career interests. Notice to Founding Fathers: You wasted your energy on a naïve set of premises!

It’s enough to make you want to lie down and weep. Just try and see if you can find a place in this story framing for the words “important” or “necessity” or “leadership”.

So go ahead. Lie down and weep. But then maybe you should get up and scream.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2014/10/06/everything-thats-wrong/

The story that he is talking about:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/01/voters-dont-really-care-about-climate-change-so-why-do-democrats-keep-talking-about-it/

Read both. He's right.

[WillyT]

1. K & R !!! - Bookmarked !!!

[2naSalit]

2. K&R too!

And bookmarked.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Americans don't vote on the issues. They vote on the advertising.

The voters want candidates to reassure them, make them feel good, promise to fix everything, and play the part of the nice daddy. We aren't the Land of the Free and home of the Brave we have become the Land of the suckers and Home of the frightened.

The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same. Marie Beyle (Stendahl)