I think I need to print this and mail it to the Commission on Presidential Debates. They’ve done a mediocre job ever since they took it over from the League of Women Voters.
Why? Because the truth is complicated and the answers are usually not what the electorate wants to hear (‘it’ll cost you money & your standard of living may take a hit although you’ll get it back in services). So candidates, political parties, and ideologies create simple memes that the electorate can buy into without giving the complexities any thought. This is why people who make less than $30K/yr can be convinced to vote for a Repug who promises to cut everyone’s taxes, spend more on “defense”, and somehow balance the budget and people who feel that drone bombing peasants in Pakistan can be convinced to vote for a Dim… again.
We could also use a shot-clock on politicians: you have 30 seconds to make your point or you relinquish the floor.
I think I need to print this and mail it to the Commission on Presidential Debates. They’ve done a mediocre job ever since they took it over from the League of Women Voters.
Who needs high tech? This simple Q/A will suffice.
A : Is a politician lying?
B : Are their lips moving?
If A=yes then B=true.
Why? Because the truth is complicated and the answers are usually not what the electorate wants to hear (‘it’ll cost you money & your standard of living may take a hit although you’ll get it back in services). So candidates, political parties, and ideologies create simple memes that the electorate can buy into without giving the complexities any thought. This is why people who make less than $30K/yr can be convinced to vote for a Repug who promises to cut everyone’s taxes, spend more on “defense”, and somehow balance the budget and people who feel that drone bombing peasants in Pakistan can be convinced to vote for a Dim… again.