Comments on: America’s distrust of Washington

By: Moses

Moses — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:40:13 +0000

There is a point where you just have to trust whether people get it or not. The only way I was able to get through the Bush victory in 2004 was to reflect that people will get exactly what they ask for. In fact that they got even more. That is democracy for better or for worse.

In this election, if our country’s collective mindset can only bring itself to elect McCain then I am not sure why I should shed tears for it. Let small town America pick its poison. For some reason the last eight years were not enough pain for them.

This small town America line that keeps getting repeated sounds desperate. While watching the convention I saw the nearly all white crowds and could not feel a sense that these people know how the world is changing around them. However, they are completely not ready for it. They do not educate themsleves for it. Have you ever watched news or read the newspapers in these markets?

In many ways (which I will post about later) Palin is the republican Obama. She is a blank slate that reflects many of the values that they have. Small town, hunter, mother, pro life, not ivy league educated, simple and not complex, not an international traveler (and has no interest for it). I can sympathize with why they love her because they also want change but unfortunately their party has done nothing to prepare for it since they have been causing a mess the last eight years. How they reflect on India and China or the changes in technology when most of them have only come to master the process of forwarding emails. Maybe I am east coast snob…actually I know I am but there is some truth to what I am saying.

Which makes me believe that what we are seeing are the last death throes of a kind of America that will no longer exist in 10 years. Once this country is not majority white and once our large immigrant community truly begins to vote, the republican party is going to be in a whole lot of trouble for a long time until it changes.

By: Dillon

Dillon — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:29:45 +0000

Empirically, people who call themselves independents are less likely to have an interest in politics than others, and as a result are less likely to vote.

But speaking of so-called independents, our independent senator Bernie Sanders up here in Vermont has made a big show of campaigning for Obama. Sanders argues that as an independent, he might have more credibility with other independents than party-line Democrats might. We love ya, Bernie, but I don’t think most independents are your kind of independent!

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:05:52 +0000

Your explanation sounds pretty plausible. And I REALLY hope your last point is right!

By: vshawnt

vshawnt — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:03:18 +0000

I’m sure there’s not just one answer…but, from my perspective, there’s a simplistic allure for those who aren’t very engaged in politics to 1) think they’re above party identification…they just like the idea of “voting for the best candidate”, so calling themselves independents, and 2) identify with the more simple Republican popular identity - i.e. small government, fiscal conservatism, strong military, personal responsibility. If you’re not very versed in politics, the more complex Democratic platform is tougher to swallow.
So, I think these “independents” often tilt mildly Right.
That said, I think that Bush has probably pushed a lot of these barely-politicals toward Obama.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:30:56 +0000

Yeah — I agree, “independents” end up parroting Republican talking points in each election, and in this election the “both sides do it” refrain could become even more salient, as McCain tries to condemn both parties for Republican sins. That’s why I’m worried.

From what you wrote above, the so-called indepdents are either Republicans who don’t like to identify as such, in which case we’re screwed, or they are not very critical or engaged news readers, in which case we’re also screwed.