Viper Strike
Echidne has a great piece of snark: On Elections and Why I am Not a Political Blogger.
Too much of what passes as political commentary in the world is about process and personality, not about policy. I foolishly think it is more important to know what someone intends to do if elected, than if s/he is collecting enough money at the proper times and making the proper ad buys in the most effective markets.
The only segment of a candidate’s personality I’m interested in is their personal integrity – is their word good? There’s no point in reviewing their policies and ads, if the candidates don’t intend to follow through on them.
I don’t expect people to remain locked in to a position forever, but if they change their minds I would like to feel some confidence that it was because of sober consideration and new information, not because it will be easier to get elected if they adopt a new position.
Elections are not games; they are very serious business and should be treated as such.
One other thing for Charlie Crist, the Republican running for governor of Florida: Charley do you intend to do anything? I ask because all of your ads are about your opponent. I’m sure Jim Davis appreciates all of the name recognition you are providing him up this way, but don’t you think you should spend a little money on yourself?
2 comments
Is it really snark? Echidne is, as are you, Bryan, an issues blogger. Politics is a means, and it is sometimes necessary to address politics (especially around elections) in approaching issues, but anyone writing exclusively about who-said-what is, as Echidne said, engaging in soap opera. (I believe the GOP writes “As the Stomach Turns.”)
Some people are surprised when I declare (as I occasionally do) that I detest politics, that I’d rather be doing almost anything else. So be it: we all do a lot of things we don’t like, because we feel we must do those things. For me, politics is an unavoidable component of activism, and as Alice Walker wisely noted, “Activism is my rent for living on this planet.”
She is, I believe, reflecting the annoyance that covering the “horse race” and spats among the inside the Beltway crowd is somehow more serious that dealing with issues.
Frankly, if you don’t deal with the issues how can you understand what the race means? I is galling to have one’s concerns shuttled aside for “important things” like media schedules.