August Politics
Aug 22, 2024 | 587 words | Politics
I have no notes from the front to offer this week, since all the important speeches at the Democratic National Convention don’t start until way past my bedtime. And next-day YouTube snippets of highlights (or lowlights) are just not the same.
Though I was disappointed to hear James Taylor was bumped from Tuesday night’s line-up. And then on Wednesday night Stevie Wonder was replaced at the last minute by a young female singer introduced grandly as a “legend,” who is also “one of America’s greatest gifts.” But her name was unrecognizable to me. Looks like I am a bit out of touch when it comes to contemporary musicians who qualify as legends.
As for this month’s rendition of retail presidential politics, things are continuing apace. Kamala Harris is keeping things simple and sticking to the basics. Expressing lots of warmth and charm, while occasionally lobbying a by-now well-established barb at her unflinching opponent. Maybe after Labor Day she will roll out some specific policy positions. Maybe she is holding her fire for the big televised debate coming in September.
Donald Trump for his part is the very definition of a one-trick pony, so by rights we should all be bored by now. But it continues to be hard not to slow down and look at a car crash.
A Trump promotional piece arrived in yesterday’s mail, announcing nine special policy initiatives we should expect to see should he win back the White House. Number five is “Rebuild our cities.” That’s it: just those three words. How’s that for efficiency!
Mr. Trump and his handlers are adept at coming up with “lowest common denominator” appeals. A highway billboard I pass every morning on the way to work has landed on an eye-catching format. The name TRUMP spelled out in giant letters against a dark blue background, and underneath just a short phrase. Once day it reads “Law and Order.” The next day, “Putting Families First.” Then there was the always popular “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.” This morning it read “Fighting for Justice and Equality.”
I guess if the Kamala campaign could afford that same billboard her people might put up equally inane slogans. That such hard-hitting ‘messages’ are now the key to winning elections is an expression of our predicament. It is daunting for politicians to address complex, sophisticated issues with a broad cross-section of the population, and it is equally daunting for us to listen to and comprehend such dense communication.
Since every aspect of life, every field of endeavor, is a complicated stew, our ongoing challenge as individuals is marshalling the attention span – or “bandwidth,” as it is known in today’s parlance – needed to seek out more than just easy-to-digest infotainment when it comes to current affairs, so we can act responsibly and be legitimate participants in this democracy.
Once our improved bandwidth is on display our candidates may be willing to rise above lowest common denominator appeals and attempt a slightly more detailed dissemination of their ideas. We might get more substance, and less posturing or pandering. Fewer rallies, and more position papers.
But first we must demonstrate we are willing to put the work into paying attention, instead of defaulting to simply being entertained. And what an odd form of entertainment it is: Submitting to and indulging in this repeated stoking of our political passions in short targeted bursts, before comfortably settling back into our daily routines. All while accusing our politicians of being superficial and lacking integrity.
Robert J. Cavanaugh, Jr.
bobcavjr@gmail.com