Campaigning With A Wet Finger In The Air
These are the days when a lot of political campaign decisions are not made from the heart of the candidate, but by number people. Little number people with Blackberries and designer suits, Treos and and leather suspenders. Young little people whose mamas were driving them to school not too many years ago. Paper thin principled individuals who make decisions based on the latest poll, the latest numbers that are “crunched”, which is an euphemism for making statistics come out in a way favorable to your goals and ideals.
Candidates can hardly wipe their rear-ends without some kind of handler present to take notes and comment to the media on just how it was wiped and how important the wiping is to the campaign, and issue a press release about the wiping.
Ask some of the news reporters who try to get interviews- just five minutes with any of the candidates. Or you can ask talk show hosts at local stations who have had a candidate scheduled for an interview, only to be dumped for another station in a “more important market.
By the time the real people get a chance to cast a ballot, they have had a sombrero full of attack ads, nasty dirty tricks, innuendos, and shady dealings over donations. One top advisor skates through a career inspired by the master magician of attack campaigning. And he is not alone practicing his craft. There are plenty of spin masters for each party.
President Bush was dead-on the other day, when during his news conference at The White House, he said he wanted to know the candidates guiding principles that will stay with them during good times and bad. In my mind’s ear, I could hear the Blackberries clicking, as the little people on the campaign trail thumbed in “research guiding principle polls”.
It’s not the system that is messed up.
We just need candidates who will speak with their own intellect, and from the heart, and seek support for their ideals, and not their campaign. Who knows? It might start a trend… if the polls show it to be effective.
You know what, dave? You’re dead on. I’m sick and tired of contrived and focused group lines that pop up again and again. One of my favorite candidates will repeat a line that got a laugh on every interview that he does. When he does that he starts to look artificial instead of genuine. I guess that I can’t blame him though. It’s really a 24 hour news cycle thats to blame. They pick out something that will fit nicely into the Headline News segments to report to the people and care less about hitting the substance of a candidates message.
I guess that the bottom line for me is I WANT substance and NOT sound bites!
Dave………well written….!!!
My gripe over the weekend was I was honestly attempting to listen to the debates; see what each had to say on this/that, only to witness juvenile attacks on the other candidates. I still haven’t a clue on what was said (or not said) this weekend.
Thanks for the blog. It was dead on. You said what I’ve been thinking for months now.
…I miss Dan Quayle…
On a serious note, Dave, you are one of those bloggers I wish would blog more. I know you’ve got a lifetime of stuff up there that should be shared. We are hungry to hear it!
The article you published is always a surprise.