The new political reality
After the Obama and Romney camps have spent close to one billion dollars on highly produced television spots, the most powerful messages of the campaign appear to be viral videos made by amateurs and costing nothing. Is this the new reality?
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CAMPAIGN_VIRAL_VIDEOS?SITE=IADES&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Lol!!! Awesome ...
ReplyDeletePretty sad situation, sadder still when it seems the MSM spends more time on, well, you decide.
ReplyDeleteWorse still if so many people do nothing more than soundbite their way to a voting decision.
Jean
I just think it's funny that the campaigns' $1B+ war chests can be usurped by some guy with a phone cam. Classic.
DeleteI think it's pathetic people cannot read a little become informed about the candidates, their records and the issues at hand.
DeleteSound bites, 15 second infomercials is the limit to the attention span of the American people.
When I see excerpts from American TV coverage of a political event or speech, I am amazed that the commentator, reporter or "Front man:" gets to spend more time in front of the camera than the VIP he is reporting on.
DeleteGraeme Richardson, a colourful Australian mover and shaker for the Labor party says in his autobiography (paraphrase)” neither party leader is as bad as his detractors believe nor as good as his supporters would like to think.”
Perhaps this sentiment applies in your present situation. Are not both men aiming to leave America a better place than when they begin? Is not the root of the problem with the voters who, as Lew remarks will not take the trouble to become informed?
As a very sad aside I always strike up a conversation with any American accent I hear. There are not many here to speak to but recently there has been an almost universal failure on their part to actually identify the Republican candidate although most of them know that B.O is the President, few know that Joe Biden ( ?Spelling!) is the VP.
Cheers from Aussie
Good points Kingston. No doubt in my mind that both candidates are honorable men who sincerely believe they can make a positive contribution if elected. Unfortunately, each side's TV ads must try and paint the opponent as a cad, criminal, liar or worse. Sad.
DeleteJean
DeleteLouman has summarized this below and he is correct (as are you). I take it a little further assuming your electors are similar to those in my country. It is this group who vote unthinkingly for either apples or bananas and when the successful bananas start to rot, they are the ones who complain.
We of course do have a significant difference in that we have compulsory voting with monetary penalties incurred for not voting. (Electors can still legally cast a spoilt ballot which becomes informal.)
In my view, compulsion, with the same provisions as Australia is the better way to go. You do get the donkey vote but you also get a more representative electorate at the polls.
Cheers from Aussie
NB. Late breaking news here. Our Treasurer (Sec Treasury to you) has today publicly slammed the American political system by proclaiming that the Crazed and the crazy’s of the Tea Party group have corrupted the Republican Party. We of course have a Socialist government which explains a lot. I for one condemn our treasurer, a case of mouth open before brain in gear. It is simply not our business
Good opportunity for Romney to shape the debate. It's the same argument that many on blogs like this make every day.
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